Omnicane Southern Tropical Challenge, 24-27 November

My last race for the season took me to the Tropical Island of Mauritius to take part in the 3rd edition of the Omnicane Southern Tropical Challenge.

I was invited by Aurelie Halbwachs (who was also my Joberg2C partner this year) to team up with her for their biggest mountain biking stage race in Mauritius.

The event opened up with a 5.6km prologue. This was a good initiative as it helped settle the nerves and also decided the wearers of the various leaders jersey’s for
the official first stage the following day.There is no other way to ride a prologue than going ‘full gas’ from beginning to end. The burning legs and lungs were well worth it when Aurelie and I crossed the line in first place. This also meant we would be the wearers of the woman’s red leader’s jersey the following day.

The first Stage started and finished at our race village in Lagrave. The 65km rolling course consisted mainly out of jeep track through sugarcane plantations, a few tar sections, two rocky climbs and a short freshly cut single track leading back to the finish. In Mauritius there aren't a lot of woman doing mountain biking which always leaves Aurelie to compete against men. For this reason Aurelie wasn’t content with beating only the ladies in the race but also wanted to fight for a good placing overall. This time there was no ‘settling into a steady pace’ as Aurelie and myself goal shifted from winning the ladies to placing top 10 overall. At the end of the stage we surprised ourselves to finish in 9th overall and still held on to our red jerseys.

On stage 2 we left our camping ground at Lagrave to finish 80km later in Bel’Ombre, at the coast. The first 40km of the route went by quickly as it was mainly on flat dirt roads through sugarcane fields.The following 15km was laid out on fairly technical single track alongside the sea. The bit of ocean views I managed to glimpse while racing were stunning. I wished I could stop just to appreciate the surroundings for a change.

On this single track there was a section which dropped into a valley. I misjudged how steep it was, but having committed I had no choice but to try and ride the tricky section. Unfortunately I didn’t make it to the bottom and crashed quite hard. It was only afterwards that I realized why everyone dismounted and walked this section. The remaining 25km to the finish was hard for me as I was emotionally and physically bruised.

If it wasn’t for my good teammate, Aurelie, who encouraged me all the way, booked a massage for me afterwards and had the race doctor examine my injuries I doubt if I would have started the next day. It just proves again how important a thoughtful and unselfish teammate is.

The last stage was only 35km long, but don’t let the distance fool you! The whole route was laid out in a mountain range and consisted only of steep ascents and descents. As we left the start line and the route started tilting upwards I had a feeling that it was going to be a nice stage, and it was indeed. I enjoy climbing and even more so when the route provides breathtaking views upon reaching the summit. Aurelie and I completed the stage in just under 3 hours. It wasn’t as short as expected....

Aurelie and I held on to our red leader’s jersey throughout the tour, giving bizhub the final victory for the year!

I was happy to finish off my 2011 season on a high note. To celebrate it on a tropical island alongside a great friend -I couldn’t have asked for a better ending.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Lord of the Chain Rings, 17-19 November

Hogsback is a little village in the Eastern Cape which hosts the Lord of the Chain Rings MTB Stage race each November. From the Wine2Whales stage race in Cape Town we travelled via Knysna to reach the little hamlet of Hogsback on Wednesday afternoon. As we drove into the town, it felt like discovering a secret place. The village was situated in pristine forestry and had a mystical atmosphere hanging in the air.

The first day we woke up completely surrounded by a thick mist. The race started at 7:30am and upon leaving the start line the heavens opened up. This combined with the early hours mist, caused the trails to be wet, muddy and very slippery. The route was laid out on mostly single and jeep track winding through thick forests.

Caitlin and I decided to start at a fairly fast tempo in an attempt to gain time on our rivals before heading into the single track. This plan worked well for us as we established a good lead on the next ladies team early on. From half way we settled into a steady rhythm intent on maintaining our lead. Our strategy was successful and we managed to win the first stage.

Day two was the longest stage (78km) and also included climbing up to a high spot of 1800m above sea level. Although it was the hardest day, everyone was smiling as we woke up to a beautiful morning with clear skies.

Caitlin and I went into the stage with a buffer of 18min over our main rivals, Team Merrell (triathlete Andrea van Holt and Hilana Marais). Therefore we decided to start a bit easier than the previous day and ended up alongside Team Merrell in the early stages. We stayed together until the first big climb around 20km. The climb required a big effort and lots of concentration as it was very steep on a narrow loose rocky single track.

Here Caitlin and I managed to get away from team Merrell. With knowing we had a proper lead on them we didn’t need to push too hard and just kept our steady comfortable pace to the finish, gaining another few minutes over them by the stage finish. With the weather being more kind to us we were able to take in the beautiful surrounds of Hogsback. When the rain finally fell, it was only 5km from the finish which made it much more bearable.

Weather-wise, day three turned out to be the best with a great route to match. This gave us the opportunity to once again appreciate the beautiful views offered by Hogsback.

Over the last two days Caitlin and I established a lead of 33 min on our nearest rivals. This meant our main goal for stage 3 would be to make sure that team Merrell didn’t take any time back on us.

The final stage was surely a highlight for both of us as it was Caitlin’s last day racing her bike as a professional athlete and I was the fortunate one to share this with her. Next year she will be heading in a new direction and attending a flight school in George. She ‘ended’ her career in style with a third stage win and an overall victory in one of her favourite races.

The organisers put together a great, well organised event providing some of the best trails, lovely accommodation and amazing meals in a superb package. I really liked Hogsback with its enchanting forests and mystical feel and look forward to returning to this quaint village soon.

Contego Wine2Whales driven by Maserati

Wine2Whales is said to be the Sani2C for cyclists in the Cape region as it also provides thrilling single track and spectacular mountain views (Personally I think you can’t compare the two as they are each unique in its own way).

This was my 2nd time competing in event and this year they promised it to be even more enjoyable as they added extra single track to an already great route. To say that I was excited to experience the new route would be an understatement.

Early Friday morning I, together with my partner Caitlin de Wet, took to the start in Somerset West.
The first stage was 68km long and finished in Grabouw. Here we camped for two consecutive nights with stage two’s 63 km route being laid out in the surrounding area of Grabouw. On the 3rd day we would leave our camping ground to finish the last 80km stage in Onrus.

On day one Caitlin and I had a good ride together. We truly enjoyed the fun ascending and descending single track which even counted to our advantage towards the end. In the final kilometres Caitlin and I were narrowly in front of team Fair Cape Ladies Desiree Loubser and Marleen Loubser. Luckily the last pieces of the course were mainly single track and as Caitlin and I could ride them faster helping us to hold off the Fair Cape Ladies in order to take the 3rd spot.
Team Contego’s Mariske Strauss and Ariane Kleinhans finished a mere 13 seconds in front of us to take 2nd place. Ischen Stopforth and Catherine Williamson (bizhub) finished in
1st place.

Stage two consisted of 65 % single track. Again Caitlin and I had fun on the single track as our technical skills were fairly the same. At the end we finished in 4th place on the stage.

On the last day, stage three, gusting winds appeared around 3am. This saw tents being blown to a 45 degree angle. Nobody was able to sleep the night in fear of their tent’s being blown away. To make matters worse, at 5am it started pouring with rain. Unfortunately the rain didn’t want to ease up and caused the stage to be cancelled.
I was content the moment the stage was said to be cancelled as I was soaking went (and freezing) from running up and down loading bags, getting dressed, fetching bikes in the bike part etc.

But on having time to think about it I am truly sad there were no end to this great experience. I do hope to come back next year as there is still one stage left to be explored!

