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Nissan Trailseeker Diamond Rush, 6 July

The 2^nd leg of the Nissan Trailseeker Series was held in the small, historical town of Cullinan. In earlier days miners rushed to this location to find diamonds, but lately the town rather attracts mountain bikers, outdoor sports enthusiasts and people looking to get away from the rat race.

It was my 3^rd time lining up for the Diamond Rush event and with that experience under the belt I thought I knew what to expect, but boy was I wrong?

This year’s 75km event had a completely new route on offer to keep the experience fresh and interesting year on year.Last year's hilly course was replaced by a fairly flat route that required constant pressure on the pedals. This made the racing extra tough as there was nowhere to catch your breath and recover from hard efforts.

I had a good start, putting me in the lead position from the opening kilometres of the race. I knew the fast course would favour the likes of An Li Pretorius and Lise Oliver who race mainly on the road. In a way this forced me to concentrate on applying constant pressure to my pedals because the time gaps would be a lot smaller than it would be on a hillier course.

Just after the 2^nd water point which was situated around 2/3 into the race, my rear tyre hit a stone whilst I was descending a rocky trail. My tyre deflated on impact but luckily I managed to stay upright. I stopped to assess the situation and was able to inflate the tyre with a CO2 canister. Up until that point I was in the lead but because you are not aware of the riders passing you while  fixing a tyre, I didn’t know which position I was in once I got going again.  

All that was left for me to do was to put my head down and race as hard as I could to the finish line. This might sound simple, but it’s quite the opposite. Once you have been forced to stop, it's tricky to get your racing rhythm and mental strength back.  When I finally crossed the finish line I was very happy and relieved when I heard the commentators call out my name as the overall ladies winner on the day. It was a hard fought victory and that makes it so much more enjoyable.

My team mate Nicci Grobler had a great ride finishing in 2^nd place with Janine Kind rounding out the podium in 3^rd place.

The Nissan Trailseeker Diamond Rush event is a favourite of mine. There is something magical about the race that draws me back ever year. The tranquillity of the place, the historic museums and the cosy coffee shops that line the main street all add to the uniqueness of the race. So if you find yourself wondering what to do in the beginning of July, head out to Cullinan for a treasure hunt. You never know what you might find.

Final Results:

1^st         Yolandi du Toit (bizhub)

2^nd        Nicci Grobler (bizhub)

3^rd         Janine King

4th        Lise Oliver (VeloLife)

5^th         Amy MacDougall (Epic Sport-ASG )

Stonepark MTB Classic,29 June

Being a professional mountain biker our weekends mostly involve racing and the travelling that comes with it. We rarely get time to catch up with friends and family but when the odd “off” weekend surfaces, we make an effort to spend our time with the people close to us.

For the last 2 months my dad has been asking me to please let him know when I have a free weekend as he would like me to participate in his local mountain bike race. This past weekend I didn’t have any racing obligations and so hit the road to my hometown of Riebeeckstad, situated on the flatlands of the Free State.

On Friday afternoon my dad was adamant to give me a preview of the course and we went on a scouting ride checking out Saturday’s race course. I was pleasantly surprised to find a well designed course filled with hand built obstacles and some fast, sweeping singletrack.

On race day I was even more amazed when I arrived at the race; the event organisers, who built the trails themselves put so much effort into hosting the event that I actually felt guilty just showing up to enjoy their hard work. The venue was professionally hosted and the trails even received a water dousing in preparation of the race. The race might have started off fairly small but with all the effort the organisers put into staging the event, it can only grow in the future.

My biggest competitor on the day was of course my dad. We’ve been racing against and with each other since I was 12 years old and this time around would be no different. The 70km marathon event consisted of 6 laps, each 10km long with a short opening lap at the beginning to split up the field before heading onto the more technical segments.  The entire course was laid out on single track with small sections here and there making it possible to pass fellow riders.  

