A landmark event on a course steeped in history. Who can forget Greg Minnaar’s first World Cup series title in 2001, Stevie Smith’s home win or Sam Hill’s emphatic return to form in 2014? That’s to name but a few moments of mountain biking history that have been made in MSA.

With such an important event on their hands the organisers have pulled out all the stops and this classic brute of a track looks to be right on form and ready to dole out the beatings.

If there’s one defining feature then it is ROCK – plenty of it exposed and in particular a beast that they’ve named the ‘Pink Panther’ (not sure where they got that one from). It’s basically a 30 feet high near vertical boulder with a drop off it, a diversion away from the classic wide open section of track under the gondola. Riders are speculating who is going to be the first to huck the whole lot too… we’ll have to see about that one!

Check out the gallery by Seb Schieck and get ready for one hell of a race.