inGEAR:
Words: Kurt Schultz ǀ Photos: Zoon Cronje
sabie half marathon a humbling experience
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2 • DO IT NOW DIGITAL | February 2013_#15
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three times a year, the world descends on the lowveld and when gp registrations outnumber the local mp ones, you know it's either easter, christmas or sabie classic time. As a mountain biking enthusiast, there was no place I would rather be than in Sabie and showing my support for the MTN Sabie Classic ultra race and marathon, which took place on 23 and 24 February 2013. Arriving at the start of the race on Saturday morning, it was swelteringly hot with the temperature already hovering around the 30-degree mark, in the shade! I have to admit that I was very happy to play the spectator role, sitting contentedly under a tree with a cold beer in hand, as opposed to being one of the more than 200 ultra marathon and about 700 marathon riders taking part in this tough and demanding race.
overall, the racing was fantastic to watch, especially when you are witnessing the country’s top cyclists going head to head. but in the end it was charles keey who managed to cross the line first, with nico bell literally on his shoulder - you really couldn’t have asked for a more exciting finish. in third was local rider max knox. I take my hat off to these guys who cycled 110 km at top pace through some of the biggest climbs in any mountain biking race, and in about the same time as many of the riders competing in Sunday's half marathon. When I heard people asking Max Knox what went wrong, I thought to myself that all of the cyclists in the top ten deserved a Gold medal - well done, you were all really amazing considering the heat, altitude and terrain. Brilliant stuff!
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half marathon The half marathon took place on the Sunday and there were close on 1,500 cyclists competing, including myself. It was a big day for those of us who spend half our lives in an office and only get to ride on the weekends; this was our Cape Epic. Arriving early, we were welcomed by a misty and, thankfully, cool day; perfect conditions to ride in. It looked as if every cyclist in the country was there and what an amazing sight it was!
i started in c batch and was joined by my good friend and the south african champion max knox, and jacques rossouw, a pro cyclist who is now back and racing. both these guys had raced the ultra the day before and were just here for a fun ride. We set off and I could only keep up with Max and Jacques 'fun ride' pace for the first 5 km before I had to slow down to try and regain some energy. They went ahead and waited for me at each water point, and I am sure it was the first time that they had ever actually stopped and gotten off their bikes at a water point. But they made great use of this time mingling and having their photos taken with the locals.
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8 • DO IT NOW DIGITAL | February 2013_#15
The pace was fast even for us amateurs, but thanks to the mist we couldn’t see too far ahead or the taxing hills in front of us, and I think this helped. The vibe amongst the riders was very relaxed, the water points were social and offered something to eat and a refill.
back in the saddle, the temperature had dropped and even in the cooler conditions, the huge climbs really took it out of us, especially us riders who don’t get to train on such hills often. the first 25 km had some serious climbs, as well as some amazing and very technical downhills that were made all the more fun in the wet conditions. there was also a lot of fast single tracks that lead all the way back into Sabie. This race really has it all; beautiful surroundings, tough hills, amazing down hills where we can get some serious pace, lots of fun single tracks and some nice drops … I mean what more could any mountain biker want? I was humbled by this great race, especially the fantastic route. In the last 5 km, I met up with Max and Jacques once again and we completed the remaining distance together. Cycling to the finish, with Max on my left and Jacques on my right, I experienced something that I will only ever do once in my life, and it humbled me. Finishing this epic race with these great cyclists is what it's all about: supporting the top guys and riding for the ride, nothing else. •
èRelated articles:
• Knox Clinches Record 4th Win at MTN Barberton (Digital article, Jan '13) • Inaugural Cycle Fest a Success (Issue 23, p. 46) • MTN National MTB Series - 3 Races 3 Experiences (Issue 16, p. 82)
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