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I Bike

"ANT+ has helped significantly during my transition from amateur to professional racing. It has provided me with the information I need to become a better rider.”

Athlete:

Matthys Beukes

Age:

24

Sports of Interest:

Mountain Biking

Level:

Pro - UCI Elite Men

My Story:

When I decided to make the leap from amateur to professional mountain biking, training data became even more vital to maximizing my results and achieving my goals. My ANT+ devices have helped significantly during this transition providing me with the information I need to measure my performance and become a better rider.

I began my pro career as a self-coached rider and I relied heavily on my ANT+ equipment to review, analyze and plan my training activities. Having instant access to information like my speed, power and heart rate was the only way to track my progress and know if I was improving. Now as a coached rider, not only do I have the data for my own use, but I can share it with my coach. He can adjust my training routine based on the hard evidence the data provides, and numbers don’t lie. By using this method, I have seen significant improvements in my performance, which has resulted in an increased number of podium finishes over the past several years.

When I am riding, I love how my ANT+ data is displayed in real-time on my bike computer. This adds to the quality of my training as I can adjust my output on the fly, and it also makes riding much more entertaining. It’s exciting to know I need to ride at 500 watts and try to keep it there for as long as I can. It offers a visual goal while I am on the bike. 

By using the power output readings on my ANT+ device, I have also been able to optimize my bike setup. By analyzing my speed and power output, and heart rate data, I determined the most economical and efficient bike setup possible. In a sport that can come down to milliseconds, these small details can be the difference between winning or losing a race.

ACHIEVEMENTS:

  • 1st Place - Attakwas Extreme MTB Challenge – 2012
  • 1st Place - Maxxis 3 Day Challenge – 2012
  • 1st Place Prologue, 1st Place Stage 2, 1st Place Stage 3, 2nd Place General Classification - Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek 7 Day Stage Race – 2012
  • 1st Place - Contego Wines2Whales Race – 2012
  • 3rd Place Stage 3, 2nd Place Stage 4, 2nd Place Stage 5, 1st Place Stage 7, 2nd Place General Classification -Transylvania Epic MTB 7 Day Stage Race – 2012
  • 3rd Place Short Track, 3rd Place Cross Country - US Cup Triple Crown East #2 – 2012
  • 1st Place - Mid Atlantic Super Series #4 – 2012
  • 8th Place - USA Pro Cross Country Tour – 2012
  • 2nd Place - Utah State Championship Series #3 – 2012
  • 2nd Place - Winter Park Race Series #5 – 2012
  • 3rd Place Stage 2, 3rd Place Stage 3, 1st Place Stage 4, 1st Place Stage 5, 3rd Place General Classification - Breck Epic 6 Day Stage Race – 2012
  • Top 3 at South Africa Elite XC Championships - 2009 – 2011
  • 1st Place – South Africa Elite XC Cup - 2010
  • 5th Place – South Africa Marathon Championships - 2009
  • Top 20 Junior at World XC Championships – 2005

Bio:

Matthys started mountain biking at the age of six when his older brother started to race. In his last year as a Junior he was selected for the South African National Team to compete at the World Championships. He has placed on the South African National Championships podium numerous times as a Junior and in the Under 23 and Elite categories. More recently, Matthys spent time training and racing in the USA earning a spot on the podium 65% of the time.

Goals:

  • Win South Africa XC and Marathon Championships 
  • 80% podium rate
  • Maintain 500 watts for 5 minutes
  • Compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics