Elite Rider Mariske Strauss Joins the CST Sandd Bafang Mountainbike Racing Team

We are happy to announce that South African - Elite Women - mountainbiker

Mariske Strauss will join the Team in the Olympic year 2020. Mariske will be the 3rd

female rider to complete the CST Sandd Bafang MTB Racing Team , next to Yana

Belomoina (UKR) and Anne Tauber (NED).

Teammanager Bart Brentjens:

“We are happy that Mariske will be joining our Team. Mariske is an experienced

rider with a strong body and mind. She has a very positive mindset and is capable

to give an enormous effort to her sport. Mariske is focused and eager to get the

best out of herself. Besides that she is a teamplayer.

She loves to ride stageraces and is willing to work together to get the best result.

Mariske is working towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, she is ‘still in the race’

for a qualification. We hope we can support her on her way to Tokyo and to see

her ride at the Olympic Games next year for the South African Olympic Team”.

“I actually already feel a part of the team. Everyone has been super welcoming

and friendly. The prospect of having a new racing family just puts a huge smile on

my face and the extra support at races will definitely be the edge I have been

lacking”.

This year the CST Sandd Bafang Team Trainingcamp is being held in South Africa,

directly after the Tankwa Trek (South Africa). The Team will ride the Tankwa Trek

with 3 teams. Mariske will ride together with South African Candice Lill. They will ride

together as a special occasional team. More about the Tankwa Trek and the Team

Trainingcamp will follow later.

Mariske Strauss (DOB 16 May 1991), living in Durbanville, South Africa,

began to form her incredible work ethic at a young age, spending time outside

school and on the weekends practicing in pursuit of the ultimate goal. To compete

at the top level as a Professional Athlete.

Mariske completed her BSc (Sport Science ) degree at the University of

Stellenbosch in 2016. She started her racing career at the age of 10 and has been

lining up on start lines ever since.

In 2008 Mariske began racing competitively and was a representative for South

Africa for the first time in Italy that same year.

She has been SA XCO Champion a total of 15 times and represented South Africa

at the 2014 & 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Mariske finished 2nd & 3rd in the 2017 & 2018 ABSA Cape Epic and was selected

for the 2015 Mail&Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans in 2015.

Besides currently racing professionally on the XCO World Cup series, she is also a

coach at Science2Sport. Here is where the gap is bridged between scientific

research and men and woman in the field.