Nissan Trailseeker Marathon Series, Van Gaalen

The Gauteng based Nissan Trailseeker Series consists of 5 events with Van Gaalen being the final leg of the competition.

I really enjoy the Nissan Trailseeker races as they always offer more than just the race itself. All the race venues cater for the whole family by having restaurants, child entertainment areas, a bike wash bay, warm showers and much more. Nissan branded umbrellas are also put up providing shady viewing spots for spectators to see the riders coming in to finish. Van Gaalen Cheese Farm which hosted this particular event followed the same blueprint, but with the addition of the Magalies mountains as a spectacular backdrop.

Standing on the start line, I was happy to find out that I was leading the series with a few points over Samantha Saanders. In addition to doing my best at this particular event, I was also determined to hold on to the leader’s jersey.

The first few kilometres of the 70km route consisted of open jeep and single track. Here a small leading group of ladies formed consisting of Yolande Speedy (Team MTN Qhuebeka), Samantha Saanders (Valencia Cycles), Theresa Ralph, Karien Van Jaarsveld (Team USN) and me.

The single track led onto a steep, loose, rocky climb where Karien and I managed to distance the other girls. We crested the climb with a lead of a few seconds and from this point onwards the two of us ‘almost’ stayed together until the very end. On a few occasions I managed to drop Karien, but each time she regained contact whilst we were duelling amongst the men who had started with us.

The final part of the race contained some amazing single track on the Van Gaalen Farm itself. Upon exiting the single track I slipped and fell in the final corner, jamming my chain in the process. I jumped back on my bike, but Karien passed me as I dismounted again and franticly tried to dislodge the wedged chain. Unbeknown to me there was less than a kilometre remaining to the finish line and by the time I got going again Karien was in the final straight winning the race a mere 11 seconds in front of me.

I would have preferred the opportunity to sprint for the win, but had to settle for 2nd on the day. The good news was that my 2nd place on the day confirmed me as the winner of the Nissan Trailseeker series in 2011, adding another victory to team bizhub’s successful season! Samantha Saanders took the final spot on the podium with a fine 3rd place.

P.S. Van Gaalen Farm’s trails are exactly what race organizers said they would be – Awesome!

Nissan Trailseeker Diamond Rush, Cullinan

The 4th round of the Nissan Series was held in Cullinan, just outside of Pretoria.
The venue was quite unique as the start and finish line was placed in the main street of this little town, surrounded by quaint restaurants and coffee shops.

It was my 3rd time participating at Cullinan and every year the Advendurance team managed to add more exciting single track to an already great course.

The 70km route, which is inaccessible in normal circumstances, consisted of winding single, jeep track, and thrilling river crossings over wooden bridges.

As always the start was very fast thanks to the elite men who were fighting for position at the front of the race. Luckily I felt good on the day and managed to be amongst the front riders as we headed onto the first piece of single track. The single track was shortly followed by a short steep rocky climb.

This piece saw the group splintered into small groups. On reaching the top I looked back down the climb but couldn’t spot any of the other girls.

I realized that I was in the leading position and had to give everything to try and stay out in front.

I felt really good throughout the race and managed to maintain my lead to the very end. It was very rewarding to take the victory at the Nissan Trailseeker Cullinan for the 2nd time in a row.

I feel fortunate to be the winner of such a great event and shared the podium with Samantha Saanders (Valencia) in 2nd place and Karien Van Jaarsveld ( USN) in 3rd place.

My teammate Caitlin de Wet spent most of her season in Europe focusing on shorter distance cross country races.
Despite not having done any marathons for a while she managed to pull off a great result by finishing in 4th place overall and 3rd place in the senior ladies category.

Final Results:

1st Yolandi du Toit
2nd Samantha Saanders
3rd Karien van Jaarsveld
4th Caitlin de Wet
5th Ronel van Wyk

Isuzu 3 Towers MTB Stage Race


My experience at Isuzu 3 Towers last year was so good that I was really looking forward to his year’s addition of the race.

The organisers Mark and Jeff put together a spectacular event with amazing routes backed up by a solid infrastructure. The tents, hot showers and food provided are some of the best found anywhere.

Oh, and did I mention the trails.....

Over the 3 stages of the race we cover everything from never ending climbs to super fast descents through bush tunnels and hand cut single track.

My partner for the race was Leana de Jager and it was our first time riding together.
This meant we had to get to know each other whilst also doing our best to win the race.

Our main competition came from the pairing of Samantha Oosthuizen and Samantha Saanders.

Leana and I were a good match from the start. Our climbing ability was ideally the same. As the race route consisted of many endless climbs we could ride together much more efficiently. It was on these ascents that Leana and I managed to gain time on our rivals giving us a win on all 3 stages and also the overall victory. We couldn’t have asked for a better 1st time experience of the Isuzu 3 Towers.

Samantha Oosthuizen and Samantha Sanders put up a challenging fight finishing in 2nd place overall.

Caitlin de Wet and Nicci Grobler teamed up under bizhub’s sister outfit, DEVELOP.
Their 1st outing together was very successful as they managed to round off the podium in 3rd place overall.

Again I had a really good time at Isuzu 3 Towers and I’m already looking forward to next year’s addition.

MTN Ride Crater Cruise

On Saturday morning team bizhub lined up for the MTN Ride Crater Cruise held in Parys.

Clear blue skies greeted the big field with a slight breeze which was sure to pick up later on and influence the race.

A very competitive ladies field took to the start which meant the battle out on course was going to hurt a little bit more than usual.

The ladies started alongside the Elite men and there was a lot of fighting for position as we headed onto the first section of gravel district roads. Around 15km into the race the route detoured into a single track section which spat us back out on to the main district road a short while later.

This piece saw the big bunch splinter into small little groups. The leading ladies managed to form a small group of seven which included me, Ischen Stopforth (bizhub), Leana de Jager (bizhub), Ariane Kleinhans (Contego), Yolande Speedy (MTN/Qhuebeka), Cherise Taylor (USN) and Karien van Jaarsveld (USN). Once this leading ladies group was established there was no more bunch riding as we weren’t allowed to sit behind any of the men or receive help from them during the race.

At about 30km the route took us off the district roads onto a short steep single track climb leading to the Queen of the mountains hot spot. Ariane was first to turn managing to open a small gap on Yolande and myself who in turn managed to open a small gap on the rest of the girls. Looking back I actually still can’t believe that a single corner caused so much damage.

With Ariane up the road Yolande and I were forced to help each other in trying to chase down the lone leader.

Our ‘alliance’ was still intact upon reaching the well-known handmade technical single track section on Baskop farm. This came about 65km into the race. I tried my best to stay with Yolande but her superior technical skills proved too much as she raced away through the thick sand and dense bush. I settled down and tried my best to get a good rhythm going in an attempt to make contact with Yolande and Ariane again.

This was where I relied on my Polar Heart rate monitor to gauge my effort. It was still a long way to go and I didn’t want to exceed my limits, but at the same time I really wanted to get to the front of the action. Despite my best efforts the race situation remained unchanged and Ariane maintained her lead to win the race gifting herself a very nice birthday present.

Yolande took 2nd on the day and I managed to round out the podium with a hard fought 3rd place.

I was happy to stand on the podium alongside two world class athletes who just happen to be some of the nicest girls currently racing on the mountain bike circuit.

