The annual G2C Mountain Bike Race is fast becoming the premier MTB cycle event in the province and a sought-after competition, with a SA road cycling champion having participated and winning the 70km women’s race.
SA U23 road cycling champion, Gqeberha’s Rachel Seaman, in her debut G2C, left fellow-riders trailing in her wake in the 70km mountain bike ride from Makhanda to Port Alfred, cruising in first to the finish at Port Alfred Country Club on Sunday.
A large number of mountain bikers from Gqeberha and East London were among the participating cyclists – and many of them like men’s winner over 70km, Addo’s Tyrone Kleinsmidt, who is a stage racing specialist, are using the G2C as a training run.
Seaman’s victory probably came as little surprise too, because the Gqeberha cyclist is at the pinnacle of her chosen sport in her age division in the country. A full-time road cyclist at the moment, who was making her debut in the G2C, Seaman used the tough outing as a successful training run for her next stop on the road racing calendar.
Seaman was overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery encountered on the G2C route and is determined to return next year – if all goes well.
“It’s probably one of the prettiest races I have done so far. It felt pretty fast too, but it was a really good day all in all. The route was very easy to follow … you couldn’t really go wrong; it was just great,” she said at the finish.”
Despite being a very fit national road cycling champion in her age group, were there any difficult sections of the G2C where she possibly felt the pressure?
“I have to say for me it was the last climbs, because I was pushing very hard; so when I got to those, must say it was a bit difficult for me.”
Asking if she expected to win given her form after winning the national road cycling championships a few months ago, she said: “I wouldn’t say I was expecting it … but I was hoping to win, yes.”
Seaman is only happy to have added the G2C to her list of title-winning achievements as it holds her in good stead for a possible slot in the SA team for the upcoming international programme.
“I am hoping to be selected for the road world championships … either in Rwanda or Switzerland. I am planning to be a full-time professional. I think mountain biking is pretty awesome. It’s probably the easiest to get in to cause you can pretty much do trails anywhere,” said Seaman.
Seaman’s ambitions are focused on excelling in the road world tour … my big dream is to get to the Olympics one day. Any selection to the Olympic team in the future would be a bonus,” she said.
Seaman says mountain biking and cycling need a huge amount of discipline if you want to be successful and reach the top in the sport.
“It’s hasn’t been that difficult though for me, because I feel once you get into it and you have a passion for it, it’s pretty easy to stick to it. But you have to be disciplined because you have to push really hard to keep yourself mentally strong, because it can get difficult in terms of the mental side of cycling. My training at the moment consists of around 14-15 hours of cycling a week and 18- hours of gym,” said Seaman.
Seaman won the U23 women’s category in February at the national championships in Mid-vaal riding to a well-earned victory over Anya Du Plessis (second) and Nadine Visser (third).
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This article was first published in Talk of the Town, June 26, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
