One just has to look at what has happened in the last two years with the Barberton-event.
Fritz Pienaar, series director, expects that about 2000 riders will compete in Saturday’s MTN-event.
It is not just the Barberton event that is getting more popular.
According to Pienaar mountain biking as a whole is going through a boom period.
“It seems that mountain biking is the happening sport at the moment and that makes for exciting racing.”
Pienaar reckons  that one of the reasons why the Barberton-event is becoming more and more popular is because the route has been changed last year.
“For true mountain bikers the race might have been too fast and perhaps even bordering on easy in the past, but I think last year we managed to make it more challenging by changing the route slightly so that second half of the race is more technical. The MTN Barberton still has one of the toughest climbs of the series. The big climb starts after about 10 kilometers and finishes after about 17 kilometers.
“The moment you get to the top you will be challenged by one a steep and very fast downhill section where a rider will have to keep his wits about him if he does not want to crash.
“The second half of the race consists mostly of rolling hills with challenging technical section towards the finish.”
 Pienaar had good news for those Gautengers who might still have second thoughts on whether or not it will be worth their while to race in Barberton because of the constant rain over the past few days.
“Yes, it will be raining for most of the week in Pretoria and Johannesburg, but the good news is that it is highly likely it won’t rain over the weekend in Barberton according to long term forecasts.
“However there is a good chance that the cyclists riding skills are going to be tested by the muddy conditions. Those who followed last year’s race will still remember Burry Stander’s spectacular crash coming down at full speed around one of the muddy corners.
”Personally I think Barberton is a must for every rider who is planning to compete in the Sani2C or the ABSA Cape Epic. It will give anyone a good indication of their current form.”
As far as the actual racing is concerned Pienaar predicts that it will boil down to a battle between Kevin Evans (MTN-Energade), Burry Stander (Specialized) and Max Knox (DCM).
Evans has won the Attakwas-race quite convincingly, but one can only wonder what would have happened if Stander and Knox did not puncture at a crucial moment.
Knox is the defending champion. Those who saw him race at the MTN Attakwas XCM1 was more than impressed about the way he seemed to become stronger and stronger as the race progressed.
It is no secret that it is important for Knox as a Lowvelder to win at home.
As far as the women’s race is concerned it would be an upset if Yolandé Speedy (MTN-Energade) does not win. She proved by finishing 19th overall in the MTN Attakwas ultra-marathon over 135km that she is in a class of her own.
With Yolande de Villiers injured, Ischen Stopforth (Team Bizhub’s) is the only one that might be able to beat Speedy.