Course offers lots of variety
Awesome, exhilarating and a great learning curve, these were just some of the comments used to describe the second York Enduro Mountain Bike Rally held in Sabie this weekend.
The event introduced a completely new concept, as it offers a dual eliminator race, a cross-country race, two Enduro stages and a half-marathon event. More importantly, it also creates a platform for professional riders and cycling enthusiasts to interact more closely.
A total of 24 corporate teams participated, each of them consisting of four corporate riders and a professional one. On day one the pros got to race one another on a 3,4km downhill course. With the exception of two huge drops, the course was very rideable and a lot of fun. Amy McDougall (Ladies Pro) and Arno du Toit (Men’s Pro) set the fastest times. Corporate teams got to race one another on a new cross-country course, built by Jaco van Staden at Engelhard Park in Sabie. Their times would be used to seed them for the start of the Enduro stages.
On the morning of day two, the teams (including their pro) started the first four stages of about 40km of the Enduro event. As an Enduro, only certain sections are timed and count towards the team’s result. That afternoon there was an optional 20km “figure of eight” event for those who still had energy left to race. To make the event more attractive, riders got to compete in five different weight categories giving everyone a fair chance to win. On day three the second part of the 35km enduro event took place (stages 5 – 8), followed by a dual eliminator race in the afternoon for those who chose to do it.
The 350 metre-long eliminator track consisted of one very intimidating gap jump and a couple of neat berms. McDougall showed off her bike-handling skills to take first place while former Olympian Erica Green had an impressive run finishing in second place. Oliver Munnik came first, Du Toit second and local rider Justin Victor third in the men’s race.
The final day started with a 40km half-marathon in the morning. The race was also open to the public to experience some of the scenic routes. Shortly after the half-marathon the weekend concluded with a thrilling cross-country (XC) race for the pros. The XC route was very exciting as it consisted of a log garden, tight uphill turns, wooden steps, fun berms and a gap jump to name just a few obstacles. Yolandi du Toit took first place, Theresa Ralph second and McDougall came third. Arno took first place in his division, Stuart Marais took second and Dylan Rebello came third.
According to the organisers it wasn’t only about racing hard or just having fun, but also about uplifting the town and community.
of Sabie.
