HP Urban Rage- Presented by Jeep Apparel

On Sunday, 7th of December, we all climbed in our cars and made the trek down to uShaka Marine World, for the first ever HP Urban Rage in South Africa. We pulled into the gates of uShaka around 9:00am.

The amount of organization that had gone into the event was immense and I take my hat off to everyone who was involved in the making of such a memorable event.

Racing for me, started with the Cool Cats (teams of 2), with Darren Goddard and myself in a team. Unfortunately the race did not go very well as I suffered mechanicals with my bike, and took one MEGA bail. In the end we ended up just having a really fun ride.

My second event was the Alley Cats (Individual Race), and I was really super amped to try make it into the Final (Super Cats). I gave it my absolute all and raced as hard as I could. I chased down Candice Neethling, who had started at a one minute interval before me. I managed to catch her in the last 300m and pushed her as hard as we she could go. I unfortunately just missed out on the final, which was a real bummer.

The obstacles were really fun and got more difficult the harder you pushed yourself. The combination of drop offs, see-saws, floating bridges, wooden ramps and berms made this event one of the best, and one of the most well organized events I have ever been to.

Well Done to Phillip Buys and Candice Neethling on their wins.

This event must have taken a huge amount of work and perseverance and I was extremely impressed with how the entire event planned out. Congratulations to all the people who made the event such a fun and exciting one.

Team Jeep Weekend 14-16 November

Cumberland Nature Reserve were the hosts for the 2008 Team Jeep Weekend. The weekend began with the arrival of most of the team athletes on Friday, 14th November. We chilled and just had a good time on Friday night, catching up with some of the athletes who were rarely seen in KZN.

On Saturday morning most of us went for an early ride before breakfast and the team building exercises. We got back to the accommodation after the chilled ride and went to chill by the pool.

We were guided down to the team building area by the instructors. We were Split into 3 groups, and we were to tackle the the obstacle courses in the fastest time. The exercises consisted of 2 obstacle courses and 2 different exercise to build our trust in other team member-"trust fall"
Saturday night saw the commencement of the potjie competition between the 3 teams. Our team honestly had no clue as to what to do, we even had I.T. God - Dave Miller- looking up some recipes and in the end we just threw all the ingredients into the pot and let it cook, and to our surprise it turned out pretty well... but we lost to the "Baboons."

Sunday morning was ours to do as we wanted. We tucked into a good breakfast and after some team discussions with team management, Craig Paul and I left and rode back to Hilton.

The weekend was really cool and it was awesome to meet up with team members that we do not see very often. A big thanks to Max, Clint and Kita for a great weekend away.

Hill 2 Hill - 21 September 2008

A very early morning, had us leaving for the 2008 Hill 2 Hill. We arrived the start of the half marathon just after 5:00 a.m. with the race starting at 6:00 a.m. the weather was completely miserable, which I was very happy about. It rained continuously until about 5 minute before the start of our race.

I went hard from the start and managed to get a good gap on the guys. Travis Walker then rode across to me and we began to work together. About 5km in a marshal sent us in the wrong direction and we rode 2km in the wrong direction. I noticed this and shouted it to the bunch I was in. some of them did not hear me and continued riding. I turned around with Travis, and we faught our way back up the field. At the crossing over the Free Way Travis and I were back in the lead and had a very comfortable gap. We continued working together. We approached the first KOM (king of the mountains) and Travis put the hammer down. I later on caught him again, and resumed our “team work.” As we approached the 2nd KOM I broke away and managed to win it. In doing so in doing so I had also managed to get a gap over Travis. But then more disaster was to come. I again came to a marshal who sent me in the wrong direction, down a very long hill, I got to the bottom to notice that there were no more markings. I turned around to see Travis shouting to me. I sprinted up the long climb, and I was now in 2nd position. Bryce Munro, Adriaan Louw, and Jedson Tooms had not caught up yet.

I was furious. And gave chase as hard as I could, I had been preparing for the long flat road into the finish, but as I reached the cane depot, I noticed a monster of a climb to the left. I tried to hold my pace, but slowly began losing my legs. Bryce caught me with about 2km to go, and Adriaan caught me at the 1km to go sign.

The course was phenomenal, it was just a pitty that the marshals were not on form. Well done to Kim Phillips and the team for an awesome course, and the sponsors, Jeep Apparel, and Sunday Tribune for an awesome event.

Lynford Super Classic 14 September 2008

A very early morning saw us to the Lynford School, just outside Ixopo. Having left home at 5:00 a.m. we arrived there, still half asleep. As we stepped out the car, I could already feel the heat and knew that there was going to be an extremely hot.

Again the turn out for this super classic was immense and had a pool of top riders, Brandon Stewart, Pete Smith, Roan Exelby and Jedson Tooms, along with many more. The racing was started with the traditional shooting of a bottle of milk, and from the start the attacks started. As we turned onto the climb Jedson attacked. Brandon charged through the pack and took control of the race shortly after. I hung on as long as possible but had to drop off before the crest of the climb. I was sitting 10th overall and trailing quite badly from the chase bunch.

I gave chase as hard as possible and I eventually worked my way back up to 7th, passing Tim Stark and Daniel Paul. I continued chasing as hard as possible and I managed to eventually drop Daniel. Going into the second loop of about 10km, I was beginning to close down the Gap on Travis Walker. But in turn Daniel’s sheer power seriously closed the gap on me on the open sections. He caught me on the last big climb and dropped me, but I was still closing down on Travis. With about 2km to go I could seem him in the distance. I went hammer to the wall to try close the gap but it was too late in the race. I managed to pull off an 8th overall and 2nd Youth male.