Final results:

1st Ariane Kleinhans

2nd Yolande Speedy

3rd Yolandi du Toit

4th Ischen Stopforth

5th Cherise Taylor

This coming weekend I will be partnering up with Leana de Jager for the Mankele 3 Towers held in the Lowveld. I am looking forward to getting to know her a bit better as this will be our first time riding together.

Ride the Rhino

Over the past weekend our team took part in the Ride the Rhino 3 day MTB event held in the Western Cape.
The main purpose of the event is to raise awareness of rhino poaching and funds to help rescue the Renosterveld. This area is one of the most endangered habitats in the world.

The event got underway on Friday at Langebaan Country Estate just outside Langebaan. From here riders covered a total distance of 250km over the 3 consecutive days to finish in Durbanville. The route run through most of the Renosterveld area stopping in between at Darling and Malmesbury which allowed us plenty of opportunity to enjoy the local hospitality.

On the last day 288 red rhino riding jerseys were given to the participants. The reason for making exactly 288 jerseys is because 288 rhinos have been poached up until now in 2011.

Team bizhub had two teams participating in the event, a mixed team and a ladies team.
Nicci Grobler and I made up the ladies team. The two of us seem to bring out the best in each other. This helped us to win all 3 stages and also to take the overall victory at the end.

The mixed team consisted of youngster Liani Morker and team owner John Robertson. Neither of them have competed in a 3 day mountain bike event before but were both keen to take up the challenge in order to support cause. At the end they had a great ride together and managed to finish in 4th place overall in their category

It felt great being part of an event as unique as Ride the Rhino.

This coming weekend the team will be participating at the MTN Crater Cruise in Parys.
Hope to see you all there.

MTN Hilton Dirt Festival

This year the Hilton Dirt Fest marathon formed part of the MTN marathon series.

The fact that it was also the penultimate event of the series made for very competitive racing. Everyone was trying to collect the remaining points available in order to secure their spot or move up in the overall series standing.

The event was hosted at Hilton College just outside Hilton, KZN on the 24th of September.

The route and venue was spectacular to say the least. The 80km distance took us through Hilton’s surrounding forest and also provided us with breathtaking views over the Albert Falls Dam and the Umgeni Valley. Added to that, the course also had plenty of singletrack to enjoy!

The women’s race was a double bill as victory on the day and series honours were on the line. Yolande Speedy (MTN/Qhubeka) and Ischen Stopforth (Team bizhub) were both in the running to secure the overall MTN series title and therefore set out to gain as much points as possible to cement their positions.

On the start line Speedy was the wearer of the pink leader’s jersey with a narrow lead of 105 points over Stopforth.

In the first quarter of the event Speedy and Stopforth took to the lead while Candice Neethling (Team bizhub) and I were set to chase in 3rd and 4th place respectively.

Conrad Venter who was with the team for 5 years during the teams ‘Konica Minolta’ era has rejoined the team. He was waiting for us at the waterpoints located along the route with an ice cold waterbottle in one hand and energy gels in the other. I am sure I speak for everyone in the team when I say that he saved our lives a few times during the race. It’s great to have him back onboard.

Candice and my position stayed the same all the way to the finish while Speedy managed to open a small gap on Stopforth in the final kilometres to take the victory at the MTN Hilton MTB Dirt festival.

Final results:

1st Yolande Speedy
2nd Ischen Stopforth
3rd Candice Neethling
4th Yolandi du Toit

Our other teammate Nicci Grobler also had a great ride to finish 3nd in the senior ladies category.

This coming weekend Nicci and I will be teaming up for the Ride the Rhino 3day MTB event in the Western Cape.

Jeep Tribune Hill2Hill, 18th September

This event follows quite a different format than most MTB races as it is point to point race which takes place between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.
This 105km Marathon started in Hilton and finished at the Shongweni Polo Club grounds in Hillcrest, hence the name Hill2Hill.

Riders lined up early Sunday morning for the 6 O’clock start. Later during the day when the sun was scorching down on us it became clear why riders were set of so early. War stories after the race revealed that some riders who weren’t racing even stopped at some river crossings to swim just to relieve themselves from the heat.

The woman’s race set off at quite a fast tempo as Cross Country specialist Mariska Strauss (Team Contego) set the pace from the start. The first few kilometres of the race was mainly on single track through forest before heading onto a small section of tar in Pietermaritzburg. Until this point Candice Neethling(Team Bizhub) was on her own in front, I was chasing a few meters behind her and a few meters behind me were Mariska Strauss and Ischen Stopforth (Team Bizhub). We all regrouped before the Queen of the mountain sprint 25km into the race. On the crest of the Climb the group was reduced to 3 riders as Candice was tailed off slightly. Soon after passing the 2nd water point at around the 30km mark, Mariska also slipped off on a short steep climb. The climb was followed by a descent which led into some technical single track. Once out of the single track I was on my own and just set into a comfortable rhythm.

Ischen and I reached the 5th waterpoint together at around the 87km mark. Ischen was very intent on winning the race and surged on the lower slopes of the climb leading away from the waterpoint.
I decided to stick with my race strategy and ride at a steady pace as there was still a hard 15km stretch to the finish line.

Ischen Stopforth took the Victory at Hill2Hill with me following just behind to take 2nd place. Candice Neethling was set to finish in 3rd place, but unfortunately suffered a mechanical failure within the last 6km. She had no choice but to watch other riders pass her while pushing her bike to the finish line. Mariska Strauss also had a great ride coming off her European campaign to finish in 3rd place.

Nissan TrailSeeker #3, Down &Dirty

This past Saturday team bizhub took part in the 3rd event of the Nissan Trailseeker Series.

The event was held at the Cornwall Hill College in Irene, Pretoria. The cycle friendly venue made for a pleasant atmosphere as riders started and finished on the school’s athletic field. This gave family and friends the opportunity to cheer riders on while sitting on the grand stand, or underneath an umbrella, next to the field whilst sipping on a cold beverage -Yes summer is (finally!) upon us!

The Nissan TrailSeeker Series is currently the biggest series in Gauteng and this was quite evident when looking at the strong field who took to the start line.
The fairly flat 70km route consisted mainly of jeep track and district roads in and around Centurion. Despite it being a great summer’s day, the strong August wind was sure to make for a challenge out on course.

During the first 5km of the race I found myself racing alongside Yolande Speedy (Team MTN/Qhuebeka) and Theresa Ralph. On a long drag into a head wind I managed to open a small gap on them and it only grew from there as I managed to sustain my pace whilst battling the blustery conditions.

At the end I managed to maintain my lead over Yolande and took the Victory at Nissan Trailseeker Down & Dirty. I was really pleased with my performance and very happy to capture my first win at a Nissan Trailseeker event this year.

Yolande Speedy had a great ride coming back from her injury to finish in 2nd place with Theresa Ralph rounding off the podium in 3rd place.

Final Results

1st Yolandi du Toit (Team Bizhub)
2nd Yolande Speedy (Team MTN/ Qhuebeka)
3rd Theresa Ralph
4th Samantha Saanders (Team Mankele)
5th Nicci Grobler (Team Bizhub)

Eqstra Spring Classic MTB race, 28 August

The event took place on Sunday at Helderfontein Estate in Lonehill, Midrand.

After Saturday’s brilliant sunshine, the skies were dark and threatening as we rode casually to the start for a warm up.

On arrival I was quite surprised by the amount of people who turned up for the event. On second thought, I shouldn’t really be that surprised as spring has finally arrived and everyone is keen to get outside and ride their bikes again.

The 45km route was laid out mainly in and around the equestrian estates. This gave casual riders the opportunity to gaze around at the elegant horses and their neat training facilities while enjoying a leisurely bike ride.