After the opening lap I found myself riding alongside my dad in 3^rd and 4^th place overall. On lap one and two we had a local young man for company but the technical terrain and distance proved to be too much for him and he lost contact with us. My dad and I stuck together from the beginning to the very end giving him a 3^rd place overall finish and me 1^st place in the woman’s category.

 To say that I was impressed by my dad’s riding would be an understatement. He is still as strong as I remember, so much fun to be around as ever and has bike handling skills which made me look like a beginner. Luckily I have his genes (or at least that is what I am telling myself) and still have all my good years ahead of me.

Craft Bike TransAlp, 14-20 July

The TransAlp is a 7 day mountain bike stage race traversing the majestic European Alps.

The event starts in Mittenwald, Germany from where it moves into Austria for a couple of days and then into Italy finishing at Riva del Garda.

Over the period of 7 days riders will climb a total of 20490m. From what I’ve heard you basically climb for a couple of hours and then descend, repeat this a few times all the way to the finish.

It’s been 5 years since I last visited Europe and this year I was very fortunate when a good friend of mine, Aurelie Halbwachs, invited me to join her for The Carft Bike TransAlp. We have completed  the Joberg2C (9 day event) together and also two Omnicane Southern Tropical Challenges (4 day event).  However, it will be the first TransAlp that Aurelie and I take part in, and whatever happens it will be a memorable experience for us.

In the past I’ve spent 4 years racing my road bike in Europe but this will be my first trip racing on fat tyres. Recently I have been doing a lot of hill training to be a bit more prepared for the Alps and will take part at the Nissan Trailseeker Cullinan as my final build up to the event.

MTN National MTB Series #6, Rooiberg

Rooiberg made its debut on the MTN National Series calendar as the sixth leg of the 2013 series.  This little town is found at the foot of the majestic Waterberg Mountains in the Limpopo province.

The event was staged at the Rooiberg Golf Club and from what I had read in the Race-Tech document, we were in for a rough route. What else does it mean when they say: “Bring a full suspension bike”?

With that in mind, the 75km marathon route came as a pleasant surprise. I prepared myself for rocky and bumpy terrain, but instead we got loads of fun single track. Some of it was tricky with loose rocks and thick sand, but all of this was a joy to ride on my Rocky Mountain hard tail. It was one of those courses which required focus and consistent pressure on the pedals which meant it was a proper challenge.

The MTN Series is the biggest mountain bike series in the country and this always ensures a strong ladies field on the start line. With big races comes big nerves, but strangely enough this time around I felt at ease going into the race. I think I put enough pressure on myself for the Big Induna and the USN event that by the time Rooiberg rolled around I didn’t have much nervous energy left J

Early in the race, just after the Queen of the Mountain prime I opened a gap on Robyn de Groot in a sandy single track section which put me in the lead of the race. I put my head down and went for it trying to maximize my advantage.  This lasted for about 30km before Robyn re-joined me close to the second water point. On a steep hill Robyn drew away from me as she powered to keep her single front chainring turning up the ascent.  I kept her in sight, but after stopping at the water point to refuel, I only saw Robyn again once we had crossed the finish line. I was delighted with my unexpected 2^nd place.

It was Robyn’s first win in her National Champion’s Jersey proving that it was no fluke. Yolande Speedy showed that she is back for good after her crash at the Epic to round out the podium in 3^rd place.

Final Results

1^st           Robyn de Groot

2^nd          Yolandi du Toit (bizhub)

3^rd           Yolande Speedy (ASG Epic Sport)

4^th           Kendall Ryan (Jeep)

5^th           An-li  Pretorius (BestMed- ASG)

I’ve had the opportunity to do two of the MTN Series events so far this year and on both occasions I was impressed by the professionalism of the Advendurance Team in hosting an event. They give attention to small details and sometimes it’s that small details that can make or break an event.  If there is ever an MTN event in your area, be sure not to miss it.

USN Cup # 4, Big Red Barn

The fourth round of the USN Cup made a return to the Big Red Barn, a venue we had visited before in the current series. It is found in Midrand and has heaps of fun and fast flowing single track on offer, making it the ideal setting for a mountain bike race.

