An international rule applied at the last minute saw the separation of the Under-23 and Elite men at the Mazda MTN South African Cross-country Mountain Bike Championships in Pietermaritzburg at the weekend. The surprise ruling and wet conditions failed to put a damper on the event and ultimately resulted in two high quality races.

Previously, the two categories raced together in a Pro-Elite class race at SA Cup and national championships events. However an International Cycling Union (UCI) official in Pietermaritzburg stepped in as the riders were gathered on the start line and requested the two categories race separately.

KwaZulu-Natal’s Amy-Jane Mundy did a rain dance last week and then a victory dance at the weekend when she took advantage of muddy conditions to successfully defend her Elite women’s title at the Mazda MTN South African cross-country mountain bike championships in Pietermaritzburg.

Going into the championships as a dark horse with only an outside chance of toppling African champion Yolande Speedy (IMC Racing), the 2007 national champion was motivated to put in a great performance. But winning by more than four minutes was an unexpected bonus.

Former downhill world champion Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate) will add some depth to the start list at the 2008 Mazda MTN South African mountain bike championships, which take place in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday.

Minnaar’s first foray back into top-flight racing, following a five-month injury-induced layoff to repair a broken shoulder, is appropriately in his hometown, on the very same slopes that helped nurture his skills that took him to overall victory in the World Cup in 2001 and 2005 and the world championships title in 2003.

He’s in a completely different class when it comes to cross-country mountain bike racing, which is why the current South African and African champion, Burry Stander, will find his biggest opposition coming from himself at the 2008 Mazda MTN SA Championships, which take place in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday.

Barring any kind of mishap, Stander, who is currently 25th on the International Cycling Union world rankings, is expected to completely dominate the Elite men’s race on Saturday in search of his third consecutive national Elite title.