If you were racing though, it was a completely different experience.

As soon as the gun went off riders were sprinting to be first into the single track. I can’t really remember when exactly that first piece ended because it felt like we were sprinting the whole way to the finish.

A Shorter course didn’t mean the racing was going to be easier, it only meant that you will be going at your limit for the entire course. With the winning time less than 2hours you don’t have to preserve energy for the final kilometres, which is vital in the longer races.

The course was fairly flat and very fast. It consisted mainly of district roads and single track. With mountain biking growing so rapidly in South Africa you can find loads of single track almost everywhere. In this case even in the middle of Johannesburg!

This time the line up for team Bizhub included myself, Liani Morkel and our Team Manager, John Robertson.

I felt good on the day and managed to finish the event in 1st place. It was my first race after the winter and I am happy to start my 2nd half of the season with a victory. Liani Morkel has been struggling with flu and therefore wasn’t able to perform to her full potential and had to settle for a brave 12th place.

This coming weekend the team will participate in the Nissan Down and Dirty in Pretoria.

Hope to see you there!

The Subaru Kalahari Challenge, 2day stage race.
This past weekend team bizhub travelled to Botswana to participate in the

6th edition of the Subaru Kalahari Challenge.
For most of us it was our first trip to Botswana and therefore we were
all looking forward to our adventure across the border.

Our team was invited by event organiser Seamus O’neil to be part of
the event this year. He also arranged for us to be hosted by a Botswana

family, Kim and Nevelle, the night prior to the event. They say the
only way to truly experience a country is through its people. Nevelle
and Kim didn’t just open their home for us but made us feel like
family from the moment we arrived there. To say we had a good evening is quite an understatement.
.
On Saturday the first stage started at Game City Centrum in
Gaborone and finished 98km South in the bush at Vulture’s Hill.

The next day’s 96km stage took as back home to Gaborone to finish off
the 2 day event at Gaborone Yacht club.
The flat course was quite rough and tough as the terrain in Botswana is very rocky and sandy (horizontal hills as they call it in the local language).


I also realized yet again that flat doesn’t mean it is going to be
easy. It only means that you will have to pedal nonstop to get anywhere.
I was amazed by all the single track they have in Botswana. On
both days the route consisted 90 % out of single and jeep track. I
am glad I didn’t have to mark the course as each single
track splits into 2 or 3 directions at least every 500m.

Our overnight stay in between stages was outstanding. Riders slept in army tents which came equipped with mattresses, 3 blankets for each rider, a pillow and a flash light. This meant there was no need to travel with sleeping bags or pillows.

We were also served delicious, traditional South African food
which consisted of ‘braaibrootjies', 'Kerrie en rys', 'worsbroodjies' and
'slap pap' just to name a few. (sorry but English words wouldn’t do justice here)
Bizhub had two teams riding in the event, a mixed team and a ladies team.
Nicci Grobler and I made up the ladies team. This was only our 2nd
time riding together but the two of us seem to bring out the best in each

other. This helped us to win both stages and also to take the
overall victory at the end.

The mixed team consisted of youngster Liani Morkel and Reinhardt
Basson. This event was Liani’s first stage race and therefore she was
mainly there to learn. At the end she and Reinhardt had a great ride
together and managed to finish 3rd on both stages, giving them 3rd
place overall at the end.

We couldn’t have asked for a better first experienced of Botswana.
What made this event truly special for us was the passion the event
organisers showed for their race and their warm hospitality.

Thanks again for making us part of this unique event.

ASG Walkerville MTB Classic, Sunday 17th July


The 12th edition of the Walkerville Classic was yet again hosted at
Lapeng Hotel and Conference centre in Walkerville, Gauteng.


This year’s event took off in much friendlier winter weather than last
year which was a big relief for all cyclists.


The 60km route consisted mainly of short steep climbs and fast single
track. The course was very rocky and at some places it became quite
tricky to ride over and downhill on a trail of lose rocks.


The week prior to the event I came down with a cold and on Saturday
(the day before the event) I thought I’ll be fine to race which was
unfortunately not the case.


From the beginning Teresa Ralph (Lynx) took the leading position with
Carla Rowley (Biogen) chasing in 2nd place, me in 3rd place and
Sanet Small (Team Ghost/DO IT NOW) in 4th place.


Our positions stayed unchanged throughout the race which meant all of
us crossed the finish line in the same position we start off with.

Final results:

1st Theresa Ralph
2nd Carla Rowley
3rd Yolandi du toit
4th Sanet Small


This coming weekend the team will be travelling to Botswana to take
part in the Subaru/Kalahari Challenge (2day stage race)


In the meantime I’ll be taking it really easy in order to be healthy
come this weekend.

Tour de Plett Cycling Festival
After the Knysna Oyster festival MTB and road races last weekend, team bizhub stayed on in Plettenberg Bay to take part in the inaugural Tour de Plett Cycling Festival.

Event Organiser, Danie Erasmus invited the team (bizhub) to participate in his
event and also provided us with lovely accommodation at his
guesthouse, O’Hannas in Plettenbergbay.
Most of the time I only see my teammates at races and therefore I
really enjoyed spending the week with them down in Plett and getting to know them better.

On Saturday we took part in the Tour de Plett mountain bike race which
took place just outside of town at Wittedrift.

All the rain from the previous weeks made the course quite muddy with
big water puddles turning the 75km route into even more of a challenge.
The route consisted of long rocky climbs and descents, beautiful jeep track in the Knysna/Plett forests and also spectacular
views as we cycled through the Buffalo Hills Game Reserve.
Candice Neethling (bizhub) used her strong cross country start and took the
lead from the off with me chasing in 2nd place. It was a lonely ride
for both of us as we didn’t see anyone in front or behind us
throughout the event. At the end Candice took the victory in the inaugural Tour de

Plett MTB with me in 2nd place and Heidi Koen in 3rd place overall. My
other two team mates also rode very well as Nicci Grobler managed to finish
4th in the 75km event despite being ill and Liani Morkel finished 2nd in the 50km event.

The following day the team took part in the Tour de Plett road race.
Despite our exertions at the MTB event the previous day, we all set out
to give our best and get another good result for team bizhub.
This time we had two pairs of fresh legs joining us in the form of Lindi Erasmus
and youngster Monique Gerber.

The 110km route took us out and back on the N2 in the direction of PE.
On our way back the route veered off into Nature’s Valley which eventually led us onto
Nature’s Valley pass. This made the route very scenic but also extremely
challenging. Anriette Schoeman (Nashua/
Toyota) used the pass to break away and win the race with Lindi Erasmus (bizhub) in 2nd place and Candice Neethling (bizhub) rounding of a fine week in 3rd place.

I truly enjoyed the hospitality and great organisation at the Tour de
Plett and would love to return again next year.
This is definitely an event to add to your race calendar for 2012!

Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster festival
The team travelled down to Knysna on Friday the 1st of July to
participate in the Knysna Oyster Festival.

The festival consists of various events which included a mountain bike
and road event on the Saturday and Sunday respectively.
Four bizhub girls (Nicci Grobler, Candice Neetling, Ischen Stopforth
and myself) lined up for the start of the 75km mountain bike event on
Saturday morning. We set off in
cold weather and drizzling rain which worsened as the kilometres
slowly ticked by.

Eszter Elderly (Team MTN/Qhubeka) took the leading position from the
beginning with Ischen Stopforth chasing in 2nd place, Candice Neetling
in 3rd place and myself in 4th place (all bizhub).
The 75km course consisted of long steady climbs followed by some short
steep climbs and slippery downhill single track all in the beautiful
Knysna forest.