The 50km circuit is largely laid out on single track with short pieces of gravel road connecting all the trails. A floating bridge, an intimidating drop off and sweeping corners all added to the enjoyment out on course.

As is customary, the shorter the race the higher the intensity and this race was no different. As soon as we were given the word go, riders were sprinting off for that desirable first place into the opening single track.  

My “sprinting” earned me a 4^th spot behind leading ladies Samantha Sanders, Yolande Speedy and Amy MacDougal. I’ve ridden the course before during the previous USN Cup race and knew there was still plenty of time to make up lost ground and just focused on setting my own race pace. I managed to catch and pass Amy and Speedy around 10km into the race putting me in 2^nd place out on course.

I kept on racing to catch up to Sam but to my surprise I caught up to Yolande and Amy for a 2^nd time instead. In the heat of the moment they had missed a turn and unintentionally took a short cut. I knew there was nothing else to do except put my head down, race as hard as I can and sort out any issues afterwards.

As it turned out Sam stayed ahead winning the race with me finishing in 2^nd after 2h30min of flat out racing. True to her character Yolande immediately informed the judges of her detour and let them decide about the official results.

Results:

1^st            Samantha Sanders

2^nd          Yolandi du Toit

3^rd           Amy MacDougall

It is nice to see that despite the strong competition the girls could still show some sportsmanship and race in good spirit. 

First Ascent Big Induna Mountain Bike Race

The Big Induna is an event I look forward to every year. The race has a great course on offer in beautiful surroundings and a warm winter climate. What more can a rider want?

This year’s edition of the Big Induna presented some extra excitement for both rider and spectator as it incorporated the SA National Marathon Championships.   Seeing that Induna Adventures has put together a world class route over the years, the event proved to be an ideal match to crown  SA’s Champions.

The 73km marathon route consisted of 2 loops. The first loop was 36km long and took us through the start/finish area before the final 39km long loop.  A large proportion of the route was laid out on technical single track. This truly puts one’s bike handling ability to the test as it wasn’t on open, flowing single track but instead very twisty with sharp corners. 

The race started out well for me. On the first lap I was part of the lead group together with Robyn de Groot, Samantha Sanders and Candice Neethling.  We missed one of the direction arrows along the route and lost quite a bit of time as we made our way back onto the course. (Hope that answers your question to, do you guys get to see the views when you’re racingJ) Once back on course we found ourselves back in 5^th- 8^th position. This also meant the battle for the lead had to start all over again.

We really put the hammer down as we tried to make up the lost ground. Luckily just before completing the first loop we were back into the leading positions.

Throughout the first loop though I felt like a yo-yo as I couldn’t stay with Robyn, Candice and Samantha on the tricky single track sections. For some reason I didn’t feel as agile and in control of my bike as I normally do. Eventually the chasing back got the better of me and I lost sight of them for the last time during the 2^nd loop as they yet again disappeared on one of the technical sections.  With Yolande Speedy and Amy MacDougall chasing just behind me there were no time to take a breather and I had to force myself to keep pushing hard until the very end.  It was a mixture of emotions when I crossed the finish line in 4^th place at the end. One of them was definitely relief that the suffering was finally over.

Robyn de Groot had a sterling ride taking the victory on the day, thus making her the SA Marathon Champion for 2013. Local hero Samantha Sanders finish in 2^nd place with Candice Neethling rounding out the podium in 3^rd place proving that her European racing is paying some dividends.  

Every year I enjoy the route so much that I convince myself that the route suits me quite well only to discover that I had more ambition than ability.  I’ll have to add some cross country racing to my race program to be more prepared for next year’s eventJ.

Final Results:

1^st           Robyn de Groot

2^nd          Samantha Sanders

3^rd           Candice Neethling

4^th           Yolandi du Toit

5^th           Janine King

Nedbank Sani2C

Less than two weeks down the line from Joberg2C and I was back in Underberg for a second run through of the Sani2C routes. Luckily this time around it didn’t take me 6 days by mountain bike to get there, only a ‘short’ 6 hour drive in our bizhub team van.