The course was fantastic, as always. Hats off to “Farmer” Glen Haw and the course setters. The venue was awesome and the atmosphere was great, which made for an awesome days racing.

Harburg Tour de Krantz Super Classic 16 August 2008

The 2008 Tour De Krantz was a bit chilly but a lot warmer than the previous races. With an hour or so to go Rourke Croeser and I went to warm up, we noticed all the top riders were here and knew it wasn’t going to be an extremely difficult race.

On the start we were all lined up together. And as the whistle went it was a full on sprint. I managed to get into a group with Rourke Croeser, Brandon Stewart, Craig Paul, Jedson Tooms, Pete Smith and Travis Walker. On the first small climb I could not hang onto the pace and I dropped off. I still maintained a pace fast enough to maintain my position on the road.

After I had recovered I caught Craig Paul who was suffering from flu, and we began to work together. The course began to get really difficult, and we hit some brutal climbs. Daniel Paul caught us and Daniel Paul and I broke away and started working together to catch the group ahead of us.

I began to chase as hard as I could but Jedson and Travis were too far ahead and I could not close the gap in the end. Eventually Daniel broke away from me and I just couldn’t go any harder.

It was definitely not one of my best races of the year as I did not feel very strong, but it was one of my favorite courses so far.

The course was awesome and the climbs were really difficult. There was some good single track, and some awesome views from what I had a glance at. Well done to the organizers who put in a very big effort to make it an enjoyable race!

Cowan House Super Classic 10 August 2008

The 2008 Cowan House Super Classic saw their most entries ever, along with many of the top riders being there. The Cowan House is one of the favourites among most riders, with its variety of single tracks, and really tough climbs makes for some awesome racing.

This year Cowan House greeted everyone with some nice warm sun, nevertheless it was still very cold, but at least the sun was out. The classic was heard to be thee toughest it has been in years, and all the top riders were there, Brandon Stuart, Craig Paul, Rourke Croeser, and Pete Smith. The race was off at 09:10 and the racing stated from the word go. I had a good start and was situated at about 7th overall. The pace lifted and Jedson and I began to work together and we soon found ourselves going really hard to try and reel back Trav Walker and Andrew Hill.

By the time we had reached K.O.M (King Of The Mountains) we had noticed David Louw and Gary flint were closing on us. Jedson upped the pace considerably and we manage to open up the gap. Luckily I managed to enter the single track first and I went as hard as I could, but Jedson would catch up on the open roads. Eventually we caught Andrew Hill who had taken a wrong turn, but it did not last long as Andrew and Jedson opened up a gap and I chased as hard as I could to close down. Their sheer power was too great on the open roads , but I was able to close on them in the single track, unfortunately not enough. On the last climb I went as hard as could and closed the gap down to 4 seconds between Jedson and I by the finish. In the end I had to settle for a 8th overall and 2nd youth.

The course was absolutely grueling, but it is one of my favourite courses out of the super classics I have done this year. The climbs were really brutal, the single track was fantastic and the all round organization was brilliant. Well done to everyone who made the event possible.

Illovo Eston MTB Half Marathon- Saturday 26 July 2008

Saturday saw us to the Eston club for the Illovo Eston Marathon and Half Marathon. This race has grown from 180 riders, to the biggest one day mountain bike race in the country. The weather was extremely cold in the morning, but still sunny, typical winter weather.

The line up for the 40km Half Marathon was a fierce one, all the guys were here, Tim Stark, Travis Walker, Jedson Tooms and James Reid, along with two Elite, House of Paint roadies. Our start was off at 08:30, and the start was fast from the word go. There was a big bunch of us until the KOM (king of the mountains) came. From there it broke up into a pack consisting of Travis, Tim, Jedson, James and myself, with Tim coming out with the KOM victory. After that the pace grew really fast and Tim began feeling sick, after really putting in a really big effort earlier. It was now the three maverick riders and I. Upon the next climb, Wattle Hill, I struck a huge “unlucky” rock and punctured. I stopped to bomb it and there was no chance left for me to get to the leading pack by myself again. After that incident I chased really hard and the two elite riders from House of Paint caught up to me. We worked together trying to catch the leading pack, and it started to pay off, as we were closing on them. Eventually the one broke away, leaving myself and his team mate.

Just after the first water table I managed to drop the one roadie and began to close on his team mate which I caught and passed in the single track. I now had my sights set on the leading bunch, but was caught in no man’s land on my own. Their gap was just too big and the three of them worked phenomenally well together. I ended up settling for 4th overall in a time of 1hr 40 and 3rd youth for the day.

Well done to James who had an exceptional ride and took the honors, Travis in second and Jedson in third. Another big thanks to the organizers who made the course and venue such an awesome experience. The course was really cool, with one or two tough climbs and some awesome single-track.

Kwa-Ximba Super Classic - 22 June 2008

A very cold morning greeted us at the isolated Kwa-Ximba Mtb Super Classic at the end of a 4 x 4 track that took for ever to get down. The race was situated just outside Camperdown in literally what seemed to be the Valley of 1000 Hills. The race was scheduled to start at 08:00 am, so we left our place bright and early to get to the registration. Due to the number of people still coming in at 07:50 the start of race was delayed by 30 minutes.

The race started at 08:30 and was quite a relaxed start. But half way up the first climb the pace opened up, a break away of about 7 or 8 guys were in front, luckily I managed to go with them. A little further up the climb Pete Smith, Jedson Tooms, Chris Wolhuter and I had been dropped, along with Dave Louw and Gary Flint. Chris, Pete, Jedson and I formed the chasing bunch and we began to work well together. We came to the first single track section and Pete picked up the pace but I managed to go with him and we managed to get a small gap, but Jedson and Chris closed it down just after we exited the single track.
Directly after that Jedson put in an attack on a steep climb and I decided to go with him as he is a strong climber. We worked really well together and pushed the pace up a bit breaking away from Pete and Chris.

