STORMS RIVER TRAVERSE DELIVERS ANOTHER STAGE-RACE CELEBRATION

For 15 years, the Glacier Storms River Traverse has kick-started the second half of the South African mountain biking season. It heralds the coming of spring, often with a day of wet weather to remind that winter is not yet passed. It serves as a perfect introduction to stage racing for the competitive and a reintroduction to riding after winter hibernation for the relaxed. Increasingly, it splits the E-Bike community into racers and riders, allowing them to discover the joys of going fast or taking it easy in Tsitsikamma, as analogue riders have enjoyed for years.

In 2025, the Glacier Storms River Traverse took place from the 1^st to the 3^rd of August, hosted as always, by the historic Tstistikamma Village Inn. Registration on Thursday, ahead of the race, saw rain, cold temperatures, and strong winds. By Friday, the rain had stopped, the wind had dropped, but the temperatures remained icy. Saturday and Sunday brought warmer weather with the finale playing out under clear skies and with the mercury climbing into the 20s.

The temperatures did not dissuade fierce racing on the opening day. Travis Rademan-Ludeke and Jordan Boshoff (Project Dream SA) got their campaign off to a winning start, establishing an early buffer over Andre van Rooyen and Ruan Portwig. On Stage 2 the Duxfin pair suffered a near-catastrophic puncture, but fought back valiantly to limit their losses to the Impact Foundation’s Gys and Pieter Malan. Going into the final stage, Project Dream SA had the general classification victory all but wrapped up. This meant that Van Rooyen and Portwig had to race their hearts out to put enough time into the Malan brothers to regain the second spot on the general classification. They did so comfortably, but would have loved to run the champions closer in a battle which may well repeat itself in the coming years as the young continue their rivalries beyond the Tsitsikamma forest trails.

In the women’s race, Sarah Hill returned to the first stage race she ever participated in, to trial a new partnership with Steph Wohlters. The Efficient Infiniti pair won handily while Chantel de Villiers celebrated her second year on the Glacier Storms River Traverse podium. Racing alongside her mother, Yolande, Chantel de Villiers had to dig deep to ensure that the De Villiers Racing combination beat Ella Corrigan and Lianke Fourie, of Stellenspeed, to third. Yolande de Villiers had podiumed in virtually every edition of the event to date, winning in the solo women’s, women’s teams, and mixed teams categories to boot. Her success and the celebratory return of Hill to the event were but two of the anniversaries.

The other was celebrated by Nicola Freitas and Rossouw Bekker. “It was this or a hike in the Drakensberg for our anniversary,” Freitas laughed. “We’d have to carry our food, cook our meals, and not get looked after by Dryland… so the decision was an easy one.” The TitanRacing team took home Perdeberg Wine and fynbos flower bouquets along with their prize for winning the mixed category, which arguably makes them the champions of the unofficial anniversary competitions too.

One of the event’s unique charms is the manner in which it mixes competitive and relaxed approaches. Nowhere is this more evident than in the E-Bike categories. The riders who race, push themselves to the limit, while the riders who ride cruise while taking in the spectacular scenery. Coastal indigenous forests, pine plantations, a jagged coastline, and wild mountains just to the north provide a feast for the eyes. Racing absolutely flat out limits the opportunities for seeing much beyond the trail ahead, but it still holds an alluring appeal. In the team’s E-Bike category, Chris and Jennifer Blackshaw proved fastest, while Paul Andries de Vos and Maria Palm were the fastest solo man and woman on an E-Bike, respectively.

There is excitement aplenty to look back on from the 2025 Glacier Storms River Traverse, too, and mountain biking fans can recap on the action by liking the Glacier Storms River Traverse Facebook page or following @stormsrivertraverse on Instagram. More information can be found at www.stormsrivertraverse.co.za.

2025 Glacier Storms River Traverse

Leading Results

Men’s Teams General Classification | After Stage 3:

1. Project Dream SA: Travis Rademan-Ludeke & Jordan Boshoff (5:38:05)
2. Duxfin: Andre van Rooyen & Ruan Portwig (6:18:50)
3. Impact Foundation: Gys & Pieter Malan (6:33:25)

Women’s Teams General Classification | After Stage 3:

1. Efficient Infiniti: Sarah Hill & Steph Wohlters (7:06:25)
2. Team De Villiers Racing: Chantel & Yolande de Villiers (7:32:15)
3. Stellenspeed: Ella Corrigan & Lianke Fourie (7:41:02)

Mixed Teams General Classification | After Stage 3:

1. TitanRacing: Nicola Freitas & Rossouw Bekker (7:37:23)
2. Tsitsikamma Micro Brewery: Karla & Johan Stumpf (8:20:01)
3. Invicta Security Solutions: Marisca Steyn & Arnou Oberholzer (8:21:23)

E-Bike Teams General Classification | After Stage 3:

1. Blackshaw Pirates: Chris & Jennifer Blackshaw (6:35:29 | Mixed)
2. Vintage Voltage: Bas Gouweloos & Dalene Eksteen (6:43:37 | Mixed)
3. Thursty Boys: Gerhard Von Bonde & Ian McGavin (6:52:11 | Men’s Team)

For the full results from the 2025 Glacier Storms River Traverse, click here.

Source: Seamus Allardice