The Nedbank Sani2C is the largest 3 day mountain bike stage race in South Africa. As proof, a total of 4500 participants competed across the Race, Adventure and Trail components of the 9^th edition of the event.

The 266km course starts in Underberg and takes riders all the way to Scottburgh where the finish line awaited us on the beach front. The journey included two very hospitable overnight stops at the Mackenzie country club in Ixopo and Jolivet farm.

It was my 4^th Sani2C and this time around I partnered with British team mate Catherine Williamson.  South Africans tend to leave their mark on places and people and it was pleasant to see Catherine travelling with a bottle of Mrs Balls Chutney in her suitcase. We would be okay!

Catherine and I had only ridden together twice before but were keen on the Sani2C challenge that awaited us. The first day we struggled a bit with Joberg2C fatigue still lingering in our legs. Still, we held on to a 2^nd place finish on the day less than 2minutes behind stage winners Robyn de Groot and Ischen Stopforth (Biogen).

Despite the rain and cold, day 2 started fine and we were swopping the lead until 66km into the race when things took a turn for the worse. The final 35km’s were really hard for me and Cath as I couldn’t produce my normal effort, but we kept at it and finished as best we could in the muddy conditions. In hindsight it was easy to see what went wrong.

At Joberg2C I picked up a cold which was almost inevitable when you camp surrounded by 800 cyclists and sleep in tents for 8 nights during a chilly autumn. I nursed the cold as best as I could in the days leading up to Sani2C and although I felt much better before the start, I knew that the ill effects of a cold can sometimes last longer than one expects. As the saying goes: “You won’t know until you give it a go”, and so I did.

When you do a stage race in a team you always consider your teammate and try to accommodate him/her as best you can so that the team benefits. I didn’t want to disappoint Catherine so I put my head down and kept on fighting with a body wanting to be in bed rather than on a bike.

We were determined to get the most out of the event and we motivated each other and rode as hard as we could while still having fun on the world class trails along the way. It would be a sin not to enjoy the tracks made with so much passion and dedication. Our efforts earned us 2^nd place on stages 2 and 3 with a 2nd place overall after 3 days of racing.

Obviously I am disappointed for not being able to perform at my best. But in sport as in life you have to endure the bad days so that you can appreciate the good days or simply put - it’s not what happens to you, it’s what you make of it....

Final results

1^st           Robyn de Groot & Ischen Stopforth (Biogen)

2^nd          Catherine Williamson & Yolandi du Toit (bizhub)

3^rd           Bridgette Stewart & Jackie Moore ( FedGroup - Itec)

Old Mutual Joberg2C

At the beginning of every cycling season I set aside a couple of races where I want to be on top form. JoBerg2C was one of my goal events. Three weeks prior to the event I heard that my team didn’t have the means to send a team to JoBerg2C anymore. It was a big blow but as a professional you learn to deal with these things and adapt as best you can.

A good friend of mine, Aurelie Halbwachs, came out from Mauritius to participate in this year’s edition of the race and stayed with me a couple of days before the event. On the Thursday afternoon, a day before the start, I took Aurelie and her partner to race registration at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg. A long story short, the organisers found out that I wasn’t riding and wanted me in the race. One phone call and some frantic packing later my teammate Nicci Grobler and I were on the start line of the Old Mutual JoBerg2C as Team USN-bizhub or as most in the race village called us Team Last-Minute.com.

Our journey from Heidelberg to Scottburgh would be run over 9 consecutive days covering a total distance of 900km. The first three stages were spent racing on the flatlands of the Free State welcomed home in the friendly towns of Frankfort, Reitz and Sterkfontein.  

