XTERRA Warriors in action at the 2016 Fedhealth XTERRA in Grabouw. Photo by Tobias Ginsberg.

The spectacular MTO forests are fast becoming a renowned mountain biking destination, with 7300 km of forest roads and 250 km of awesome trails, built and maintained within the working plantations.

This year sees MTO Group (a timber products and solutions provider) partnering on several exciting mountain biking and trail running events.

Between 24 – 26 February, MTO trails will be utilised for the prestigious Fedhealth XTERRA South African Championship (Grabouw Country Club, Western Cape).

“We subscribe to living with passion and energy and love the fact that the MTO Group is aligned with like-minded people,” says Lawrence Polkinghorne, MTO Group CEO.  “We are privileged to live in some of the most beautiful areas in the world. Partnering with XTERRA is a long term value proposition for everyone involved. We are excited to showcase our forests and surrounding landscapes.”

“The XTERRA Grabouw routes incorporate iconic trails that showcase the raw beauty of the area particularly after the recent fires,” continues Polkinghorne. "The views across the Elgin Valley will long be remembered by those competitors who are not on the sharp end of the race. The MTO Group is also busy with the replanting of the area around the dam helping to retain the forestry legacy in the area. Look out for the fynbos returning to the exit areas.”

The Prize Purse for the Fedhealth XTERRA Grabouw has increased to a whopping R154 000. The top five finishers in the XTERRA Full open men’s and women’s races will receive prize money, with the first place winners each taking home R30 000.

Forming part of the XTERRA World Tour, athletes taking part in the Fedhealth XTERRA Grabouw stand a chance to qualify for the XTERRA World Championship that will take place in Maui later in the year.

Future events
MTO has also announced a new partnership with the epic three day stage mountain bike event, the FNB Wines2Whales (W2W) MTB Events, to be held in October/November 2017.

The FNB W2W MTB Events will access MTO grounds on various stages, improving the route and adding value to the experience of the riders.

“Our relationship driven culture is key to the success of our purpose to responsibly reshape the African timber landscape," says Lawrence Polkinghorne. "We are proud to partner with FNB W2W as it shares a similar vision. The event is invested in people, community and the environment.”

“The prospect of developing our youth using sport as a foundation, granting them the opportunity to learn discipline, dedication, commitment and skills, is exciting” he continues. “This is a wonderful platform for MTO to identify people that we can assist through our sports academies and academic assistance programmes and finally to offer employment opportunities. Together with the FNB W2W MTB Events, we look forward to many exciting years of developing people, nurturing our environment, and giving back to the community.”

In addition to the FNB W2W MTB Events and the Fedhealth XTERRA Grabouw, MTO has also partnered with two more premier off-road events that are hosted by leading sports marketing agency Stillwater Sports. These include the Pennypinchers Origin Of Trails and the Cell C AfricanX Trailrun presented by ASICS.

Event information

Fedhealth XTERRA South African Championship
Fedhealth XTERRA Kids – Friday, 24 February 2017
6-8 years (60m Swim, 2km MTB, 600m Trail Run)
9-11 years (100m Swim, 3km MTB, 1.5km Trail Run)
12-15 years (250m Swim, 5km MTB, 2.5km Trail Run)

Fedhealth XTERRA Full – Saturday, 25 February 2017
1.5km swim, 28km MTB, 12.5km trail run

XTERRA Trail Run – Sunday, 26 February 2017
12.5km and 5km

Fedhealth XTERRA Lite – Sunday, 26 February 2017
400m swim, 12.5km MTB, 5km trail run

Cell C AfricanX Trailrun presented by ASICS
Friday, 17 March 2017 – Sunday, 19 March 2017

FNB Wines2Whales (W2W) MTB Events
FNB Wines2Whales MTB Adventure:    Friday, 27 October 2017 – Sunday, 29 October 2017
FNB Wines2Whales MTB Ride: Monday, 30 October 2017 – Wednesday, 01 November 2017
FNB Wines2Whales MTB Race: Friday, 03 November 2017 – Sunday, 05 November 2017

Pennypinchers Origin Of Trails
Saturday, 25 November 2017 – Sunday, 26 November 2017

*Follow on Facebook: MTO Trails-Jonkershoek / MTO Group / Wines2Whales