This weekend sees the UCI BMX World Champs happening in Pietermaritzburg , KZN. There will be approximately 1100 riders from over 30 nations taking part which will ensuresome thrilling racing. The track has been described by riders as long, technical and hard, but they seem to enjoy it and love the start hill. Check out the event schedule and some photos from the practise days below.

Life felt rather empty last week. Today I realised that its not the fact that I still feel broken from my crash but rather that I missed out on doing my Happy Friday post. Luckily for us all, super sub Adrian stepped in and kept us nicely entertained. Feeling inspired by Adrian’s moving post, I am happy to announce that I am back and I have come up with a cracker. Enjoy and happy riding this weekend.

Speculation that Alberto Contador may team up with Bjarne Riis in 2011 is growing after the Tour de France winner refused to sign a new deal with the Astana team in Paris on Sunday and issued a statement saying that he and Astana will go separate ways when their contract ends later this year.

Cardiac conditions don’t just affect the elderly and unfit – even young, fit and healthy cyclists can be affected. Could it be worth taking a little test?

This March, 26-year-old former world solo 24-hour mountain bike champ and journalist James Williamson was riding in the Cape Epic stage race in South Africa when he died of a previously undiagnosed genetic cardiac condition.

Ben-Melt Swanepoel (Specialized/Mr Price) and Yolandi du Toit (Bizhub) turned the Nissan Diamond Rush Race over 70km in Cullinan, on Saturday, 24 July, into a true ‘love match on mountain bikes’ by respectively winning the pro-elite races for men and women.

Mountain bikers are undoubtedly the most unselfish sportspeople. In other words, mountain bikers are truly passionate about everything they do. For them it is not necessarily merely about setting fast times and surviving nature’s obstacles. They also really care.

During the Nissan Diamond Rush event that took place in and around Cullinan on Saturday, 24 July, Elsa Karsten demonstrated the truth of this when she took time off during her 70km race to rescue a small puppy.

The fourth round of the Mountain Bike World Cup in Champéry, Switzerland finished very satisfactorily for local fans, when Florian Vogel (Scott-Swisspower) added a men’s home win to the women’s one earlier in the day. His teammate, and world champion, Nino Schurter took third behind the European champion Jaroslav Kulhavy (Rubena-Birell-Specialized). Burry Stander finished 6th.