On day 4 we left the Free State behind and headed into the Drankensberg mountain range. I was happy to finally start using my climbing legs while leaving the flat land, bunch riding behind. Climbing we surely did over the following three days, as we reached a total of 5549m of ascent in just 310km of riding. We had overnight stays in Winterton, The Glengarry Resort in Kamberg and finlly Underberg with the majestic Drankensberg mountain range providing a beautiful backdrop to each location. During our stay in ‘the Berg’, riders were given a taste of Farmer Gary’s splendid “Berg and Bush 3 day mountain bike stage race” routes. Another race to look forward to!

From Underberg we headed onto the renowned Sani2C routes laid out in the Kwazulu Natal province. I’ve ridden Sani2C a couple of times and therefore thought I knew what lay ahead.  Boy was I wrong?! Farmer Glen added and changed the single track sections so much, that I was kept on my toes throughout the final 3 days of racing to the sea. For the last two nights we stayed at Mackenzie club and Jolivet Farm before making our way onto the beach at Scottburgh where the final finish line awaited us.

Nicci and I have paired up for various stage races in the past and are good friends. This contributed to a solid team dynamic which saw us racing above expectation. We didn’t even expect to be in the race so every result that came our way we saw as a bonus. This didn’t mean we were just there to participate we were still there to race our heart outs and so we did. I think we might have overdone it slightly on the earlier stages and paid for it later on, but at least we have a stage win and a top 3 overall result to show for our efforts

As always I’ve enjoyed racing alongside Nicci. It was her first weeklong stage race and I think we both learned a lot from it. Joberg2C has always been a life enriching experience for me. You ride through 3 diverse regions of our country where the people are as different as the beautiful countryside they inhabit. You make friendships along the way that might last for a couple of days, weeks or a lifetime. For 9 days you and another 800 people endure the tough riding, sleeping in tents, the portable ablution, the weather and whatever other challenges arise to create a unique camaraderie on the journey called Joberg2C.

Thanks to the organisers from Joberg2C for making our goal a reality. As always it was a fulfilling experience and I hope to be back next year.

Final

Results:

1^st           Yolandi deVilliers & Ischen Stopforth

2^nd          Cherise Stander & Lise Olivier

3^rd           Yolandi du Toit & Nicci Grobler

Sappi Karkloof Classic

The Karkloof Classic has always been a highlight on the racing calendar as it is well organised and has a brilliant course with some spectacular riding. The race takes place in the beautiful Karkloof valley situated just outside of Howick.

Karkloof Classic is not just a one day event but presents a whole weekend of racing. The event opens up with a night race on the Friday, followed by an Enduro (downhill) event the Saturday and finishes with the blue ribbon 60km marathon event on the Sunday.

In the past, I’ve ridden Karkloof twice and on both occasions I thoroughly enjoyed the event. This time around I experienced a somewhat different Karkloof Classic. It started raining 2 days prior to the event and the deluge totalled up to 192mm of rain in the area comes Sunday. To say the course was muddy would be an understatement.

By some miracle we woke to clear skies on the morning of the event. I couldn’t believe our luck as I was prepared (as much as one can be) for a wet and cold day on the bike. Soon after we left the start line I wasn’t so sure about our ‘luck’ anymore. The few hours that the weather cleared was just enough to turn the mud from sloppy to tacky. As a result the mud stuck to everything and became the day’s main challenge.  

The ladies started in the C batch and after a few kilometres I found myself alone at the head of affairs. At one stage I thought I had gone the wrong way as riders were coming towards me from the opposite direction. If only I knew then what was lying in wait, then I would have probably turned around with them.

On the first climb around 15km into the race my equipment couldn’t cope with the harsh conditions anymore. I was forced to stop with chain suck and clogged up tyres and gears. This would be my story for the day as I repeatedly stopped to clear mud from my drive train, just so I could keep moving. In the last 3^rd of the race I was forced to ride in my big chainring as the chainsuck was just too much. I didn’t give up fighting as I moved up and down the field like a yo-yo with all my mechanical stops, but eventually all I could do was try to get to the finish line without breaking my chain.

I was very relieved when I finally crossed the finish line and still managed to hold onto 3^rd place.

