Sunday 1 February 2015 saw the first round of the Inter School Eliminator Series hosted by Hoérskool Stellenbosch. Riders, parents and spectators were greeted by the picturesque town of Stellenbosch with perfect weather conditions setting the tone for the action to come.
There was a fantastic turnout with 21 schools from around the province entering into the event, the boys from Paul Roos Gymnasium arrived in dominant force making their intensions clear that they want to win the Overall Schools trophy as well as the R10 000 in Enjoy Fitness cycling kit and Rayne Cam. There were plenty nerves building up to the start of the racing as for many of the riders this was their first time racing in this format. Hoérskool Stellenbosch offered a fantastic course which had ample overtaking opportunities, long fast straights, tight corners and even a set of stairs which didn’t phase any of the riders even our youngest AJ Oelofse (PSS Paarl) at nine years old.
From the first heat, racing was electric – riders stamping on their pedals and flying around the course as onlookers screeched in encouragement to drive them to the finish line. The talent that was shown was mind blowing as heat after heat riders grit their teeth and seemed to find more and more speed, even the lonely rose amongst the thorns Chloe Parker(Rustenberg Girls High) kept the boys on their toes as she advanced through the heats. At the business end of the event all the riders had one goal – getting over that finish line first to walk away with the lions share of the prizes supplied by our fantastic sponsors: Trek Bikes, Fox Racing, Enjoy Fitness, Rayne Cam, Skullcandy and Ogio, Olympic Cycles bike shop supported the event as well as Chris Nixon Cycling Academy.
For the minute size of the u/14 riders their determination stood out like a giant! The finals was a closely contested affair as the four riders fought their way around the course, but it was in the last 100m that the strength of Luke Moir (SACS) shone as he pulled away from the three Paul Roos Gymnasium team mates to cross the line victorious.
- Luke Moir (SACS)
- Franco Pretorius (Paul Roos Gymnasium)
- Jamie Penfold (Paul Roos Gymnasium)
- Andrew Wyatt (Paul Roos Gymnasium)
The u/16 final offered up the closest contested heat of the day as all four riders came to the finish line wheel to wheel. It was last years overall winner Joshua De Freitas (Paarl Vallei) who put down the hammer in the last few meters to pull ahead, taking the win and 1000 points on offer to successfully get his title defense off to a great start. The racing in the final was so close in fact that it offered up the only spill of the event, in the sprint for the finish Jean Louis Strydom (Hoérskool Stellenbosch) and Johann Trotzky (Montana High) connected handlebars and tumbled over the line!
- Joshua De Freitas (Paarl Vallei)
- Neil Oliver (Paul Roos Gymnasium)
- Jean Louis Strydom (Hoérskool Stellenbosch)
- Johann Trotzky (Montana High)
The power houses that were the u/19 boys put on a clinical display of speed whilst clocking some mind boggling times around the course. Carrying momentum from his victory at the MTN National on Saturday, Matt Lombardi (Paul Roos Gymnasium) blazed the field to claim two victories from two days ahead of the the trailing field.
- Matt Lombardi (Paul Roos Gymnasium)
- Morne Hollander (Hoérskool DF Malan)
- Jarrod van den Heever (Paarl Boys High)
- Matthew Keyser (Paarl Vallei)
Entries for Round two this Sunday 8 February hosted by Herzlia High School, Vredehoek are now open and can be done online here.
