SA Championship Race Report: 01 June 2013 With great excitement we unleashed the mountain bike riders from all over South Africa this past weekend, on the course to determine the cream of the crop in South African mountain biking talent. Induna Adventures in Hazyview Mpumalanga played host to the South African Mountain bike championship 2013 in perfect Lowveld winter weather conditions. Although Riders from all age categories had the chance to measure themselves against the best, some riders were just here to soak in the festive atmosphere and find out why the sport, mountain biking is on everybody’s lips. Induna Adventures and Hazyview offer some of the best and beautiful riding terrain for the sport. If it is not the spectacular waterfalls, the endless peaceful river scenery, the river crossings or the 100% authentic Hippo single tracks; or maybe the fast and flowing dual track quad trails through untouched indigenous bush, then the answer is still out there to find. With all the best riders on the line, the racing was as expected, red hot! 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 for the men, 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 (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). The rest of the SA championship age categories were also fiercely battled as the best of the best came out to compete against their peers. While these guys were cooking up a storm the majority of the riders were just living the life to the fullest while having the best time ever on their bikes. This annual First Ascent Big Induna mountain bike race will be back next year around the same time to give all South Africans a life changing experience.
