Tune in for the latest version of the #DivergePodcast for reflections on the #Big5MTBChallenge by Imbuko Wines and Canetsfontein from Jason Boulle and Jess Menier, plus a chat about the first big team news for the 2025 #CapeEpic - regarding Hans Becking's withdrawal from the BUFF Megamo Team for the race. Listen here: https://diverge.info/2025/02/21/diverge-podcast-big-5-reflections/
#Podcast #MTB #MountainBiking
Here's the spotify link, sans tracking data: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1xFXqU5SGeNbAdljPnY5nX
#Podcast #DivergePodcast #MTB #MountainBiking
Tune in for the latest version of the #DivergePodcast for reflections on the #Big5MTBChallenge by Imbuko Wines and Canetsfontein from Jason Boulle and Jess Menier, plus a chat about the first big team news for the 2025 #CapeEpic - regarding Hans Becking's withdrawal from the BUFF Megamo Team for the race. Listen here: https://diverge.info/2025/02/21/diverge-podcast-big-5-reflections/
#Podcast #MTB #MountainBiking
Lessons for Bitcoiners from the Failure of 60s Counter Culture
“It seems like a lifetime, or at least a Main Era — the kind of peak that never comes again. San Francisco in the middle sixties was a very special time and place to be a part of. Maybe it meant something. Maybe not, in the long run... but no explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world. Whatever it meant...
There was madness in any direction, at any hour. You could strike sparks anywhere. There was a fantastic universal sense that whatever we were doing was right, that we were winning...
And that, I think, was the handle — that sense of inevitable victory over the forces of Old and Evil. Not in any mean or military sense; we didn't need that. Our energy would simply PREVAIL. There was no point in fighting — on our side or theirs. We had all the momentum; we were riding the crest of a high and beautiful wave...
So now, less than five years later, you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look West, and with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water mark — that place where the wave finally broke, and rolled back.”
― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
60 years on from the 1960 there is once again electricity in the air. Change is afoot. The forces of Old and Evil are seemingly being pushed back as their debt based financial system appears to be floundering. Yet there are lessons to be learnt from the 60s, because looking back – when the wave finally broke, and rolled back – freedoms have only been eroded since then. Government and private/public partnerships have only gained in strength. Surveillance of ordinary people has only increased. And while we stand on the brink of a financial collapse which could bring down the controlling current system, we also stand on the brink of a global technocracy. Our actions now will dictate how future generations will live…
Will they be free to express personal opinions? Will they be free to purchase what they want, when they want? Will they have freedom of choice over their bodies and the medications they take or don’t take?
It takes no particular foresight to predict that if the current system persists that these freedoms will be gradually, and then suddenly, eroded. No force can maintain control over a population, which far exceeds its own numbers, if that population is plunged into turmoil and starvation. The people will revolt. Thus, their desire and ability to revolt must be neutralised before a financial collapse can take place.
There are two main things to learn from the 60s and one point to note about our current age. These can broadly be expressed as follows (Expressed in bullet points for anyone with ADD who can see where this is going and thus doesn’t need to read to the end):
1. MK Ultra and Controlling the Counter Culture or Undermining it from Within: Think Charles Manson, Ken Kesey, Timothy Leary, the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic, the Hell’s Angels, etc.
2. Kicking the Can Down the Road: Given that the US Dollar is the global reserve currency the current administration’s efforts to reduce government spending and debt can be seen as a delaying tactic to the inevitable rather than a real effort to completely avoid financial collapse.
3. How we Prevail: Hunter and his fellow malcontents of the 60s thought, mistakenly, that their energy would simply prevail. We cannot make that same mistake by quietly hoddling and hoping for the best, we need to actively work to create a better future.
This is a work in progress... more to come.
The 2025 Big 5 MTB Challenge by Imbuko Wines and Canetsfontein produced dramatic racing across the 77km, 3 000m of climbing, course. Filipo Colombo stormed from 4th to 1st in on the final climb. In the women's race Candice Lill dominated all day, but behind her positions changed hands regularly as the war of attrition took its toll. Read the full story here: https://diverge.info/2025/02/17/big-5-mtb-challenge-dramatic-racing-worthy-winners-in-2025/
Tune in to the Diverge #Podcast for a preview of tomorrow's
#Big5MTBChallenge with Jason Boulle:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3heEXqhxKnCi1qsGLxlnmD?si=BAosF2LmSQiJyYrbbj6xHw
#MTB #MountainBiking
The Momentum Medical Scheme #TankwaTrek, presented by Biogen, is arguably the 2nd biggest MTB race in SA. The 2025 edition took place last weekend, it was both action & drama packed. Here's a long episode of the Diverge #Podcast packed with pro rider interviews from the race: https://open.spotify.com/episode/29iOLbrk9WqxPZvB5qc6sz?si=OEFPZHiQRvyZz_8jqgKjcw
#MTB #MountainBiking
The Big 5 by Imuko and Canetsfontein takes place this Saturday and features both a stacked field as well as an impressive prize purse. Read about the elite men's and women's line-ups here:
https://diverge.info/2025/02/13/big-5-deep-field-of-locals-internationals-locked-in-for-2025/
#MTB #MountainBiking #Big5
Come watch some of the world's best #mountainbikers take on the songo.info Champions Race in Kayamandi, just outside Stellenbosch on the Wednesday, 12 March, before the Cape Epic gets underway. It's a fantastically social and entertaining event.
