Dear Schools MTB Riders, Parents, and Coaches,

For the past five years, Cycle Lab has had the immense privilege of being the driving force behind the revival and growth of school mountain biking in South Africa. When the sport lost momentum a few years ago, we stepped in with a genuine passion and commitment to ensure young riders had a stage to perform on.

We didn't just provide sponsorship funding; our teams took on the operational responsibility, event management, administration, and overall risk required to rebuild the Gauteng Series, the KZN Schools MTB Series, and subsequently, the National Finals and Inter-Provincial event. We did this because we believe deeply in the future of the sport and the opportunity to create meaningful, lifelong experiences for young riders and their families.

Today, we are writing to share an important update regarding our involvement in the upcoming National Finals.

Following recent correspondence from Schools Cycling South Africa (SCSA), we have been informed that our agreement had lapsed and that SCSA has chosen to continue on their own for the National Finals, effectively concluding Cycle Lab’s involvement as the title sponsor, event manager, and operational partner for the National Finals moving forward.

What this means for you:

• Gauteng & KZN Series: Cycle Lab remains fully committed to the growth of school cycling. We are actively working toward the continued sanctioning and running of our regional series so that our local riders still have the exceptional race experiences they love.

• The National Finals: Cycle Lab will not be involved in the management, administration, or branding of the National Finals event this year.

We would be less than honest if we did not express our deep disappointment in this outcome, as well as the manner in which it unfolded. Relationships and community matter greatly to us, and we would have valued the courtesy of a direct conversation after so many years of dedicated partnership.

However, our disappointment does not diminish our incredible pride. Look at what we have collectively achieved! The explosive growth of the series, the fierce enthusiasm from schools, and the pure joy of the riders at every finish line are achievements we will ALWAYS cherish.

We have always approached this partnership in good faith and with the absolute best interests of school cycling at heart. While our role at the National Finals has come to an end, our passion for supporting youth cycling in South Africa remains unchanged.

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to every rider, parent, school coordinator, and volunteer who has pedaled alongside us on this journey. You are the heart of this sport.

We wish SCSA and the riders all the very best for the National Finals ahead.

Warm regards,

The Cycle Lab Schools MTB Team.