TrailWorx brings Big Air Enduro to Mbombela
The new track was inaugurated near the Old Airport on November 1.
Enduro mountain biking has arrived in Mbombela.
TrailWorx inaugurated its new track on the old airport road with a Big Air Enduro challenge on November 1.
Salomon Pienaar, one of the trail builders, explains that this sport is new to the city and most participants hailed from Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
“Our aim is to introduce it to the area. There are jumps on the track, but it is not only about that. It is more about the adventure of riding on single tracks. This is where you see what is going on in the bush.”
He adds that enduro is less about speed than other forms of cycling. “Enduro is actually safer than road cycling, which is faster.”
Nonetheless, it is a race. It featured three different stages, one of which was a downhill track. The mountain bikers’ times for all three are added together to determine his or her overall time.
Dirk Lourens finished first overall, with Alex Bramley hot on his heels. Lourens was just five seconds faster than Bramley with an overall time of 07:21.
Pienaar came in third, 30 seconds behind the second-placed Bramley in an overall time of 07:56.
Matthew Minter finished fourth. Pienaar and Minter finished the first stage in exactly the same time of 02:36 and the third stage in exactly 03:00. It was the one second Minter lost on the second stage that put him fourth.
Des Ellis and Justin Steyn also had a fierce contest for fifth and sixth position.
On the second leg Ellis was nine seconds slower, and on the third stage Steyn was nine seconds slower.
The first one ended up being the deciding lap, allowing Ellis to grab fifth in 08:07, a second ahead of Steyn in sixth.
Simon Steyn in 08:15, Mark Lindenberg with 08:27, Nohan van Tonder’s 08:29 and Jason Jenkinson in 08:35 rounded out the top-10 finishers. Jooste
Coetzee was the fastest junior with an overall finishing time of 09:28. Amy McDougal was the fastest woman with 10:19.
In the downhill event, which sees riders do the same course twice with a downhill bike, the fastest lap is taken into consideration for podium spots.
Justin Victor’s 01:37 fastest lap was enough for him to claim victory. Dustin Rudman’s 01:38 placed him second and Keegan Clark finished third with 01:40.
Nikki Alvin was the only female participant, finishing in 02:15, with Duncan Spence’s 02:43 making him the fastest junior.
The fastest trail riders on the same course, but completed with trail bikes, were Alex Bramley in 01:34, followed by Dirk Lourens in 01:35 and Charl van Zyl with 01:39. McDougal, again the only female, finished in 1:59.
Pienaar says they don’t have a club and the track is there for anyone to use at their own risk. Riders younger than 18 should be accompanied by an adult.
Enquiries: Salomon Pienaar on 072-111-7870.
- See more pictures of the breathtaking action here.
