A convergence of some of the world’s best mountain bikers and South Africa’s own top riders is taking place on Saturday, the 21st of February, in Wellington, Western Cape. It is the 2026 Big 5 MTB Challenge by Imbuko Wines and Canetsfontein, and this illustrious one-day marathon has once again attracted a high-calibre field of riders looking to test their form ahead of the 2026 Absa Cape Epic and earn their share of the generous prize purse.
With a record number of riders participating in 2026, the call of the Hawequa Mountains to riders from around the world to come and test their mettle has clearly been heard louder than ever. You can follow the action live on the @big5mtbchallenge Instagram channel during the race on Saturday, or come through to Wellington to witness these phenomenal athletes battle it out right in front of your eyes! Get the details on the spectator points at the end of this article, and get the lowdown on who’s who and the route below!
Top riders to watch in 2026
This year sees the return of only one of 2025’s defending champions, the undefeated Queen of the Haweque mountains, Candice Lill. Lill is going to have some potent company in 2026, namely Vera Looser (2 X podium finisher at The Big 5), Greta Seiwald (World Cup XCO racer and 2026 Tankwa Trek winner), Hayley Preen (2026 Ceder Race winner), Bianca Haw (2025 Absa Cape Epic African Jersey Winner), and Sam Sanders (Runner up 2026 Attakwas Extreme). Sarah Maré, Faranak Partoazar (Pump for Peace), Cherise Williet and Chloe Bishop, among others, will increase the depth in the elite women’s field, and the likes of Olympic triathlete Flora Duffy will be on the start line as well.
Filipo Colombo (SUI) has taken home the race honours 2 years in a row now. The Scott SRAM rider will be handing the baton over to his teammate Andri Frischknecht (the 2023 winner) to keep the title in the Scott-SRAM wheelhouse. Challenging him for the 2026 title will be none other than Alan Hatherly (returning for his 2nd shot at the top), Tristan Nortje (who lost the race lead in 2025 due to a navigational error), and Marco Joubert (2022 winner and 2025 runner-up). Honeycomb 226ers’ Marc Prtizen (2025 SA XCM Champ) and Felix Stehli (5th at the 2025 Gravel World Champs) will both be in that contest as well.
Joubert and Nortje will have their Toyota Specialized Imbuko teammates (Travis Stedman, Jaedon Terlouw, Lood Goosen, and Inus du Preez) alongside them to support, or maybe they’ll be going for their own grab at glory?
Saturday’s start line will also host Insect Science’s Arno du Toit, Wessel Botha, Keegan Bontekoning and Jan Withaar. Pump For Peace’s Unathi Nxumalo, Tumelo Makae, Damon Terblanche and Thabiso Zindela will be in the mix, as well as Herman Fourie, Keegan Tullis, Tayne Rudling, Julian Jessop, Andre van Rooyen, and Joris Ryf (2023 E-MTB XCO World Champion). All-in-all, 2026 looks to be one of the deepest fields of both elite men and women that The Big 5 has yet seen and should make for a thrilling showdown on Saturday, the 21st of February.
The Big 5 route
The Big 5’s fabled route is the core of this event’s attraction; 3000m of climbing and descending across the 77km course that navigates the fynbos and forest-covered slopes of the Hawequa mountains surrounding Wellington. For the pros, it is a barrage of long climbs and technical single-track that allows them to put their full arsenal of racing tactics and horsepower to the test, while for the amateurs, it is the ultimate one-day challenge to see what they are made of as mountain bikers. Can they conquer the heights and still find flow on the endless descents? Are their legs ready for the eight days of the Absa Cape Epic in March? Have they got their nutrition plans and race fuelling dialled in and ready for 5+ hours in brutal terrain? This is where limits are pushed, and truth is revealed.
To get into the details, 5 major climbs and descents await. Hawequa is up first, 15km up and 4km down, with 700m of gain on its rugged forest roads. The descent is fast down to the first water point at the Scouts Hall. Then arrives the pure single-track climb and descent of Seven Peaks – 4km up and another 4km down with 360m of gain. The outrageously fast Cool Runnings trail on the way down is one of the best in the land.
The Obiekwa climb comes next after the Canetsfontein Water Point – 12km from start to finish with 1000m of elevation gain, through the Aap du Huez, Angel Tears, DNF, and Cliffhanger singletrack ascents. There is a R20 000 prize awaiting the first man and woman over the top of the climb! After cresting high above the valley floor, the Cliffhanger, Full Monty, and Route 66 trails will plunge you back down to Canetsfontein again over a 10km descent that you’ll remember for the rest of your life!
The race is far from done here, but the biggest climbs are behind you. Groenberg is a 240m high bump in the elevation profile that is 6km up and 3km down. Keep it tidy on the loose corners of the Golden Mile on your way down to WP 5 at Val du Charron. Find a friend to work with on the flat roads across to Patatskloof and then settle in for the final test of the legs, a steep gravel road followed by a rocky traverse and some little ups and downs before you pass through the Scouts Hall again and take the high-speed farm roads down to the finish at Imbuko Wines!
Where to spectate
If you’re eager to come and witness the racing action in person or support a friend for loved one taking on this mighty feat, the best places to do that from are of course the start and finish at Imbuko Wines (where there will be great coffee, wine, and food on sale) and the Canetsfontein Water Point where the riders will pass through twice (at 30 and 52 km). Expect the leaders to come past from around 7:45 and 8:45am. Here you will also be able to find refreshments and food, and support your rider with a refuel for their ascent up the Cliffhanger and before the final leg of the day.
For any more info about the event, please visit imbukobigfivemtbchallenge.co.za
