Durbanville primary schools shine in cycling league

Pupils from primary schools in the northern suburbs will have an opportunity to compete in the Western Cape Schools Cycling races this month and in September.

This comes after they excelled in the Bicycle League that was hosted by Cycle2Ride, a non-profit organisation, on Saturday, May 24 at Devonbosch near Stellenbosch.

The 20 schools from four districts competed in teams, with the top five individual results per school, across all categories of the same gender, combined to determine overall standings. 

Durbanville’s Gene Louw and Eversdal Primary Schools emerged victorious in the boys' and girls' divisions in the competition, earning 850 and 830 points, respectively. 

Mikro Primary School from Kuilsriver, with 750 points, and Appelwood Primary School from Grabouw, with 598 points, secured second and third place in the boys’ category.  

An intense battle in the girls’ competition resulted in Bruckner De Villiers Primary School of Stellenbosch and Mikro Primary School tied in second on 740 points, and Eversdal taking the win with 830 points.  

Sponsored by the EduInnov8 Foundation and facilitated by Cycle2Ride, the Bicycle League provides young riders with the chance to showcase their talents.

Jaco Kotze, founder of Cycle2Ride, said that sport can be a game-changer for young learners. 

“In rural communities, many kids lack opportunities for social and emotional development, which affects their education. Being part of a cycling community gives them something to belong to - it’s about hope and inspiration,” he said.

As part of the program's evolution, 10 standout riders from Bottelary Hills have been selected to compete in the 2025 Western Cape School MTB League, which will take place at Welbedacht in Wellington on Saturday, June 21, and at Bloemendal in Durbanville on Saturday, September 6.

“Over the past three years, cycling development in the Bottelary Hills region has seen remarkable progress, with weekly coaching provided to over 45 children from five schools,” said Christel Liebenberg, the manager of the Bottelary Hills Conservancy, which partners with Cycle2Ride to run skills development projects.

The team manager at Mikro Primary School, Dorette Taljaard, said their riders are motivated to take the challenge even though the weather has limited their time to practise outdoors.

“We know that the level of competition will be high but we view it as a chance to push our limits and showcase our progress. While there is some nervous energy, it is balanced by a shared commitment to support one another and give our best in every race,” she said.