I am sure every rider has his/her own war story to tell as the weather conditions made for quite a battle on the day. Like they say, any experience is a valuable experience as long as you learn something from it. I learned that you have to keep mud tyres close by and that your drivetrain is in good working condition otherwise it might be a long day in the saddle (or on foot) in muddy conditions.

I feel sorry for the organisers as the weather sadly can make or break your event. Judging by all the marshals out on route, the professional race venue at Karkloof Polo Club and the good course they deserved to have a successful day. I guess I’ll have to go back next year to experience Karkloof as it should be.

Final Results:

1^st         Jeannie Bomford

2^nd        Ashleigh Parker Moffatt

3^rd         Yolandi du Toit

Lowveld Quest Stage Race

The Lowveld Quest is a four day stage race which traverses parts of the beautiful Lowveld. The event is also the region’s first mountain bike point 2 point stage race which makes the Lowveld Quest a real pioneering initiative.

Our bizhub team consists of 4 girls, so normally I would partner with one of my teammates for a stag

e race. This time things were a bit different and when the opportunity arose to ride with a good friend and local legend Francois Lourens, there was no way that I could let it slip.

Stage 1 - 80km & 1700m ascent

The first stage started in Lydenburg and finished 80km later at the renowned Mankele bike park. The clement conditions made for a great day of racing as one could appreciate the magnificent views along the way. Francois and I combined well as a team and it showed when we won the stage and took the lead in the mixed category by stage’s end.

Stage 2 – 70km & 1600m ascent

Fine rain fell throughout the stage which went from Mankele to Sabie making race conditions very tough.  The rain was quite unfortunate as this was another scenic stage and the low cloud meant visibility was quite limited, especially at the aptly named Misty Mountain lodge which lies at 2000m above sea level. Fortunately Francois and I coped with the muddy course and hilly terrain, making it safely to our camp ground at Merry Pebbles in Sabie for another stage win.

Stage 3 – 63km & 1600m ascent

From Sabie to Graskop we encountered some more big climbs rewarded with glimpses of big waterfalls through heavy mist. For once the restricted visibility was a good thing as one couldn’t see how long the climbs actually were - ignorance truly is bliss! I enjoyed the stage as there was quite a lot of single track criss-crossing the huge pine forests which made for some good fun riding. We finished at the environmental centre tugged away just outside of Graskop. Despite Francois disappearing under water in a mud “puddle” close to the finish, we still managed to win the stage and finish with smiles all around.

Stage 4 – 55km & 650m ascent

The last stage took us from Graskop to the finish at Induna Adventures just outside of Hazyview. Everything seemed to play along for the finale - the sun was out, a primarily downhill stage, plenty of single track and a hearty meal waiting at the finish – what more could you want?

Along the way there was an underwater forest which sadly I could only steal a glimpse of, a ride through the Lowveld Hedges (rock formations) and over the ‘drie klein varkies’(three little pigs ). This all added to the unique experience of the final stage. Team bizhub –Lion Sands ended the week on a high by winning the final stage and locking up the overall title as well.

A few things that stood out for me was the effort the organisers put into designing a spectacular race route building trails to link the route were necessary, delicious food and the sparkling atmosphere surrounding the event. Thanks to everyone involved in making the Lowveld Quest a unique experience! This is definitely an event you don’t want to miss out on.

Final results

1^st           Francois Lourens & Yolandi du Toit

2^nd          Garry McNaughton & Samantha Oosthuysen

3^rd           Gerhard Bersohn & Christine Jansen van Rensburg

USN CUP Series #3

The beautiful B’Sorah game farm just off the Broederstroom road, west of Johannesburg was the venue for the 3^rd round of the USN Cup Series.

The owner of B’Sorah game farm’s two sons are passionate mountain bikers which lead to them building single track on the 1600 hectares of farm land. The hand built trails are now on offer to like minded people seeking an opportunity to enjoy riding their bikes in safe, yet beautiful surroundings.

The result is 50km of remarkable single and jeep track through dense bush which offers views of various game (Kudu, Waterbuck, Blesbuck) for those who could steal a glimpse while riding. Sadly I only heard of this afterwards as I was clearly too focused on my race.