https://diverge.info/2025/02/10/songo-info-champions-race-celebrating-10-years-of-urban-racing/
#MTB #songoinfo #charity
Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje sealed the #tankwatrek GC title with a 2nd place on the final stage today, while Kate Courtney and Candice Lill completed their dominance with a 4th stage win and a clean sweep of the possible honours. Read the story here: https://diverge.info/2025/02/09/tankwa-trek-imbuko-chemchamp-she-sends-win-2025-titles/
#MTB #MountainBiking
South Africa’s most infamous mountain biking climb, the #MerinoMonster, was the deciding factor on the Queen Stage of the 2025 Momentum Medical Scheme #TankwaTrek, presented by Biogen. Saturday, 8 February’s, Stage 3 will likely prove decisive in the UCI Men’s race as Imbuko ChemChamp added 6 minutes to their general classification lead with a commanding stage victory. Candice Lill and Kate Courtney were even more dominant, in the UCI Women’s race, as they won the day and extended their advantage to over half an hour. Read the full story here: https://diverge.info/2025/02/08/tankwa-trek-she-sends-imbuko-chemchamp-win-queen-stage/
#MTB #MountainBiking
Imbuko ChemChamp seized yellow - on Stage 2 of the Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen - as PYGA Euro Steel lost time. Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje finished the stage in second but moved into the GC lead. While Candice Lill and Kate Courtney extended their overall advantage with a supreme performance in the Witzenberg Valley: https://diverge.info/2025/02/07/tankwa-trek-imbuko-chemchamp-take-yellow-on-stage-2/
#MTB #TankwaTrek #MountainBiking
The opening stage of the 2025 Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen – on Thursday, 6 February – saw the PYGA Euro Steel 2 and She Sends teams seize the first leaders’ jerseys. Michael Foster and Jaedon Terlouw overcame misfortune and capitalised on Imbuko ChemChamp’s error in the closing metres to earn the first yellow jerseys. Candice Lill and Kate Courtney rode to a more commanding victory, establishing a 1 minute and 53 second buffer on their closest rivals for the pink First Ascent magenta jerseys.
https://diverge.info/2025/02/06/tankwa-trek-she-sends-and-pyga-euro-steel-win-opening-stage/
Tune in for Episode 1, of the Diverge Podcast, for 2025. In the episode we look back on the #AttakwasExtreme and Banhoek #Trailseeker, as well as chat to the early season performers Alan Hatherly and Tristan Nortje. Then we look ahead to the #TankwaTrek which gets underway on the 6th of February.
Listen on Spotify: https://bit.ly/4heV5a0
Or YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv6bxcVgd9A
#Podcast #MTB #MountainBiking
Entries to the 47th edition of the #CapeTownCycleTour close tomorrow at 9am (South African time), find out more about this iconic event here: https://diverge.info/2025/01/29/cape-town-cycle-tour-entries-close-tomorrow/
The 2025 Momentum Medical Scheme #TankwaTrek, presented by Biogen, gets underway on Thursday, 6 February, and the 12th edition of the UCI SHC graded stage race has attracted a stellar international field. Stars lining up for this year’s race include Kate Courtney, Candice Lill, Lukas Baum, and Georg Egger, while Matt Beers made a late decision to start his season in the Koue Bokkeveld and will race alongside Johan van Zyl for Toyota Specialized. Read the full story here: https://diverge.info/2025/01/29/tankwa-trek-she-sends-speed-company-headline-2025-fields/
#MTB #MountainBike
Meet the Safari Essence Titan Racing team. Danielle du Toit [nee Strydom] and Bianca Haw made their debuts in their new kit at the Ford Trailseeker MTB Series on Saturday and will team up for the first time at the Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen, from the 6th to the 9th of February. Read about the team here: https://diverge.info/2025/01/28/safari-essence-titan-racing-team-launch-with-du-toit-haw/
#MTB #MountainBiking
The opening round of the Ford Trailseeker MTB Series saw Marco Joubert & Jolanda Neff claiming victories on Saturday in the Banhoek Valley. There's R100 000 on the line for the elite men's and women's series winners in 2025, plus a 1 Million Rand performance bonus. Read the full story about the prize money here: https://diverge.info/2025/01/28/trailseeker-national-mtb-series-kicks-off-with-massive-prize-purse/
South Africa's #TitanRacing bicycles have partnered with Tiffany Keep's DAS-Hutchinson European UCI Continental Cycling Team. Read the full story here: https://diverge.info/2025/01/21/titan-racing-partner-with-das-hutchinson-uci-continental-team/
#RoadCycling #Cycling
XCO World Champion, Alan Hatherly won the first race of the South African MTB season, the Momentum Medical Scheme Attakwas Extreme, presented by Biogen, in fine style on Saturday. In the women's race Samantha Sanders doubled up, adding the 2025 title to the one she won 12-months ago. Read the full story here: https://diverge.info/2025/01/18/attakwas-extreme-hatherly-opens-2025-season-with-a-victory/
The #AttakwasExtreme marks the start of the MTB season & provides the first opportunity to see the riders who have switched teams in their off-season. The primary among those is Alan Hatherly who will race in his Giant Factory team kit for the first time: https://diverge.info/2025/01/13/attakwas-extreme-south-african-world-champion-headlines-2025-field/