The mud made the course extra challenging as it took longer to
complete the course and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who struggled
with chain suck which forced me to dismount several times and undo my chain.
The ladies race positions changed inside the last 15km as Candice managed

to pass Ischen to move into 2nd place and Hanlie Booyens (Team Jeep)
passed me to move into 4th place.
As Candice approached the finish line her tyre popped of her rim with
about 1km to go. She stopped to bomb it but realised that it wasn’t
possible as her tyre had a deep side wall cut. She then decided to
make a run for it.
Candice came across the finish line with her bike beside her instead
of being on it and still managed to finish in 2nd place.

The overall victory went to Ezter Elderlyi with Ischen Stopforth
rounding off the podium in 3rd.

The following day Team bizhub lined up for the
Knysna Oyster festival road race. Lindi Erasmus (bizhub) joined us for the

road race which meant that we had at least one pair of fresh legs for
the event.

Even though we all were very tired from the previous day’s effort we
weren’t going to give up easily and road as hard as our legs allowed
us to. Lindi managed to make the break going to the finish line and
finished in 5th position at the end.
This week the team is staying in Plettenbergbay to participate in the
Plett Challenge road and mountain bike events taking place this coming
weekend.

Nissan TrailSeeker #1,Hazeldean.

The Nissan Trailseeker Series is the biggest mountain bike series in
Gauteng consisting of five events.

Hazeldean was the first event in the series and took place in Pretoria East at
Tygervalley College.

On arrival at the event Saturday morning my cell phone’s weather
forecast read -1 degrees with a RealFeel of -5,Brrrrr!
The first big test on the day came when I had to get out of the car in
order to get ready for the event and I almost failed...

Fritz Pienaar and his Advendurance team put together another great event which
made enduring the cold weather definitely worthwhile.

The 70km route was mainly flat and consisted of single track,
hand-built trails, a few bridge crossings over small streams and open
farm roads. All of this was truly unexpected from an event held in the middle of Pretoria and thus made the race very interesting.

I was told beforehand that the route was very flat and would be fast. The wind
decided otherwise and blew at 25km/h. This made it very difficult as
we rode into a headwind for the majority of the race. The strong wind
and very low temperatures turned out to be deciding factors on the day.

The men and ladies all started together on the College’s sports
ground. From here we were immediately taken onto grassy jeep track.
This made it quite difficult to judge where competitors were in the
field as men and women fought for position.

Ezster Elderly (Team MTN/Quebeka) took the leading position from the start with Carla Rowley(Team Biogen) and myself chasing in 2nd and
3rd position. Carla and I were playing cat and mouse the entire race whilst also trying to hunt down the leader up front.

At one point in the race we missed a turn somewhere and ended up going
the wrong way. We quickly realised this, turned around and made our way back on to the route. Luckily we weren’t the only ones who missed
this particular turn which made the playing ground “fairly" equal
again.

For most of the race Ezster was in our (myself and Carla’s) sight but
we weren’t able to close the gap which she established at the
beginning of the race.

At the end victory in the Hazeldean event went to Ezster Elderly, with Carla
Rowly in 2nd place and myself in 3rd place.


Final Results:

1st Ezster Elderly
2nd Carla Rowley
3rd Yolandi du Toit
4th Ischen Stopforth
5th Ronel van Wyk
6th Nicci Grobler

Big Induna MTB Challenge

The Big Induna MTB challenge was held on the outskirts of Hazyview in
Mpumalanga on 11 June 2011.
I travelled down to the Lowveld on Friday and was welcomed by perfect
summer weather on arrival. As soon as we got settled into our
accommodation for the weekend, I got dressed and went for my pre-race
training ride. It was a great feeling to be on my bike again without
layers and layers of clothing.

As race day dawned it was another beautiful summer’s day (at least for
those of us living on the Highveld). The organisers of Induna again
outdid themselves with a spectacular event. I took part in the
challenging 78km marathon which consisted of hand cut trails snaking
through indigenous forest, short sharp climbs and a few tricky bridges
to keep things interesting.
We started at the Induna Adventure Centre with the race route taking
us on a loop of 45km to pass the start/finish line and then head onto
the last 38km loop. Candice Neethling (Team bizhub) showed her cross
country prowess and took the lead from the start.

On the first lap I was riding alongside Ezster Elderly(Team
MTN/Qhubeka) as we fought for 2nd position out on course. The race
positions stayed like this as we completed the first 45km loop through
the start/finish area.

Ester put in a hard effort on the following short sharp climb opening
a small gap on me. The climb was quickly followed by a tricky single
track alongside the river. Before the single track Ezster was still in
sight but on it, her skill made her vanish in the wink of an eye.


From there on I was on my own chasing the two leaders out in front. I
did manage to make contact with them again but unfortunately this was
after the finish line 
Candice managed to stay in the lead until the end to take the victory
at the Big Induna marathon, while Ezster Elderly followed home in 2nd
place and me in 3rd. I am happy to make the podium at such a great
event and am looking forward to the 2012 edition already.

Subaru Sani2C

Only ten days after Joberg2C I found myself standing on the start line of the prestigious Sani2C, once again ready to enjoy the famous routes created by ‘Farmer Glen’ and his team.

Yet again I was in Team DEVELOP kit, but this time around my partner was Nicci Grobler . She is fairly new to mountain biking and has only one year of riding under her belt. In keeping with our team’s name, it would all about experience for her and I was glad to fill the role of mentor. I am also a recent convert to mountain biking and knew how daunting the challenge could be.

I am sure most of you are familiar with the Sani2C event but for those who don’t know: it’s a 3 day Mountain bike tour which starts in Underberg and finishes in Scottburgh. In between the race has stage finishes at Mackenzie and Jolivet farms which allowed us plenty of opportunity to enjoy the local hospitality.

The 9 day Joberg2C race incorporated the Sani2C routes as its last 3 stages. Having ridden the Joberg2C less than 2 weeks ago, I was happy to have seen the changes made to the course. Or so I thought! Much to my surprise I discovered that yet again they managed to modify the route. Not only did the organisers add a new single track section here and there, but also 2 steel bridge crossings built with the help of local farmers.

I really enjoyed riding with Nicci. Not only is she a strong rider but also a very fast learner. It was rewarding to see her improve as the stages went by. We managed to get a 3rd place on stage 1 and an overall 4th place at the end of the race.

The race was won by the team’s sister outfit, Team bizhub, which consisted of Catherine Williamson and Candice Neethling. Team USN (Karien van Jaarsveld and Cherise Taylor) finished 2nd with Team Jeep (Hanlie Booyens and Michelle Lombardi) rounding out the podium.

Winter normally means ‘off season’ for cyclist but not in South Africa where we are blessed with fairly good weather. In the coming months I will be busy and have quite a few mountain bike races which I am really looking forward to. One thing that does differ for me from the summer to winter season is that I am also spending some more time in the gym now. I hope that by the time summer arrives, I won’t feel so intimidated by the locals in the gym anymore:).



Nicci after stage 2

Fairbairn Capital Old Mutual joBerg2c

Last year I had the opportunity to participate in the inaugural
running of this amazing event. This year I was facing up to the
challenge with a brand new partner and a ‘new’ sponsor.

Aurelie Halbwachs and I teamed up under the sponsorship of ‘Develop’
which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bidvest group – the same
group that owns Bizhub. Develop focus solely on enterprise development
and knowledge transfer within the Print, Copy, Fax and Scan arena.

