Hatherly, Preen rise to victory in 2026 Attakwas Extreme race

Alan Hatherly and Hayley Preen opened their 2026 campaigns with wins at the Attakwas Extreme, as cooler conditions and a revised route contributed to record-breaking times in the 120-kilometre race between Oudtshoorn and Great Brak.

Dryland Event Management’s decision to remove two infamously rocky climbs within the first 40 kilometres paid dividends. While organisers estimated the change would save 15 minutes, the elite men’s field proved that even more was possible on the smoother terrain.

HATHERLY SETS A NEW BENCHMARK

The UCI Men’s race saw an incredibly fast start, reaching the first feed zone in under 90 minutes. "The smoother opening kilometres helped us stay fresh longer," noted Marc Pritzen. However, the pace claimed its first victim early when Tristan Nortje suffered a puncture at the 40-kilometre mark, leaving him two minutes adrift, a gap he would never close.

A lead group of four, consisting of Hatherly, Pritzen, Wessel Botha, and Andreas Seewald, eventually established itself at the front. Travis Stedman was unfortunately forced out of contention following a hard crash during a feed.

The decisive move came 20 kilometres from the finish. Hatherly launched a powerful attack on the penultimate climb, carving out a 30-second lead. Despite a gruelling headwind in the final stages, the Giant Factory Off-Road Racing star held on to win in 4:25:10. This time was over 21 minutes faster than the previous course record, establishing a new benchmark for the revised route.

“Winning here is a great way to start the season. Last year, it set me up well for the AlUla Tour, and I hope that will be the case this year too,” said Alan Hatherly

PREEN DOMINATES THE WOMEN’S FIELD
In the UCI Women’s race, Hayley Preen delivered a masterclass in climbing and tactical execution. An efficient opening 40 kilometres kept a group of 10 riders together until the Queen of the Mountain climb, where Preen made her first move.

After being briefly caught by Samantha Sanders and Bianca Haw on the gravel sections, Preen attacked again on a steep incline with 30 kilometres remaining. This time, the ChemChamp Honeycomb rider was unstoppable, crossing the Pine Creek finish line in 5:33:07—a massive 50-minute improvement over her 2025 performance.

“Last year I died a million deaths in the closing kilometres,” Preen admitted. “This year I felt really strong, and that’s probably the biggest reason why my time is so much better.”