We eventually came past some members of the front bunch when Andrew Hill punctured at about ±19km mark and we got an indication from him that the front bunch was not that far ahead of us
The toughest and steepest climb of the day came, and I noticed Pete had really upped the pace, as he was closing on us. About half way up he caught us and really put down the hammer. I again found myself to be with him, and noticed both Jedson and Chris could not hang on to the pace and I wondered how long I could go with him but was eventually dropped after about 5 minutes.

I then lost touch of Pete and upon entering a single track, a pack of hunting dogs forced me to stop while they were crossing the road. I was really worried that they would chase me, so I stayed where I was until their handlers came to the rescue. Now being really frustrated I gave it my all and I then ended taking a wrong turn, but soon realized my mistake and only lost about a minute. Approaching the river crossings I saw Pete on the far side, and I tried to push and really catch him, but I was unable to close the gap.

A couple of kilometers later Carl Calverly and Dave Louw caught me again. As Carl caught me he put down the pace and I once again found myself in a small break away. Suddenly, Nico, Team Jeep, came past us, (he had been leading the race) he had obviously also taken a wrong turn and was going like the clappers. Eventually with about 5km to go Carl broke away and I had to settle with a 6th overall, and 2nd in the youth category finishing in a time of 2hr14mins.

The Race is by far the most difficult race I have EVER done, 7 absolutely grueling climbs. One climb was 8km on it’s own and the course was also extremely steep and grassy. The course was very cool, but extremely difficult for a 50km.

Hazy view - Induna Drifter - 14 June 2008

Craig Paul, Willie Brink, my dad and I all traveled up to Hazy view, for the 3rd round of the Drifter series. We left late on Thursday evening and drove into our accommodation the next morning at around 08h00.

Craig, Willie and I got dressed and went for a ride to registration, while my dad drove. On our journey to the registration, Willie wanted to ride some single track that was in the race on Saturday. We eventually came to the Main tar road. We then ended up riding up and down to try find the single track. Eventually we came across it. After registration I caught a lift back to the accommodation with my dad as Craig and Willie wanted to do some more riding. I got back to the accommodation cleaned my bike and chilled the rest of the day.

Saturday came and I got up and started to get ready. Craig and Willie left a bit earlier for their race was earlier. I decided to ride to the venue as part of my warm up. It was absolutely freezing riding to the venue but I managed to find a nice warm sunny spot.

I went to the start at about 08:30, luckily from my good result at the last drifter I was seeded and went to the front. The start was off at just before nine o’clock. The first 1km or 2km was a neutral zone. But as the lead vehicle pulled off the racing went really hard, and straight into the first climb which was a real killer. Bryce Munro (riding in the colours of his new sponsor DCM-Chrome) went to the front and I tried to go with him. From sitting on the start for so long my muscles were cold and did not respond properly. But after about 1km my legs kicked in and I worked my way back to 2nd with James Gerber and his team mate just behind. On the second climb James fell and I managed to break away. I chased Bryce as hard as possible. 10km or so from the finish James and His team mate made contact with me again and they began attacking, with the elite team member pulling James along all the time. I tried to hang on but attack after attack they eventually wore me down and they opened a gap in the last 2km. In the end the gap separating 2nd and 4th place was 30seconds, with Bryce Munroe taking the win some 3:00minutes ahead.

Willie, Craig and I all chilled the rest of the day and recovered from a hard day in the saddle

The course was really awesome, a lot of technical stuff, some awesome river crossings and we even had a river ride (we actually rode in the river). The event was really well organized with MTN putting in huge backing. Well done to Theo and his crew.

That night we all went out for pizza and had a good time. We then packed up and left again at 0945pm to travel back… what a hectic Weekend!!!

Howick Super Classic - 8 June 2008

A very VERY cold morning saw us to the Howick High School. The weather was to my liking, cold and really wet. Although the weather was really bum, there was still a considerable amount of entries, close on 300!

The Classic was off at 09:00 sharp. The first kilometer or so was a neutral zone, just until we crossed over the main road. As the lead vehicle pulled over, the racing began. Straight into the course and the first climb started. At the top of the climb I had managed to settle into 7th position, in a pack with Carl Calverley, Jedson Tooms and Dave Louw just behind us. I entered the first single track right behind Jedson, but on the other side Carl was nowhere to be seen (he must have suffered a mechanical). It was now Jedson, myself and Dave. But on the second climb of the day Jedson broke away leaving Dave and I to chase.

Dave and I gave chase until we eventually managed to catch Jedson on the biggest and longest climb of the race. Jedson, having had to stop for mechanicals, had caused his muscles to get cold, leaving us to close the gap on him. By the top of the climb Dave had opened up a gap on me. We had managed to drop Jedson further down the mountain.

We entered into “Gums” one of my favourite single-tracks, but it had become really bad with all the rain. I went as fast as the single track would let me, I came off hard in the one section but managed to regain focus and keep chasing Dave.

Approaching the finish came another of my favourite single tracks, and I again pushed as hard as the conditions would let me. As I hit the tar road I sprinted to keep the gap I had on the guys behind me and to try close on Dave.

I crossed the line in 7th overall, 1st in age (youth). I really enjoyed the course, one of my favorite of the year. Well-done to the guys who have put so much time and effort into this race!!!

Mtunzini Super Classic 25 May 2008

An extremely early and chilly morning, 5:30! Saw us leaving our house to make the 2hour trek down to Mtinzini. The trip in total went very quick for me as I managed to sleep some of the way.