With the course only being 50km in distance riders didn’t want to muck about and started racing hard from the word go.

During the opening kilometres of the race, I struggled to find a good rhythm on the tricky single track. This dropped me back to about 4^th place in the ladies field. Amy MacDougall (Team ASG ) on the other hand rode the single track as if it was one straight line (which it was anything but) and moved into the lead with around 10km into the race.

Although I lost some ground early on, I never gave up and kept chasing hard, trying to make contact with the girls up front. Around the halfway mark I moved up to 2^nd place and caught sight of Amy as the course opened up a little bit. Having Amy back in view motivated me as I could see I was making progress.

With fresh motivation I tackled the only long climb of the race intent on catching Amy. I pushed extra hard and managed to close the gap on Amy and passed her to take the lead. I know she is fast on single track, especially downhill single track which meant the final 10km of the race suited her better.

Not wanting to make the same mistake as at Sappi Mankele, I road my heart out to the finish line crossing it only a couple of seconds ahead of Amy. 

Taking the victory at the USN CUP race in such a close and hard fought battle really makes the win extra rewarding. If it wasn’t for Amy I wouldn’t have pushed myself so hard which is what racing is all about.

Results

1^st      Yolandi du Toit (Team bizhub)

2^nd     Amy McDougall (Team ASG)

3^rd      Michel Coetzer (Cycle Lab)

4^th      Nicci Grobler (Team bizhub)

5^th      Reinette Jooste 

Sappi Mankele MTB Challenge

Despite the race being in its 3^rd year of existence, it was my first time taking part in the Sappi Mankele MTB Challenge. As with every new race, I was very excited to discover what the event had to offer. Adding to the experience was the fact that the race took place in my favourite part of the country, namely the picturesque Lowveld.

Mankele Bike Park was the venue where the race was run from and you’d be pushed to find a better spot to host a mountain bike race. Upon our arrival on Friday night, the atmosphere at Mankele was very reminiscent of the Isuzu 3 Towers race and the camping terrain was packed. It is so nice to see that people still enjoy the outdoor lifestyle available to South Africans.

The race organisers provided us with our own tented accommodation for the evening and on finding our tent I was totally surprised! I was expecting the usual two man tent that they use during the Three Towers event, but instead we were given a huge eight man tent. This meant there was enough room for us and our bikes inside the tent after we had our dinner under a starlit sky.

The next morning at 8am we set off to tackle the 60km marathon route. The race started with a long (10km) ascent which saw riders climbing out of the valley (775m) to reach heights of 1190m. Samantha Saanders (Valencia) started off at a blistering pace opening a small gap to me on the lower slopes of the climb. I kept focusing on my own race and steadily rode up to her. Maintaining my speed I passed her and drew away as the ascent continued.  From the summit I settled into a good rhythm pacing myself throughout the event in an attempt to hold on to the lead.

Samantha is well known for her world class technical abilities and I pushed hard knowing that she wouldn’t give up the chase. She is a local and winning in front of her home crowd and sponsors meant a lot to her. 

Basically we were both making the best of our strengths while trying to limit the damage everywhere else. As it turned out we were very equally matched and Sam caught me with 200m to go. No doubt she was inspired by seeing her quarry just ahead of her in the final kilometres.

With her cross country racing pedigree and focus Sam had the better sprint and she crossed the line just ahead of me to take a well timed win. I was disappointed to lose such a close battle, but Sam was better on the day and it made for a close, exciting race. The ever improving Janneke Leask finished in 3^rd place completing the podium. More importantly we all had a great time on and off the bike. The route (especially all the single track) was great fun and the scenery always more than made up for the suffering.

Mankele bike Park always invites you to come and enjoy their trails. So don’t be silly - accept the invitation, it’s an invite you won’t regret!

Sasol Cross Triathlon, Vanderbijlpark

GO MULTI sports magazine has the slogan – Life is too short for one sport. This past weekend I experienced it firsthand.

