Winner of the 2016 MTB XC Race

Billy Stelling wins 80 km MTB XC Race at the Giant Pumpkin Festival and Mountain Bike Race in Heidelberg, Western Cape

For this year’s festival, a Mountain Bike race was also incorporated and was a massive success, with riders from all over the world competing

Billy Stelling took first place for the 80 km MTB XC Race and Pieter Gildenhuys and Johan Fourie were second and third place respectively. In the 80km, the first woman was Marie – Claude Baars all the way from Switzerland and in second place Inky Tailbut and in third place was Belinda Knowles.

The festival was a great success and was well attended by the local community and visitors the SABC providing televison coverage

Winner of the 2016 Giant Pumpkin

Husband and Wife time win big at Giant Pumpkin Festival in Heidelberg, Western Cape

Local Heidelberg Farmer Lourens van Deventer scooped up first prize for the largest pumpkin with a massive weight of 373kg at the Heidelberg Giant Pumpkin Festival and Mountain Bike Race.

In second place with a pumpkin 354.5kg was Theresa van Deventer, wife of Lourens van Deventer and in third place Ronèl Swart with 342.5 kg – proving that the art of growing a giant pumpkin is not just a man’s sport.

Adding drama to the event was the fact that last year’s champion Pinkie Swart from Heidelberg had to withdraw just days before the competition because of a rotten pumpkin. Pinkie is currently still the South African record holder with a giant pumpkin weighing in at 497.5 kg.