We arrived at the venue and it was a completely different type of weather. It had already become really humid and hot, and it was only a little after 7:30!!! My race was only off at 9:00 so I decided to just chill. This was my first race over 45km and I knew it was going to be tough, a whole 57 kilometers!!! I learnt my lesson from Karkloof and decided to take 2 bottles f juice on the bike. The time came to warm up, so Jedson Tooms and I went out to check the start loop and as we arrived back at the start it was a mad dash to try get onto the front row, for we were a little late.

At 9:00 sharp we were off, and it seemed to be a neutral zone for the first 2 or so kilometers. As we hit the dirt the pace jumped greatly, as Rourke Croeser, and Sean Merridew took to the front. It was a bunch of 5 or 6 of us, but at the first climb Rourke, Andrew Warr, Andrew Hill, and Sean broke away. Carl Calvarly, Jedson Tooms and I all gave chase but we eventually settled into a good pace and sat at it. After the first big climb we were a couple of a hundred meters ahead of the next guys. We put in some attacks to give us a bit of a cushion.

We all really worked well together taking turns to do some work in the front. But towards the end Carl had a powerful surge and broke away. It was just myself and Jedson now. Another 10-20minutes after that, I managed to get away from Jedson, but he managed to close the gap again.
Coming up to the finish a big pack was coming towards us. It was a pack of about 4 or 5 riders. I knew then I had to start to up the pace. I went as hard as I could for the last 2km and came out of the bush onto the last 200mtar section in 5th place overall, but the big guys managed to catch and out sprint me, which gave me a 10th overall and 1st in youth category.

I was very pleased with result. It was a long race distance wise but we had covered the 57km in a shade over 2hrs which showed the pace was rather quick. The sandy sections and short sharp climbs made for a very interesting experience.

Well-done to the organizers who did a good job with the marking.

Nelspruit XC National - 17 May 2008

After arriving on Thursday morning we decided to go check out the course.
The national was to be held at the newly established Mankele Bike Park, just outside Nelspruit and very close to the Sudwala caves. We pulled in at the gates, and from what we could see the area looked VERY hilly. But the venue looked really awesome and I was super keen to hit the track. I took to the course and had not even completed a lap before I managed to puncture my back tyre.

On Friday we were again at the track, checking out lines and making last minute checks on the bike. While riding I kept checking out my back tyre and soon realized I needed a new one as my tyre kept going flat. Fortunately my dad had phoned friends in Pretoria and a tyre and a bottle of Stan’s was on the way. After practice I cleaned my bike and then we decided to visit the Sudwala caves. It was really cool and thereafter we all headed out to Graskop for some seriously good pancakes.

On Saturday I was able to lie in as my race was only at 13:30, the last race of the day. During the course of the day I took it really easy. Taking in a lot of fluid and staying chilled. We decided to leave the house a bit earlier to go and support some of the races before mine. The day seemed to take forever and eventually my race came.

I was seeded 8th after having a DNF in Pretoria. I still managed to sneak into the front row, next to Travis Walker. The start was really fast, and went into a really tight first corner. I was the second rider to the corner but having the outside line, I had to scrub off a ton off speed to make the corner, and I lost a couple of places, but then jumped into a good position in the pack.
On the first lap I managed to work my way up the pack into the top three, but then disaster struck. I came into a really rough section way too fast, and managed to crack or strip the bolts in my head set. This caused my bars to swing down, and I flung over the handle bars. I recovered from the fall and raced as hard as I could to the feed zone where Johann Wykerd and my dad assisted by re fastening the bars. It was during this time that I l slipped further down the standings and by the time I got going again, I had dropped to 6th position.

I then went as hard as I could to close the gap and managed to catch Luke Roberts (5th). But soon after catching him my bars came loose again and I slowed right down to retighten them. This caused me to lose a huge amount of time. For my final two laps I got over it and went balls to the wall only stopping to tighten my bars when I absolutely had to. I took huge chances in the very technical single tracks, but could only slightly close the gap, despite all the stopping. I still managed to secure a 6th position.
I was very disappointed with my result as I really wanted to do well and I felt really strong, right to the finish, but you can’t always have a good race I guess:-)

That evening we all had a braai at the venue, watched the 4 cross racing and finished off the evening with a live performance by Prime Circle playing the concert, it was AWESOME!!!

In all the course was really awesome, I loved it, it was really technical and had some good climbing. I rate the course as one of the best the XC circuit has to offer.
Well-done to the guys who put in such a huge effort. Look forward to the next race up that side- Hazyview!!!

Karkloof MTB Festival 10 & 11 May 2008

XC: Saturday:

Saturday saw the second race of the festival, the XC (cross Country) and this also doubled up as the final race in the KZN XC cup series. The racing for this race was a little different from the previous XC’s as you had to race in your age group not in your chosen batch. This placed me in the C batch and my race was off at 9:30 am.

The start was off on time. As we took off Travis Walker came to the front and sat in front off me. I sat behind him and let him pull for quite a while we opened a gap on the rest of the field and we sat with each other until we caught up to the back markers of the previous batches.

Travis managed to squeeze through a couple of gaps and broke away. I waited until I could find a gap in the single track and I took every chance after that to try catching him again.

I pushed hard every lap and felt that my times were consistent but the gap between Travis and I continued to increase slightly each lap. I still went as hard as I could and I managed to get into a group of the faster elite riders and let them pull me, which enabled me to conserve some energy.

In the end I could not close the gap enough, but I still managed to grab 2nd overall in the Youth championship, 2nd in batch and 2nd in age group. I was really happy with my result as I had achieved one of my goals for my first year as a youth rider.

The course was really awesome, one of the best XC course I have ridden, great single track, slippery river crossings and a tough rock garden/river crossing. Well done to every one who put a great amount of work into the course!