Our 9 day adventure started in my home town, Heidelberg, on Friday the
29th of April. From here we cycled across the Free State, stopping
over in Frankfort, Reitz and Sterkfontein. These little towns get
very cold at night but the warm hospitality together with the
beautiful scenery more than made up for it. In Reitz for example
there were kids dressed up in various costumes dancing and supporting
us along to the finish throughout the last kilometre. What a treat!

We crossed the border into Kwazulu Natal on day 4 riding from
Sterkfontein to Winterton.
Day 4 consisted of more technical single track and lots of climbing
which made for spectacular views from atop the Southern (Drakens)Berg
Mountains. This stage was definitely one of my favourite stages.
Aurelie and I even managed a top 20 overall result at the stage
finish.
From Winterton we visited the ‘Berg’ area and stayed over at Kamberg
followed by Underberg. Here we could feel the cold air blowing in from
the mountains on arrival but warm jackets and sleeping bags were
sufficient to keep us warm. The tranquillity and beauty of these
surroundings were truly overwhelming.

From Underberg the race took as onto the same route which the 3 day
Subaru Sani2c stage event consist of. Most mountain bike riders are
familiar with the Sani2c routes, but this year the organisers truly
outdid themselves and added even more amazing single track and bridges
to the course.
This year we ended our journey yet again at the sea in Scottburgh.
This 910km stage race over 9 days is truly a massive challenge which
makes it very rewarding once you cross the finish line at the end.

It is special to be part of an event from its inception and experience
its growth with them. For me it was really impressive to witness the
improvements the organisers made with the route in only one year. This
year there was more single track, jeep track and smoother riding
sections than in the past - particularly on the first 3 stages.
The organisation was again top class, the big variety of food was
delicious (and never ending) and the scenic routes were breathtaking.

Thanks to all our sponsors for supporting us (Team Develop and Team
Bizhub) in our endeavours.
Also to my partner (Aurelie Halbwachs ), we rode together as one and
as a result managed to finish 2nd overall in the Elite Ladies
category.

Results:
1st Team Bizhub (Ischen Stopforth & Catherine Willliamson)
2nd Team Develop (Aurelie Albwachs& Yolandi du Toit)
3rd Team Axis house velocity sport (Caren Henschel &Heike Jakins)

Mr Price Karkloof Classic

The Karkloof Classic is a highlight on the mountain bike calendar as
it is the biggest mountain bike festival in SA with more than 3500
participants over the weekend.
The weekend’s racing kicked off with a night race held on the Friday
night, followed by Cross Country and Downhill racing on the Saturday
and then finished off with the main 60km marathon on the Sunday. What
makes the event so unique is that the Karkloof trails are purposely
built by expert crews and maintained all year round which makes them
incredible fun to ride.

On Saturday I took part in the Cross Country event. It was definitely
the most technical (and exciting) course I’ve ridden thus far. One of
the technical sections was named ‘the super tube’ as it was dropping
and climbing just like a super tube. Every time I went down the ‘huge’
drop leading into the super tube, I got butterflies in my
stomach....it was scary and awesome all at the same time!

The XC wasn’t my priority event on the weekend and therefore I decided
to ride it as best as I could to still get a good result without
tiring myself too much before the main event the following day.

On my first lap I decided to ride behind some of the girls in order to
get more familiar with the course. On lap 2 I found myself alongside
local rider, Amy Jane Mundy (Team Jeep)in 2nd / 3rd position behind a
flying Eszter Elderlyi (Team MTN/ Qhubeka).

I didn’t know the course that well and ‘practised’ riding some of the
technical sections during my first few laps. By the end of the 3rd
lap, with a few properties to my name, I managed to figure out what
was rideable and what not.

On lap 4 of 5, I managed to ride away from Amy to finish in 2nd place
behind Eszter Elderlyi with Amy Jane Mundy finishing in 3rd place. It
was a great XC course and I am still amazed at all the effort that
goes into building the Karkloof trails.

On Sunday I lined up for the main 60km Marathon event.

It was my first time competing at this event and therefore I didn’t
know what to expect. As our group was set off, my legs felt pretty
good and I managed to go hard from the beginning and found myself in
the lead within the first 10km.

With her strong cross country background, Eszter Elderlyi managed to
ride back up to me during the first technical single track section
(around 16km). From there the route took us straight onto the 2nd long
climb. Eszter and I started the climb together but halfway up I
noticed that she was slowly dropping back from my wheel. I continued
pushing hard on the climb and on reaching the top (around 35km) I
couldn’t see Eszter anymore. I realized that this was my opportunity,
I had to put my head down and go flat out because ‘once out of sight,
then out of mind’.

We still had one long climb left along with its technical downhill
single track. I knew that Eszter might be able to get back to me on
the single track, but fortunately I rode the Cross Country race the
day before which helped me to get a familiar feel for the technical
sections.

I felt really good throughout the race and managed to ride the single
track and climbs fast enough to maintain my lead until the very end.
It was very rewarding to take the VICTORY at the Karkloof Classic!

I feel very fortunate to be the winner of such a great event and
shared the podium with Heletjie van Staden (Team Mr Price/GT) who
finished in 2nd place and my team mate Caitlin de Wet (Team Bizhub) in
3rd place

SA Marathon Championships, 20th March

My weekend started on a high note as I received great news on the
Friday from my team manager. He called to tell me that he managed to
help Cycling South Africa realize their mistake regarding the medal
presentation at Cross country Championships and the SA medals will go
to South African Athletes as in previous years.

Therefore the final results for the Elite woman at the Cross Country
National Championships is as follow:

1st Yolande Speedy (Team MTN/Qhubeka)

2nd Samantha Saanders (Mankele)

3rd Yolandi du Toit (Team Bizhub)

On Sunday I participated in the SA Marathon Championships race which
was held at Inanda dam, just outside Hillcrest in Kwazulu-Natal.

The event was truly exceptional as there were trails especially built
for this occasion and on top of that the venue offered breath taking
scenery as the route was laid out in the valley of a thousand hills
taking you all around the dam.

The supporters on route were also plenty as the local community joined
in to motivate us along the entire 83km route.
As this was the South African Marathon Championships everyone who
lined up for the start was ready to battle it out on route in order to
win the coveted National Jersey.

The steep undulating climbs throughout the course caused our group to
split up early into the race.
Three leaders formed up front consisting of Yolande Speedy
(MTN/Qhubeka), Candice Neetling (Team Bizhub) and Cherise Taylor (Team
USN). The three of them were shortly followed by Catherine Williamson
(Bizhub) then a few seconds behind her was Karien van Jaarsveld (Team
USN) with myself and team mate Caitlin de Wet (Team Bizhub) hot on
their wheels.

I remember Caitlin was still with me on the first fairly long climb
around 20km into the race, but as I reached the bottom of the ensuing
descent she wasn’t with me anymore and I had to continue on my own in
pursuit of the leaders. (I only found out at the finish line that
Caitlin dehydrated towards the end and was taken back to the
start/finish venue in a helicopter in order to get her on a drip as
soon as possible. She has luckily recovered 100 %).

I was lying in 6th place for most of the race until reaching the 2nd
water point. Here I found out that I suddenly moved into 3rd place as
the 3 leaders had unfortunately missed one of the markers and went off
route. Luckily they managed to find their way back but lost a bit of
time.

Just before the last water point Candice and Cherise managed to catch
up to me again after their slight detour.

