The Die Bosveld Trailseeker round will sharpen the 2026 Ford Trailseeker Series title race on Saturday, 1 August. Round five takes place 20 kilometres north of central Pretoria and serves as the final Highveld stop of the season.
It is also the penultimate round, with only Wellington still to come in September. That gives the race major weight for the overall standings, the general classification podium, and marathon specialists seeking a standout result before returning to cross-country racing.
Series leaders Marc Pritzen and Sarah Maré arrive with control of their respective competitions. Their closest challengers include Jaedon Terlouw, Jan Withaar, Samantha Sanders, and Roxanne Kemp.
Die Bosveld Trailseeker course favours speed and timing
The Die Bosveld route shares key traits with Sondela, which hosted the previous round on 27 June. It is flat, fast, and likely to produce racing shaped by positioning and timing.
The marathon route covers 66.6 kilometres and includes 636 metres of climbing. That equals 9.55 metres of climbing per kilometre.
By contrast, the Wellington finale will add nearly 18 metres more climbing per kilometre. That harder route will close the series in September.
Die Bosveld still offers places to split the race. The opening 25 kilometres include three short, steep climbs, each gaining nearly 100 metres.
The descents after those climbs could prove decisive. So could the Ford Wildtrak section, which comes 45 kilometres into the race.
Technically sharp riders may use those points to create separation. They will first need to reach the summits ahead of their rivals.
Pritzen protects 20-point lead over Terlouw
Pritzen tops the elite men’s standings with 122 points for Honeycomb 226ers. Terlouw, riding for Toyota Specialized Imbuko, trails by 20 points.
Pritzen has beaten Terlouw in three of the four rounds so far. Yet Terlouw won the sprint on a similarly fast course last time out.
If Terlouw repeats that result, Pritzen’s advantage could fall to just 10 points. That would set up a tense finale in Wellington on 12 September.
Pritzen will want to avoid that pressure by extending his lead at Die Bosveld. A win would be his second Ford Trailseeker Series victory of the season.
Wellington adds another layer to the title fight. It is Terlouw’s adopted home and the base of his Toyota Specialized Imbuko team.
Withaar sits third overall, 50 points behind Pritzen. His title hopes depend on misfortune for the riders ahead of him.
For Withaar to race for the R100 000 grand prize in Wellington, Pritzen and possibly Terlouw would need to miss points on Saturday.
Insect Science could still shape the contest. Wessel Botha and Johan van Zyl may help Withaar by taking points away from the two leaders.
A clean sweep of the podium for Insect Science would require luck, teamwork, and exceptional form.
Terlouw also has team support, with Ignatius du Preez lining up in Toyota Specialized Imbuko colours.
Ford Prime Bunch bring depth through Philip Buys, Pieter du Toit, and Michael Foster. Buys finished fifth in the Sondela sprint and third at Van Gaalen.
Du Toit is rebuilding after a long illness-enforced lay-off. Foster may prove the most dangerous wildcard.
The 2024 and 2025 South African cross-country champion has raced the UCI MTB World Series since his January Ford Trailseeker appearance. His power and sprint make him a rider others must drop before any bunch finish.
Ernest Roets, Travis Rademan-Ludeke, and Unathi Nxumalo should also target the top 10. Pieter Korkie, Damon Terblanche, and Presmore Musundi add further depth.
Lumardt Pienaar, Luan Vermeulen, Respect Ramashia, Alexander de Jonge, William Majapholo, Lethabo Happy, Mahlatse Ubisi, Kabelo France, Thembani Ngobeni, Molokela Modiba, and Selaelo Hlako complete a deep men’s line-up.
Maré leads Efficient Infiniti Insure battle
The elite women’s race continues an intra-team contest at Efficient Infiniti Insure. Maré leads the standings ahead of Sanders and the injured Vera Looser.
Sanders and Looser have each missed two rounds. Maré has started every event and built her lead through steady improvement.
She opened with eighth in Banhoek, then placed fourth at the Cradle. She followed that with second at Van Gaalen and victory at Sondela.
Those results give Maré 106 points and a 36-point buffer over Sanders. That puts her in firm control with two rounds remaining.
Sanders remains a strong candidate for victory at Die Bosveld. Maré, however, arrives with confidence after her first win of the 2026 campaign.
Frances Janse van Rensburg, Kemp, and Lilian Baber will aim to disrupt the Efficient Infiniti Insure contest. Each seeks a first Ford Trailseeker Series victory.
Kemp and Baber have both finished third already this season. Janse van Rensburg was second in the previous round.
Rachel Seaman and Sanchia Malan look most likely to challenge for a breakthrough podium. Larissa Meintjes and Keara Botha could also target the top five.
Tania Bugarin Ortiz and Rozaan Bekker add experience to the elite women’s field. Both bring race craft that could matter on a tactical course.
Crisp start expected near Pretoria
Conditions should suit racing. The morning is expected to start at 7 degrees Celsius around sunrise before reaching 20 degrees by midday.
A light south-easterly breeze should have limited impact. On such a fast course, riders will still need sustained power throughout the race.
Race updates are scheduled from 07:30 through the Trailseeker Series social media channels. Highlights from the race and series will be available on the Ford Trailseeker Series YouTube channel.
Elite standings after round four
- Men: Marc Pritzen 122 points; Jaedon Terlouw 102; Jan Withaar 72; Ignatius du Preez 65; Philip Buys 52.
- Women: Sarah Maré 106 points; Samantha Sanders 70; Vera Looser 62; Frances Janse van Rensburg 61; Roxanne Kemp 61.