45km Half Marathon:

Over the last two days the Karkloof had seen the Friday night race, the XC and the Dash for Cash. Today was the final races, the 75km Marathon and the 45km half marathon.

I had a game plan for the race and was really eager to get started at 09h00. The start was very fast and I was really surprised that no one came with me as I soon found myself out in front on my own as I had put in attack very early effort to draw out the faster riders in my batch so that we would have a clear run at the course and hopefully a good race on the day.

I then decided to settle into a comfortable pace and soon had Travis and another rider with me, but we still had a long way to go. The first big climb of the day drew close and both Travis and I put in an attack in order to drop the other rider.

I sat on the front of the break away for most of the race with Travis just sitting on my wheel and not really helping to work to stay ahead of a hard charging Jedson Tooms.

Then at about 30km or so into the race, my juice bottle was empty and I knew I had made a big mistake by only taking 1 bottle for the race!
I knew had to go with Trav for as long as possible, but I could feel myself needing some energy. He opened a small gap on me on the bottom of the KOM (king of the mountains) I gave chase but slowly began running out of energy.

A little while after this, Jedson caught me and I gave chase as long as I could, but I had completely blown all my energy.

With only 8km to go I blew completely and could only try and stay on the bike and nurse my body to the finish.
I definitely learnt from my costly mistake!!!

Well-done to the organizers once again, the course was a lot tougher than last year, but was absolutely awesome.
A big thank you to Andrew Nicholson, Barry Hullett, Bruce Mackenzie and Rene Stubbs for all their hard work in putting this great event together. It was really awesome! Thanks loads!!!

Forest to Falls Half Marathon 03 May 2008

We left early on Thursday morning, on our way to the “thriving metropolis” of Graskop. The road trip wasn’t too bad, Meg driving, Craig watching DVD’s, Pete studying and myself, playing play station. We arrived in the tiny town of Graskop around 14:30. We found our accommodation and managed to settle in just before the miserable weather set in.

The next morning was cold and wet, and so we decided to hit the pancake house for some breakfast and some hot coffee!!! We then took a tour around the minute town, walking in and about all the curio shops that are placed every where among the town. Later Craig, Pete and I went for a ride to Pilgrim’s Rest, a small town/village some 30 odd km’s away. The weather up the climb of the pass was really snotty, the rain was drizzling the whole time, we then crested the climb and had what felt like a 10km dry run almost the entire way down, it was really awesome!!!

Our day ended with us attending another pancake house just across the road from the other one (This was the 2nd pancake house out of the 4 we knew about).

On Saturday came the race, we were up reasonably early, with the marathon off at 8am and my race (35km half marathon) off at 8:20 am. I warmed up with Craig and the guys, and then went to the seeding area, after the marathon had gone we lined up, I was on the front row, I sat nervously on the start. We started on time and had a very long neutral zone, but after the lead car pulled off the racing started.

After a km or so there was a group of 7, Bryce Munro was setting the pace, myself, Jac-Johann Steyn and Arno du Toit sat at the back and in the middle of the pack, trying not to use too much of our energy too early in the race. Soon Bryce, myself and another guy were all together, but at the top of the ‘King of the Mountains’ I couldn’t hold on and I began riding with Arno and Jac, who were working very well together and closed up to me. From here on the three of us worked very well together and about 10km from the finish I started attacking, as I knew both Jac and Arnot both had a better sprint than me.

I got away but they worked together and closed up every time. A couple of kilometers down the road, one of the slower marathon riders that we were passing fell in front of us and I got caught up in the fall while Jac and Arnot seemed to come away relatively unscathed and they saw the opportunity and took off, leaving me to play catch up.

I chased really hard for about 3 km’s and managed to catch both of them again after putting in a really big effort. With about 3km to go they put another attack leaving me to try and chase them down again after having just played catch up and could feel the body starting to talk back and was really feeling the pace, but I still pushed myself to the limit, as we crested into the finish holding as long as I could but was still beaten to the line by a second or two.

I was really happy with my result, being my first major half marathon, against a field of seasoned competitors who have been doing this for a while.

The organization gone into this event was really awesome, the course was really cool but hard.

I would just like to say thanks to Craig, Meg and Pete. You guys are awesome. Thanks for the great weekend!!!

Lastly a big thank you to Dellah Paul, who also made it possible for me to attend.

Juicy Luicy Classic - 27 April 2008

An extremely cold and early morning saw us to the first ever Juicy Luicy Classic. Situated in Mid Illovo surrounded by HILLS and sugar cane. The organization looked very well-done, and the conditions were looking to be set for an awesome days racing. Surprisingly some of the top racers were there, Dave Lieman, Andrew Warr, Jedson Tooms and Carl Calvarly.

Racing was off at 9:00am. A neutral zone for the first couple of hundred meters, had the field get really anxious to race. As the lead bike pulled off the racing began. Jedson was the first to put down the hammer followed by David Lieman and Andrew Warr. Carl and myself caught up and soon were in a pack with Bruce Hughes, Jedson, Carl and myself, with Dave and Andrew ahead. A couple of kilometers down the road I put in a big attack, in an attempt to catch Dave as I was keen to try and race with him and also try to learn from him at the same time..

I slowly began to close the gap and was soon in third place with Dave only metres ahead of m, but I ended up taking the wrong route through the river and lost all the time I had gained. The chasing pack then caught me on the other side of the river and I decided to settled down and try a break a little later once I had been able to assess the other riders after some distance.