Unfortunately the erstwhile leaders (Speedy, Candice and Cherise)
never made it back to the front of the race and the event was won by
our resolute British team mate Catherine Williamson with Karien van
Jaarsveld finishing just behind her to claim her first National
Championships title.

As this was our national championships the final results for the
Marathon National Championships was as follows.

1st Karien van Jaarsveld (Team USN)

2nd Cherise Taylor (Team USN)

3rd Candice Neetling (Team Bizhub)

4th Yolandi du Toit (Team Bizhub)

5th Yolande Speedy (Team MTN/Qhubeka)

XCO National Champions & Cape Argus Pick and Pay cycle tour.

Cyclists and non cyclists alike are very familiar with the Cape Argus
Cycle Tour which took place this past Sunday in Cape Town. What
‘some’ people weren’t aware of was that they were missing out on some
good cross country mountain bike racing on the day before the Argus.

On Saturday the 12th of March the South African National Cross
Country Championships took place at Delvera Wine farm just outside of
Stellenbosch.

The event was scheduled to take place at District 6 in Cape Town but
last minute decisions saw the event move to Delvera farm which luckily
had trails already laid out for people to enjoy in and around
Stellenbosch.

I travelled to Cape Town a week before the event specifically to train
on the course. With the final 5.8km circuit only marked out on
Thursday, I spent the other days training on Dirtopia’s trails. This
was truly a fun ride as it took you over some awesome technical single
track laid out on a ‘koppie’ on the far side of the farm. As a XC
course has to abide by certain standards the course was laid out
closer to the farm, unfortunately missing out on the amazing single
track. Instead the 5.8km route consisted mainly of a very steep uphill
and downhill.

Whatever the course - my Specialized Era and I were up for the challenge!

The u/23 and elite ladies set out to race 5 laps of the 5.8km course.
In the ladies u/23 category there was some tight racing between
Mariska Strauss (Team Contego), Caitlin De Wet (Team Bizhub) and
Candice Neetling (Team Bizhub). At the end Mariska had a great ride
coming back from a tiring 2010 season to win the u/23 National Jersey
with my team mates Candice Neetling and Caitlin de Wet in 2nd and 3rd
place respectfully.

In my category (elite ladies) Yolande Speedy (Team Qhubeka/MTN) had a
dominant race and added another national title to her name with Swiss
rider Arianne Luthi (Team Contego) in 2nd, Samantha Saanders
(Mankele) in 3rd and me in 4th place at the end.

Since I’ve been involved in cycling foreign riders are allowed to
compete at a National Championships to raise the standard but aren’t
eligible to get a medal at the end, only the prize money and UCI
points that go with the result. This is how it worked and always had
worked all across the world. I myself have even raced in Belgium’s
National Championships on the road and there you also can’t get a
medal - just a mention if you do manage to garner a result.

Therefore I thought that I would get the Bronze Medal as I was the 3rd
South African to cross the finish line and everyone at the race also
assured me of this. Finally at prize giving the South African silver
medal was awarded to Swiss rider Arianne Luthi on Alec Lenfurna’s
decision.

I was disappointed to witness the podium presentation instead of being
on it myself but what hurt even more was when I asked Alec about it
and he basically told me off for questioning his decision.

The following day our team lined up for the Argus Pick and Pay Cycle Tour.
We had great weather on Sunday making it a perfect day to be outdoors.

Our team put in an excellent performance at the end with Catherine
Williamson from England finishing on die podium in 3rd place.

Next up for us will be the MTB Marathon National Championships in Kwazulu-Natal.

MTN SABIE CLASSIC

Sabie Classic was the 4th leg of the MTN Series and as the next MTN event is only in May, everyone was keen to make this one count. This year’s event again proved to be a big challenge as the new Marathon route included a total of 2110m of climbing over a distance of 74km.

We set off in dry, sunny conditions which was a blessing after all the mud at the MTN Clarens event the previous weekend.

The course mainly consisted of two long, steep climbs followed by their descents and then the tortuous undulations of the last 20km back home. Barely 5km into the race, we found ourselves on the first major climb on the day. Here Yolande Speedy and Eszter Elderlyi (both team MTN/Qhubeka) pushed hard and it caused our group to splinter on the lower slopes of the climb. I reached the top (around 30km) on my own in 5th position and continued on in lone pursuit of the leaders.

Up front Speedy was experiencing a bit of bad luck as she had to stop twice. First she had to tighten a loose seatpost and then she had to stop and repair a puncture. On both occasions she managed to ride back up to her team mate, Eszter, who was in the leading position. At the end all the chasing caught up to Speedy and Eszter managed to beat her in the sprint for the line to take the Victory at Sabie Classic with Speedy finishing just behind her in 2nd place.

The ladies behind the two MTN/ Qhubeka rider s were putting in individual Time Trial efforts. From the first climb everyone was left to chase on their own, and crossed the finish line one by one. Arianne Luthi (Team Contego ) was the next rider home finishing in 3rd place. She was followed by Ischen Stopforth (Team Bizhub) in 4th place and me (Team Bizhub) in 5th place to round out the top 5 placings.

The new format of the MTN races sees the Marathon and Ultra-Marathon taking place on the Saturday and the half-marathon together with the kiddie’s races taking place on the Sunday. For me it’s really a great initiative as it gives you the opportunity to focus on the main events the one day and then have a pleasant time on the bikes with family /friends/ sponsors the following day.

On Sunday I did the 15km kiddies race with friends of mine and their kids. This turned out to be quite a treat riding with moms, dads and kiddies from all ages. I do hope I’ll get the opportunity to do it again in the future.

My Team Bizhub cycling kit turned out to be very popular amongst the moms and little girls and I must admit I truly enjoyed all the compliments along the route. You can just imagine PINK cycling kit with white daisies on, any little girls dream!

African Continental XC Champions

In the past I have competed at African Continental ‘Road’ Championships but this was my first time competing in a cross country event at this level.

As it is totally different from my road cycling background, my main goal for the event was to do my best and learn as much as possible from the experience
The Championships were held on the 12th of Feb in the picturesque Jonkershoek Nature reserve which is located about 10km east of Stellenbosch.

The 4.2km race course basically consisted of an uphill and a downhill on single track, sprinkled with rocks from all different shapes and sizes. Luckily I had a full suspension bike (Specialized Era) to ride on the extremely bumpy course.
The elite ladies started just after 12pm and had to complete 5 laps of the course.

Going into the single track I found myself in 5th position. To get past riders once we were on the single track was very difficult as there was no room for passing and not everyone is willing to move aside in order for you to go by.

The heat and distance took its toll and at the end of the 5 laps I managed to work my way up into 3rd position and was very happy to win my first medal (Bronze) at African Continental Championships (MTB).

I never thought I would be able to do this in only my 3rd XC event, but I really am starting to enjoy the challenge of racing cross country and I look forward to the next one!

Final Results:
1st Yolande Speedy (RSA)
2nd Samantha Sanders (RSA)
3rd Yolandi du Toit (RSA)
4th Karien van Jaarsveld (RSA)
5th Heletje Van Staden (NAM)

It’s been quite a busy week of riding, racing and travelling for me and the Bizhub ladies cycling team.

On Friday (4 Feb) I travelled down to Port Elizabeth for SA Road Championships and the EP Herald Road race. Once there the plans truly changed overnight. The organisers of SA Road Champs couldn’t decide the night before whether the route was ‘safe’ enough to race on the next day or if they should cancel it instead.

