MTB riders tackle Mazarat Park course
Two local high school learners claimed top spots in their categories at the recent KZN Lap Challenge championships.
PHOTO: Tim Whitfield/Sports Wrighte
DEFENDING champion Stuart Marais claimed his third KZN Lap Challenge Mountain Bike Championship title at the Mazarat Park course in Waterfall on Sunday.
In the women’s race, Thomas More College matriculant, Tiffany Keep, put her books away on Saturday night and was in a league of her own the next morning as she cruised to victory to claim the junior title.
The men’s race was a tense battle for the opening three laps as Marais and U23 rider, Henry Liebenberg, battled for any advantage on the tough, technical track which is being used for a major event for the first time.
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On the third lap, Marais created a small gap and extended that on laps four and five to start his final 3.5km circuit with a healthy one-minute cushion. Halfway around the course he glanced over his shoulder nearly ended his race as he clipped a tree.
The impact broke his brake lever off the handlebar and cracked his handlebar.
He lost about 20 seconds nursing his damaged bike through some dangerous sections, but still arrived home 47 seconds ahead of Liebenberg to claim the title.
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In the women’s race, Tiffany, who wrote her NBT (National Benchmark Test) exams for university on Saturday, rode away from the start and was never challenged as she cruised to a convincing win.
This weekend she will head up to the national marathon championships and hopes to claim the junior title and then the cross country title a week later.
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