Carl, Jedson and I now were in a pack taking up third , fourth and fifth place respectively and were really working well together. We were really pushing the pace, and we received news from the camera crew that we were closing on Dave Lieman again, which really got the motivation going again
But just after that tragedy struck, whilst descending before the water point really fast, in an effort to close down Jedson and Karl who were about 20 meters in front after a small break away, I hit a huge rock and flattened my tire completely. I stopped and bombed it and was going again soon after, but my stop had allowed them to break away and I decided to really give it everything again in an attempt to try and catch them, but in doing so I blew and just had to maintain my pace and ride to finish in fifth place overall and 1st youth rider. I would just like to give a major thanks to Carl and Jedson for the fantastic ride and Johann Wykerd for his assistance with my bike before the start of the race

The course was Extremely tough, very nasty hills, but very well organized, great first impression guys… well done!

Energizer Night Relay 25 April 2008

The 4th Energizer night relay was again held at the awesome grounds of Hilton College, with the sun setting the back drop was awesome, and it was going to be an awesome night for racing!

Candice Neethling (a fellow team mate) and I had joined together for the mixed relay. The racing started as it became dark, Candice did the first lap, and came in relatively near the front after a great first lap. When she came in she tagged me and I sprinted off into the dark, pushing as hard as I could. Maybe I went a little too hard, my light on my handle bars came loose and I had to stop and put it back on a couple of times. After reattaching it a couple of times, I went really hard at every place I could, and managed to catch and pass some teams ahead of me. Coming back onto the field I caught Lance Kime, going onto the last lap, I had to tag Candice and then we had to do the third lap together.
Candice, myself, lance Kime and Andrew Birkett all left together.

Working together we took turns pulling in the front, but coming into the one sandy section, I lost focus and hit it at full speed, not prepared for what was going to happen, I was spat off and landed hard on the ground.
After landing so hard my light had once again come loose, I told Candice to carry on. I fixed my light but as I caught Candice it once again came loose, this happened 2 more times during the last lap!

Coming into the finish we became very excited and anxious to know how we had featured in the mixed division and were delighted to hear that we had actually come home first in our respective category.

It was awesome fun, and we both really enjoyed it. I could not have asked for a better partner to race with and a huge thanks must go out to Candice. The course was awesome, great single track, and a huge amount of organization went into the race. Well done!

Cumberland Super Classic 19 April 2008

Another overcast and drizzling morning saw us to the Cumberland Super Classic. After hearing many good remarks about the race, I was really looking forward to it. I had never done the longer race and had only participated in the 25km race 2 years earlier.

All the top racers were here, Brandon Stewart, Craig Paul, Pete Smith, Dave Lieman, Roan Exelby, and a few others. The pace was going to be really hard and tough.

Off the start the pace was fairly chilled and we all sat in a big bunch. But as soon as we came off the dirt road and into the grass section the racing began and all the top guys went. Myself, Mike Smith and Carl Calverly all settled into a small bunch and soon we managed to catch Jedson Tooms and Pete Smith, and we pushed to catch Travis Walker and Andrew Hill. We maintained this tempo well into the race and I had settled in nicely in 6th place on the road and was riding at a good pace together with Jedson Tooms and Mike Smith.

Further into the race we entered one of the many single tracks, Pete Smith upped the pace and I decided to try and go with him, but tragedy struck when I came into the one sandy corner too hot, losing the front end and smashing my knee into a stump.

I tried to recover as quickly as possible so that I would not loose too much time and Stumbled back onto my bike. I really put down the hammer to catch the group again and had soon reeled Jedson, Carl, and Mike back in (Pete was gone). It was a good thing I managed to close back up again as we continue to work with each other trying to catch Travis Walker and Andrew Hill who were just ahead of us. At about the half way mark, we managed to drop Carl and Mike and myself were really upping the pace through the single track. Just before the big drop off we passed Andrew Hill who had punctured.

Up the big dirt climb we got news we were only 30 or so seconds back on Travis, who at this stage had found himself on his own with Andrew having problems and I set my focus on closing the gap which was at that stage reported to be in the region of 30 seconds. Mike Smith and I managed to break away from Jedson and we were racing Time Trial (TT).

With about 5km to go Mike and I caught the 25km riders and Mike managed to find a gap but I got boxed in and after I managed to get through I was the one on my own as Mike had made his break. I pushed myself to the limit to try catching Mike, and in doing so, I blew with about 3km to go and both Carl and Jedson caught up again.

I got a second wind and I pushed really hard to the finish, but to no avail. I still managed to get a second in age group, and 12th overall.

It was a great race which I found to be quite tough on the body, but I really enjoyed it.

George XC National 12 April 2008

With my race only starting last- 13:30! I used it to my advantage and relaxed the entire morning. At 11:30 we left the house, and took a slow drive to the venue, which was only a couple of kilometers down the road.

After having been at George for the past week, I was fairly confident; I was loving the course and was hoping I was in as good form as I was last year.

Half an hour before the race I left and went to warm up, trying to get in the zone. 10 minutes before the race we were called up to the start. I was seeded 8th, which was the second row, off the start there was a mad dash (about 500m) to the first single track. My start was terrible after I had got boxed in, and now had to fight my way through the field. I entered into the single track 9th place but had worked myself up to 7th after the first kilometer..

Over the course of the first lap I managed to work my way up to 2nd and came through the feed zone feeling really strong. I settled into third place for the second and was constantly trying to close the gap on 2nd place, but half way through my third lap the current S.A. champ Arnot Du Toit caught and passed me . I tried to hang on as long as possible, but he was just too strong.

On the fourth lap, I pushed really hard, putting in a big effort, but I could not close the gap and finished 4th, my best national result for the year.

I was really happy with the result .The course was really awesome, great single track, with really technical root gardens, and fast flowing sections and some really cool drop offs. Great organization went into the race, well done to the organizers.

