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Evans retained his Elite SA titles in marathon and cross-country and won the Mazda Series for the third time. This talented rider is the king of consistency.
FULL NAMES
Kevin Evans
DATE OF BIRTH
6 June 1978
PLACE OF BIRTH
Johannesburg
CURRENT RESIDENCE
Harkerville, Western Cape
PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL TEAMS
Vineyard/Breitling Team, 2004
Scott, 2005
Raleigh, 2006
Raleigh/MTN/Energade, 2007
MTN/Energade, 2008
NATIONAL TEAM REPRESENTATION
SA Cross country Team, 2003, Lugano Switzerland
SA Marathon Team, 2004, Austria
SA Marathon Team, 2005, Norway
SA Marathon Team, 2006, France
SA Marathon and Cross country Team, 2007, Belgium/Scotland
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
10th Marathon World Cup, Sweden, Falun 2005
11th Marathon World Cup, France, Les des Alps, 2005
Two time, SA Marathon Champion, 2006/2007
Two time SA XC Elite Champion, 2006/2007
Three time Drifter Series overall winner
3rd Cape Epic, 2005
BEST RESULTS 2007
SA Marathon Champion
SA Elite XC Champion
Drifter series winner
MARITAL STATUS
Married to Karen Evans
RIDING STRENGTHS
Long climbs, big pressure
RIDING WEAKNESSES
Scary fast technical descents
RACING GOALS FOR 2008
Cape Epic stage win, Poduim overall
SA Marathon Champion
Top ten World Marathon Championships
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This mountain biking legend competed at two Olympic Games and has won both the Cape Epic and the Transalp. He’s returning to winning form after a succession of injuries.
FULL NAMES
Mannie Heymans
DATE OF BIRTH
14 July 1971
PLACE OF BIRTH
Krugersdorp
CURRENT PLACE OF RESIDENCE
Windhoek, Namibia
PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL TEAMS
Focus Race division 2000-2005
Raleigh 2006
Raleigh/MTN 2007
MTN/Energade 2008
NATIONAL TEAM REPRESENTATION
Olympic Games 2000, 2004, 2008
Commonwealth Games 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006
All African Games 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003
MTB continental championships 1999, 2001, 2003, 2007
Road Continental championships 2006
Tour of Britain 1998, 1999
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
1st Trans Alp Challenge 1998 and 2004
1st Absa Cape Epic 2004
1st Marathon world cup(France) 2004
African MTB champion 1999-2006
BEST RESULTS IN 2007
1st Sabie Classic
1st Namibia MTB championships
RIDING STRENGTHS
Long up hills and technical down hills
RIDING WEAKNESSES
Fast starts
RACING GOALS FOR 2008
Regain respect
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This strong climber endured some bad luck in 2007. He’s hoping for a luckier 2008 to show off his allround strengths – and his Elite African Cross-country Champion jersey.
FULL NAMES
Ben Melt Swanepoel
DATE OF BIRTH
2 July 1976
PLACE OF BIRTH
Parys, Free State
CURRENT PLACE OF RESIDENCE
Heidelberg, Gauteng
PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL TEAMS
Jeep/Morningside Cycles – 2002
Mazda Drifter Raleigh 2003, 2004, 2005
Mazda Drifter Merida 2006
MTN/Energade/Raleigh 2007, 2008
NATIONAL TEAM REPRESENTATION
2001 XC World Championships, Vail Colorado
2003 XC World Championships, Lugano, Switzerland
2004 Marathon World Championships, Bad Goisern, Austria
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2001 Selection to SA XC World Championship team
2004 SA XC National Cup Champion
2004 SA XC National Champion (Elite)
BEST RESULTS IN 2007
Elite XC African Continental Champion
2 Mazda Drifter series wins (Haenertzburg and Karoo to Coast)
MARITAL STATUS
Single
RIDING STRENGTHS
Enjoying what I do.
RIDING WEAKNESSES
Not telling anyone!
RACING GOALS FOR 2008
Mazda Drifter series
SA XC Cup Series
World Championships
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This Commonwealth Games silver medallist is SA’s top stage racer and will add a new dimension to the MTN team in both road and mountain bike races.
FULL NAMES
David George
DATE OF BIRTH
23 February 1976
PLACE OF BIRTH
Cape Town
CURRENT PLACE OF RESIDENCE
Cape Town
PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL TEAMS
US Postal Service 1999, 2000
Tacconi Sport / Vini Caldirola 2001
CCC-Polstat 2002
Barloworld 2003-2005
Relax Gam 2006
NATIONAL TEAM REPRESENTATION
Olympic Games 1996, 2000
Commonwealth Games 1998, 2002, 2006
World Championships 1997-2006
Tour de Langkawi eight times
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2nd Commonwealth Games Road Race 2006
3rd Commonwealth Games Time Trial 1998
4th Commonwealth Games Road Race 1998
3rd Under-23 World Championships Time Trial 1997
1st Giro del Capo 20002, 2003, 2004
1st SA Time Trial Championships five times
1st SA Road Race Championships 2003
1st Tour de Langkawi 2006
Completed Vuelta Espana 2006
BEST RESULTS IN 2007
2nd SA Road Race Championships 2007
1st SA Time Trial Championships 2007
4th Tour de Langkawi
3rd Giro del Capo
Stage win Giro del Capo
MARITAL STATUS
Married to Michelle
RIDING STRENGTHS
Climbing, time trials, tours
RIDING WEAKNESSES
Bunch sprints, cold weather
RACING GOALS FOR 2008
Giro del Capo
Tour of South Africa
Absa Cape Epic
Olympic Games Road Race and Time Trial
SA Championships Road Race and Time Trial
To develop the MTN team into a world-class outfit
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