Reid, De Groot claim SA mountain bike marathon champ titles

Cycling South Africa has crowned the 2013 Mountain bike marathon national champions in perfect Lowveld winter weather conditions at Induna Adventures in Hazyview, Mpumalanga on Saturday.

National championship titles were up for grabs across all the age categories, for the main elite event, as well as for the junior, youth, sub veteran, veteran, masters and grand masters events. All categories cycled on the same route, although the distances were altered to provide the correct race route for the various categories.

The elite men and women were required to race over distances of 112 kilometres and 73km respectively. The classy, talented fields built momentous anticipation for their followers and families, as there were a host of potential winners at any point during the race. The winner being decided right at the end.

A tactical race ensued for the men, which saw the lead group change on several occasions. Max Knox (Specialized), Lourens Luus (Team RE:CM) and Kevin Evans (FedGroup-Itec) were leading for most of the first loop of approximately 40km, but they were reeled in by the determined chasing group.

The top names of Waylon Woolcock and Erik Kleinhans (both Team RE:CM), Brandon Stewart and Neil Macdonald (both FedGroup-Itec), Darren Lill (Cannondale Blend), Philip Buys (Scott), Nico Bell and Gawie Combrinck (both Team Westvaal Columbia) and James Reid (sponsored by Trek and Craft) all regrouped with Knox, Luus and Evans.

By the time they reached the second technical zone situated at 74km, Luus, Knox, Lill, Reid, Bell, Evans, Stewart and Buys were working hard at the front and had managed to place a significant space between themselves and the splintered chasing pack.

Coming into the final kilometres of the 112km race, Evans, Bell and Reid were out in front, and it was under-23 cross-country racer James Reid who managed to secure the victory for the SA Marathon Championship title in a time of 4 hours 40 minutes and 36 seconds. Nico Bell finished in second place (04:41:08) with Kevin Evans third (04:41:41).

London Olympic road cyclist Robyn de Groot, who has recently turned to mountain biking, won the elite women’s 73km race. De Groot put on a solid performance to take the victory in 3 hours 33 minutes and 56 seconds. Local Lowveld rider Samantha Sanders (Valencia) crossed the line in second place (03:38:25) with cross-country Olympian Candice Neethling (BMC-SA) rounding out the podium less than a minute behind (03:38:57).

Summary of Results – 2013 SA National MTB Marathon Championships

Download the full results on our dedicated SA XCM Champs web page here:http://www.cyclingsa…x?uid=20&fid=15

Elite Men: Ultra marathon 112km (EM)

1. James Reid 04:40:36
    
2. Nico Bell 04:41:08
    
3. Kevin Evans 04:41:41
    
4. Darren Lill 04:42:34
    
5. Max Knox 04:43:11

Elite Women: Marathon 73km (EW)

1. Robyn de Groot 03:33:56
    
2. Samantha Sanders 03:38:25
    
3. Candice Neethling 03:38:57

Sub Veteran Men (30-39 years) 73km (SVL)

1. Jan Withaar 03:12:26
    
2. Hennie Kriek 03:16:11
    
3. Brand du Plessis 03:17:11

Sub Veteran Women (30-39 years) 73km (SXL)

1. Laura Herd 04:20:41
    
2. Nadine Klopper 04:22:15
    
3. Dorothy Rood 05:12:22

Veteran Men (40-49 years) 73km (VML)

1. Andrew Mclean 03:17:17
    
2. Johan Labuschagne 03:26:37
    
3. Warren Squires 03:27:09

Veteran Women (40-49 years) 73km (VWL)

1. Cindy Rebello 04:17:04
    
2. Wendy Dippenaar 04:35:49
    
3. Vanessa Record 05:55:33

Master Men (50-59 years) 73km (MML)

1. Chris Brand 03:33:02
    
2. Charles Nienaber 03:40:17
    
3. Tim James 03:43:39

Youth Men (15-16 years) 36km (YM)

1. Julian Jessop 01:29:05
    
2. Franco Pelser 01:33:17
    
3. Thomas Jessop 01:35:48

Youth Women (15-16 years) 36km (YW)

1. Genevieve van Coller 01:45:16
    
2. Ame Venter 02:03:25
    
3. Mandie Swart 02:12:10

Junior Men (17-18 years) 36km (JM)

1. Dylan Rebello 01:27:16
    
2. Frans Grotepass 01:29:06
    
3. Carlo Marzoppi 01:29:12

Junior Women (17-18 years) 36km (JW)

1. Jessica Alcock 01:57:21
    
2. Danielle Rheeder 01:59:01
    
3. Kirsten Gillespie 02:00:55

Master Women (50-59 years) 36km (MWM)

1. Pauline Cound 01:58:50
    
2. Elizabeth Delport 02:05:52
    
3. Heidi de Bruin 02:16:26

Grand Master Men (Age 60+) 36km (GMM)

1. Peter Barber 01:37:45
    
2. Jean Hubert 01:50:14
    
3. Gerry de Boer 01:59:11