Cedara Super Classic 30 March 2008

A cold, wet and misty morning greeted us to the Cedara College, for my 2nd Super Classic of the year. On the line a big bunch of Jeep riders sat together, waiting for the race to begin. The lead car pulled of at 8:30 and we followed it through the neutral zone across the grass and down the tar road. After about 1.5km the neutral zone ended, and the racing commenced and the chaps in the front group put down the hammer in an effort to spread out the field and settle down into the race.

The start loop separated the race into bunches, onto the first climb I managed to hook on to Mike Smith’s wheel, we pushed the pace up the climb and into the single track where at the stage we were sitting in about 9th and 10th place overall but about 2km later we managed to catch and pass Daniel Paul and another rider which put us up into 7th and 8th before dropping into the next single track. The support we had from the “Jeep Crew” made up of parents and siblings was tremendous and before we knew it we were closing in on Carl Calvarly and Andrew Hill. At the exit of this section of single track we had closed up and were now riding in a bunch made up by Carl, Andrew, Mike and myself.

Then came the first real long climb and going into the climb I was sitting on the front of the bunch in 5th place and decided that I would need to work with these older and much more experienced riders. By the time we had conquered the hill and had descended back down into the valley I was still sitting in the bunch and we were all doing our bit to keep it together. Pushing the pace, through out the remainder of the race we rode like this, constantly working together.

As we began to approach the finish, with about 4 or 5km to go, the chaps began to attack and although I knew the guys would start putting the hammer down, I was hoping I would be able to hang in with them. The first attack came as Mike Smith sprinted away down the road but I was able to react quickly and I managed to latch on. A couple of hundred meters or so down the road Andrew Hill and Carl Calverly caught up to us again and the bunch continued at a faster pace as the finish got closer.. With about 3km to go I tried a couple of attacks, but only managed to stay away for 30 seconds. My plan at this stage was to avoid a sprint finish with these guys as they are all Under 23 riders and are a lot stronger than me, so I was trying to break a little earlier in an effort to put some clean air between us.
The final stretch to the finish finally loomed and, had Carl put in a long gradual attack which saw the pace gain some serious intensity and as expected it was just too much for me to close again. Mike Smith followed and I tried again to hang in there but was just not able to close that gap.

I eventually managed to sprint into 7th place overall, some eight minutes behind the overall winner but with 32 seconds eventually separating 5th to seventh place and Andrew Hill just 45 seconds behind me.

I must thank Carl, Mike and Andrew for a most awesome racing experience. I learnt so much from these guys during the race. Thanks a million guys.

Well done to the Jowett’s team for an awesome event. A great course with great single track and some muscle burning climbs.

4th XC Provincial-Cascades - 09 March 2008

My 2nd 5 lap provincial, and what a tough course to have it on. The brand new world cup course, scheduled for S.A. champs on the 16th of March, and the same course we hope to have a world cup event at, later on next year.

The course was extremely tough, with the first climb being a very steep on. The race was scheduled to take off at10:30 and it was off on time and it was going to be a tough one with the heat of the day approaching.
I managed to get to the front from the start but lost out badly as I lost my rhythm on the first climb and had to push the remainder of the hill resulting in me dropping down to third place at this early stage. By the time we had reached the second climb I had worked my way up to second place but lost touch with the leader as we ran into some back markers from the previous batch of racers as I got caught behind them in the singe track. When the leader saw his chance he put down the hammer and worked on opening the gap from an early stage.

Lap after lap I tried to close down the gap, but the gap just didn’t seem to close. In fact it grew bigger on the 4th lap, when I came into a single track section extremely fast and was caught out by a slower rider. We connected and I went down very hard, but was able to recover reasonably quickly, but just could not regain my rhythm.
To add injury to insult, I also started cramping in my upper arms, but I still pushed as hard as I could despite this new found and unfamiliar pain.

I managed to pull off a 2nd overall in the batch and a 2nd overall in my age group and I can only hope to have a better race at S.A. champs.

The organization was fantastic, a great course. It is evident that a lot more work has gone into the building of the course than one realizes at first glance. Well done Kim Phillips and his team of helpers.
The organizers deserve all the credit that is due!
A great day of racing and I look forward to the next one next weekend.

3rd XC Provincial - Stander Farm - 24 February 2008

This was to be my first 5 lap XC race and it was really going to be a tough one, especially on the very tough and fast course with the humidity that was going to take some getting used to. I was entered in the A batch and we were only scheduled to start at 10h30. The race was off on time and it was not long before the humidity and the heat, especially in the cane sections, began to make their presence felt, as it pelted down on the course.

Off the start Travis Walker and myself were able to get into a break, but it did not last long. On the one climb I tried to sip on my bottle, but then a big rock flicked up into my front wheel and I hit the deck hard, but tried to get back up and going as soon as possible which was the case as soon as I had got both the bike and myself out of the sugar cane.
I had lost a couple of positions at this early stage but I was able to put my head down and work my way back up to 2nd place by the end of the first lap.

After the initial crash and in my haste to try and get Trav back into my sights, I obviously lost some focus and concentration, causing me to crash on every single lap and at times I was crashing for the silliest reasons and this in turn saw me dropping positions to riders I know I should have beaten.

Nevertheless I fought hard to try catch up again and despite respectable lap times it was to no avail and I finished in 4th place overall and 2nd in the youth category for the day albeit with a huge time gap between myself and Travis.

The course was absolutely awesome! I made the comment on the day and will repeat it again by saying it was the most awesome and best XC coarse we have ridden this season. It was well marked and had great flowing single track, with a lot of technical sections thrown in for good measure. The coarse also had nice long big climbs making for a coarse the organizers could be proud of.

Well done to Charles Stander and his team for a most memorable event!