Luckily my team had brought my mountain bike along for African Continental Championships which meant I didn’t have to wonder if I was going to be able to race the next day. I just changed my focus to the EP Herald MTB race and got on with the job in hand.

I was really happy to be able to do the MTB race which took place at Addo Elephant National Park just outside of PE. It was much harder than expected. It looked like fairly flat terrain driving to the park but proved to be the exact opposite during the race. The scenic route was very interesting as there were gradual gravel climbs through fertile citrus plantations, technical single track up and down hiking trails and fast adrenaline pumping downhill jeep track. The race was won by Swiss rider Ariane Luthi (Contego team) with my team mate Ischen Stopforth in 2nd place and me in 3rd place to round out the podium.

On Sunday the 6th of February the team took part in EP Herald road race. Catherine Williams had a great ride and managed to better her 3rd place result from last year to finish in 2nd place. Next year she is sure to bag the win!

At the end of the weekend, despite the chaos around SA’s, our team was happy to leave PE with great results (I can also add that our junior on the team, Monique Gerber, won 2 Gold medals at SA’s in the road race and time trial respectively).

Caitlin and I travelled from PE to Stellenbosch on Monday (7 Feb) to take part in the African Continental Champs held at Jonkershoek this coming weekend.

Until next time,

MTN National Series - Barberton XCM #2 driven by Nissan

The second leg of the MTN Marathon series took place at Barberton High School on Saturday 29th of January.

Since this event is also a UCI event, the Marathon Elite women were set off independently, 5min after the Ultra marathon men. The ladies field was once again very competitive as it attracted international riders over and above all the top South African ladies. The level of woman’s cycling is definitely improving rapidly in this country, which is great to see.

For 2011 Team Bizhub has also grown more on the mountain biking side as we now have a total of 5 girls (Candice Needling, Caitlin de Wet, Ischen Stopfort, Nicci Grobler and myself) in the team who will mainly be focussing on MTB.

We left the start line under a clear sky and the Team-MTN/Qhubeka pair of Yolande Speedy and Ezster Erdelyi decided to put the hammer down in the neutral zone already (so much for having an ‘easy’ roll through town) which saw only a small group of girls reaching the bottom of the first and only major climb on the day where the race ‘officially’ started.

Here I settled in my own manageable pace with Samantha Oosthuisen (Else Kaarstens Cycles) a few meters behind me. Half way up the climb I made contact with my team mate Caitlin de Wet and the two of us stayed together for another few kilometres. I am not sure when Caitlin decided to rather ride her own pace, but as I rode up to Mariska Strauss (Contego) near the top of the climb Caitlin wasn’t with me anymore. Employing some road tactics, I decided to just stay with Mariska and hope that Caitlin will join us again as she was very close to us at that stage.

Mariska on the other hand was determined to stay ahead and this led to the two of us continuing on in pursuit of the leaders. Once it was clear that Caitlin was not going to reach us I, started helping Mariska and we set a high pace as we raced on through the beautiful Mountainlands Nature Reserve and the Greenstone Wildlife Estate on the other side of the mountain. I really thought we would ride up to some of the other girls in front as we both were pushing hard on the pedals at this stage.

The last 5km of the route took us onto some ‘Cross Country’ single track. Going into it I was still with Mariska but her cross country experience left me behind with 2km to go to the finish line.

It was an aggressive race until the end as Yolande Speedy (Team MTN/Qhubeka) was in the lead throughout the race and then in the final kilometres she took a wrong turn somewhere and sadly had to settle for second place behind her team mate Eszter Erdelyi (Team MTN,Qhubeka) with Ariane Luthi rounding off the podium.
Ischen Stopforth was on her way to finish 4th but unfortunately went down on the technical single track near the end. Luckily Candice Neetling was also having an excellent ride herself and managed to secure the 4th place for the team with Ischen rounding out the top 5.

Results:
1st Eszter Erdelyi (Team MTN/Qhubeka)
2nd Yolande Speedy (Team MTN/Qhubeka)
3rd Ariane Luithi (Contego)
4th Candice Neetling (Team Bizhub)
5th ISchen Stopforth (Team Bizhub)
6th Karien van Jaarsveld (USN)
7th Mariske Strauss (Contego)
8th Yolandi du Toit (Team Bizhub)
9th Caitlin de Wet (Team Bizhub)
10th Samatha Oosthuisen (Else Kaarsten Cycles)

This coming weekend I will be competing at the SA Road Championships and EP Herald Road race on Saturday and Sunday.

Attakwas extreme: 121km - Total ascent 2900m

The MTN National MTB series is once again the biggest mountain bike
series in the country consisting of 8 events in 2011.
The Attakwas was first in line and is also the first event in South
Africa to carry UCI Marathon points.
The UCI points which were allocated to the top 15 finishers made for
very competitive racing as it attracted not only South Africa’s top
mountain bike riders but also a few international heroes.

The race started at Chandelier Game and Ostrich show farm on the
outskirts of Oudtshoorn .
From here riders had to follow an extremely challenging 121km route,
which included passing through the Attakwas kloof 4x4 trail, to the
finish in Groot Brak.

Saturday morning dawned with sunshine and clear skies as all the
riders started to gather around the starting blocks in their new kit
for the 2011 season.
The Ladies category started 5min after the Elite men and set off with
the veteran men.
Yolande Speedy and Eszter Elderlyi (Team MTN/Qhubeka ) set a furious
pace upfront which saw the group splinter within 5km. I decided to
settle in my own manageable pace as Yolande Speedy, Ester Eldarly,
Ariane Luthi (Contego),Ischen Stopforth (Bizhub), Karien van Jaarsveld
(USN) , Jane Seggie and Christine Jansen van Rensberg took off on the
first climb.

During the first 10km jeep track I managed to pass Jane Seggie and
Christine Jansen van Rensberg and rode up to Karien van Jaarsveld
(Team USN). Karien stayed with me until the bottom of the steep climb
just past the first water point (around 30km). Here I managed to pull
away from Karien to continue alone in my pursuit of the leaders.

It was a spectacular sight to see the surroundings change on entering
the picturesque Attakwas kloof. Through the kloof the riding became
more technical and the climbs a lot steeper. I managed to pass Ischen
just after the 2rd water point on the 2nd steep rocky climbs (around
55km).
On the 3rd and last steep climb through the Attakwas Kloof, leading up
to the King of the mountain prime (KOM), I managed to stay on my bike
all the way to the top. It might sound silly but I was very happy with
myself as during last year’s event I had to push my bike in the final
meters to the KOM. Although afterwards I wasn’t that pleased anymore
as my legs felt heavy from the hard effort.

After the 3rd water point the route became slightly easier as we went
onto district roads but the riding still stayed tough with the
unrelenting climbs all the way to the finish. As I got onto the
district road I saw Eszter Elderlyi in the distance and managed to
pass her on one of the rolling hills (around 70km).

As I was pacing myself on the wide gravel road between the pine
forests Ischen’s diesel engine started to kick in as she passed me
just before the 4th water point (around 80km).
I continued on my own into the growing headwind, counting down the
kilometres to the finish.

It was my first time competing in such a long event and I could feel
it as the last 30km was definitely the hardest for me. What made the
pain even worse was when Jane Seggie passed me within the last 10km to
the finish line.

All’s well that ends well and I was happy to finish such a gruelling
event and gain the valuable experience which is sure to count for a
lot in the coming races. The race was won by Swiss rider Ariane Luthi
with Yolande Speede in 2nd and Ischen Stopforth rounding off the
podium in 3rd place.

My next event will be Barberton, hope to see you all there...