Momentum 94.7 Mountain Bike Challenge

The Momentum 94.7 Road and Mountain Bike Races mark the end of the South African racing season.  Being a final event on the calendar adds an interesting aspect to race tactics on the day as you don’t know what to expect from fellow competitors. Some riders might be long overdue for a break, while for others it might be their last opportunity to get a good result in order to secure a contract for 2013.

The Momentum 94.7 Mountain Bike Challenge was held at the impressive Waterfall Country Estate in Sunninghill, Gauteng. The increasing popularity of mountain biking has forced race organisers to offer two route options (30km and 55km), instead of the previous year’s one route option (45km). This meant the race could accommodate varying levels of skill and fitness making it much more doable. 

The 55km route included a total of 1069 m of ascent, making for quite a challenge as the route wound through the Leeukop Prison and on the trails surrounding Waterfall Estate.

My teammate Nicci and I took the lead early on in the race and worked together to open a gap to the other competitors. About 20km into the race, we reached a river crossing which was immediately followed by a long uphill drag. Once on top I noticed that the group Nicci and I were with before the river crossing was reduced to only me and one other rider.

We rode at a fast pace, steadily catching up to other riders who had started a bit too quick. This meant the group changed constantly as some riders got picked up and others got left behind. I ignored the changing group dynamics, and focused instead on my own riding until I crossed the finish line in a time of 2h:25min. Nicci was lying in 2^nd place for most of the race but unfortunately had a flat tyre which saw her moving out of the podium placings.

I am very happy to finish the mountain biking season on a high note by winning the Momentum 94.7 Mountain Bike Challenge. This coming weekend the team will be taking part in the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge road race. My last time competing in a road race was at the Knysna Oyster Festival in July, 2011. Hope it’s not too late to start working on my bunch riding skills J