1st Super Classic-Thrombi-X-Fest - 17 February 2008

My first super classic of the year saw us spending the weekend in the vicinity of the beautiful Underberg and Thrombosis Gorge. The weekend in general was fantastic, with Croc racing, mtb super classic, Down Hill racing, River Kayaking and the paddle race.
The venue was absolutely awesome and provided something for everybody the entire weekend.

The big one for me was definitely the MTB Super Classic on Sunday. All the big guns were there, Brandon Stewart, Max Knox, Pete Smith, Craig Paul, Tim Stark and Willie Brink and I had decided to dedicate my efforts in this race to my good friend Kirsty St John Ayre who had tragically passed away a few days earlier.
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Our race started at 09h00 on the dot and Brandon Stewart set a blistering pace from the word go, but was soon caught on the first climb, about 5km into the course myself, Willie, Bruce Hughes, and Jedson Tooms and we settled into a small pack behind the leader.

After the 7km mark I dropped off the back of the pack, which was still hammering at a fast pace and rode at my own more comfortable pace.
Another 2km or so later, I caught and passed Gary Flint from Jowett’s in the single track, and set my sights on catching Jedson Tooms from Maverick and Daniel Paul , another Jowett’s team rider.
Going up the next big climb I managed to catch them, but as I reached them, Daniel put in a huge attack, and Jedson went with him. About 8 or 9km from the finish I caught and passed Andrew Warr, and once again set my sights on closing the gap on Jedson Tooms who was having problems with a loose saddle.
With about 3 km from the finish I saw that the gap was closing, but to my disappointment “the jeddi” was just too strong and managed to stay ahead to claim 9th overall, with myself taking the final spot in the top 10 overall and winning the youth category.

The course was absolutely AWESOME, but very very tough, with insane rocky and bumpy single track, climbs and descents. Great organization by the guys, and a huge thanks to all the farmers, for the use of their property.

The weekend was a great success and my fellow JEEP team mates all had a fantastic day with equally good results.

Well done to all.

2nd S.A XC Cup Race-Fountains-Pretoria - 10 February 2008

We arrived in Pretoria on Friday morning, for the 2nd S.A. XC cup. Practice went off well and I was really impressed with the changes that had been made to the course and when I had finished with my practice run I felt that I knew the course well enough to race it hard from the start.
On Saturday race day dawned and I made the most of my late starting batch at 13h30 by sleeping in until 08h00 and taking it easy until we arrived at the venue at 11h00 to support the other riders who’s racing had started earlier in the morning. I was fortunate enough to be seeded onto the front row, so my game plan was on track at this stage.

We were started a little earlier than planned as Burry was lapping in 17 and a half minutes and we also got off to a blistering start, where I had managed to get into the single track first and eventually settled into a top four position riding with Travis Walker and the other chaps that regularly prove to be stiff competition.
However my plan to sit with these guys was to be short lived as I suddenly started feeling incredibly nauseas towards the middle of my second lap, and began to drop off the pace very rapidly and lost the front group completely about 500m from the end of the second lap.
Going into my third lap I began to feel extremely weak and found myself bringing up anything that was left in my stomach on the side of the course and was forced to pull out of the race in order not to cause permanent damage to myself.
I was really disappointed as it was the first time in my two years of competitive riding
that I had been forced to abandon a race under the circumstances.
The course was extremely fast and flat, with one or two awesome single track sections! It was also well laid out for spectators and it was great to be cheered on at so many places by the same people who seemed to move around and still be at the feed zone when we came through.
Well done once again to the organizers who did a great job with the set up of the course and all their hard work was evident when one considers that all the river crossing bridges were washed away in a freak storm earlier the same week.

2nd XC Provincial- Mountain View Bike Park 3 February 2008

Another bright and early morning, and an extremely hot one to, with the temperature reading 33 degrees at 07h30 in the morning greeted us as we rolled into the Mountain View Park venue just outside Bishopstowe in Pietermaritzburg to participate in the 2nd KZN XC provincial.
The weather forecast had indicated we were in for a scorcher and I needed to prepare accordingly in the run up to the event.

The heat was unbearable, so much so that each batch had been told to drop one lap. I had entered the A batch and we were only scheduled to start at 10h00, which meant we would be racing in the heat of the day.

The start was unusually slow but about 1km into the race, the pace picked up considerably.
Travis Walker riding for Maverick and myself managed to break away from the pack up the first climb, as we approached some back markers I got caught up behind them and Travis used the opportunity to make a break. I put the hammer down to close the gap, but was constantly reminding myself to pace myself as I still had three and a half hard hot laps ahead of me. As we hit the big dirt road and single track climb, the sun hit me like a brick wall.
I changed my strategy in the feed zone and ensured my neutral feeder kept me on track with a bottle of ice water to cool myself down as I came through. I continued to push on in an effort to close the gap a little bit at a time but this plan was put to rest when my seat worked itself loose in the third lap, making it my slowest lap of the day. I tried frantically to tighten it but could only tighten it little by little (due to the size of my multi tool). I managed to get going with a semi-tightened saddle and decided that I would just have to give it my best and try to regain the second place position I had lost while carrying out the repairs to the seat.
I put the hammer down and went as hard as I could for the last two laps and despite the heat put in a good fourth and final lap but had to settle for third position in the batch and a second in the youth category.
I was really happy with the result especially with the fact that I was able to hold it together, while so many of the other competitors succumbed to the heat which was reaching 46 degrees in the shade in the feed zone and over 50 degrees on parts of the course.

The course was tough with the open veld single track, and a couple of rock gardens thrown in for fun. There were pallet crossings at the river and some really tricky technical bits.

Thank you to ˚the organizers who could unfortunately not order the weather, but were able to put together a great day’s racing.

˚C