I’ve always wanted to take part in an XTERRA but being a professional cyclist and racing almost every weekend I obviously have other commitments. This weekend however I got the opportunity to take part in my first off road triathlon.

As an athlete, you always look for areas to improve and prevent injury. This year January I decided to take up a bit of swimming and running to improve my overall fitness.  So with minimum running and swimming experience I participated in my first Cross Triathlon which was held at Ascot Boat Club in Vanderbijlpark this past weekend. The event consisted out of a 1km swim followed by a 24km mountain bike ride and finished with a 6km trail run.

Standing in the Vaal River amongst other competitors waiting for the gun to sound before diving into the unknown was quite daunting. I’ve heard several stories about how intimidating the swim can be as others swim into you and over you. Therefore I decided it best to start at the back. The fact that I was the “fastest” swimmer had nothing to do with this decision :). It turned out to be the right choice as I ended up having a free swim with no major bumping/drowning issues.  My swim leg was slow compared to the rest of the field but at least I managed to swim the whole way and that for me was an achievement in itself.

Coming out of the water amongst the latter half of the field gave me a nice empty transition area but a packed mountain bike course making some interesting passing manoeuvres.

Jumping onto a bike just after having waddled from left to right for the last 25min was interesting.  I felt a bit disorientated the first 2km as I zigzagged all over the place. But once I got my rhythm and blood flowed back into my legs, I set off in hot pursuit of the leaders who got out of the water a full 14min ahead of me.

The biggest challenge on the day was trying to move up the field on a route mainly laid out on single track. There wasn’t a lot of place to pass but I did manage to move myself into the front quarter of the field.  

Lastly I swapped my Rocky Mountain for a pair of New Balance trail running shoes in transition 2. Luckily I didn’t have ‘heavy legs’ as I’ve heard was quite a common sensation when one transitions from the bike to the run leg or maybe I was just enjoying the experience too much to notice. With good advice I focussed on running a high cadence by giving smaller steps and that seemed to work well for me. I managed to keep my rhythm, running the whole way which for me was again a big accomplishment in itself.

I crossed the line in 4^th place in a time of 2h06min, only 1min 42sec off of a podium spot. Sylvia van Tromp won the event with Riana Robertson in 2^nd place and Karyn South Gate in 3^rd place

I enjoyed every moment of the event and it was a refreshing challenge to have 2 extra disciplines to consider.  It is true – Life is too short for one sport!

The Columbia Thin Air Mountain Bike Challenge

It is always a privilege to be part of a new race on the calendar, especially when it is held in a beautiful tourist destination like Dullstroom.

The Dunkeld Country Estate, just outside of town was the venue for the inaugural Columbia Thin Air Mountain bike Challenge. Situated at over 2000 m above sea level, the high altitude was sure to be a factor during the race.

The only factor that didn’t play along was the weather. Two days of rain prior to the event forced race organisers to reroute some of the course which unfortunately meant the loss of some hand built single track.

Luckily on race day the rain stopped long enough for us to start and finish the 75km marathon without getting wet (from above). We started with a loop of Dunkeld Estate before heading onto open gravel roads. The kilometres literally flew by until we reached the biggest challenge of the day - a 10km long climb named Everest by the locals...I wonder why??

The fast rolling gravel roads from the beginning ensured bunch riding but ‘Everest’ quickly put a stop to this. The group I was in got steadily reduced on the climb until we were only 4 riders left to crest the climb together. From the summit it wasn’t all downhill to the finish as the undulating terrain made it tough to maintain good rhythm during the second half of the race.

The scenery more than made up for the suffering with some beautiful views of the countryside as we descended through the mist lining the top of the escarpment.

The final 10km stretch was a reality check with rocky jeep track and some technical sections demanding all our dwindling attention. I was very pleased to cross the finish line in 1^st place in just under 3hours.

Dunkeld Country Estate is an ideal mountain bike destination and having had the opportunity to stay and race my bike in such enchanted surroundings made my weekend an unforgettable one.