Pelser completes 30 laps to take Noon-to-Moon title
The 10-hour Noon-to-Moon 2017 took place at Merry Pebbles in Sabie on Saturday.
Franco Pelser’s solo win in this weekend’s annual Sabie Noon-to-Moon race was the first time in years that the overall singles’ winner managed to complete 30 laps, instead of 29.
Last year Nohan van Tonder took the spoils, completing 29 laps in 09:46:16. In 2015 Cobus van der Linde did the same number of laps in 09:54:22.
Read: Smiles all around at Noon-to-Moon
Pelser, who also won the 77-kilometre Cape Pioneer Trek earlier this year, took 09:51:14 to complete the 30 laps on Saturday. He was followed by Shaun Scott (27 laps in 09:48:29) and Chase Esquino (26 laps in 09:39:14).
The race at Merry Pebbles proved once again that mountain biking is not for everyone.
True MTB riders, however, were in their element with the track, which was wet to begin with, technical in places and beautiful (a fact better appreciated by the slower riders).
Teams could enter up to four riders, with at least one female member. Senior riders had ten hours, from 10:00 to 20:00, to complete as many as possible laps of the 6,5-kilometre course.
Mountain-bike specialist Max Knox’s team, Dirk Lourens Cycles, won the overall team race. Knox, Burger Bester and Derik Grobler completed 38 laps in 09:54:35.
Also see: Sanders, Max reign as MTB champions
Dirk Lourens Cycles were followed by Valencia’s Armand Lombard, Emile Fourie and Mike Odendaal (who took 09:49:44 for 37 laps), Dirk Lourens Cycles 2’s Hein Engelbrecht, Piet Benade and Dirk Lourens (who took 09:57:23 for 37 laps) and Safcon Cycling’s Lourens Besselaar, WJ Nortier and Callen Watson (who took 09:59:18 for 37 laps).
Valencia Cookie Munchers; Bosseau Boshoff, Sam Sanders, Justin Victor and Gerrit de Vries; were overall fifth with 34 laps in 09:47:46.
Also read: Bell, Combrinck rip Cape Pioneer Trek field apart to take lead
See the full results at Great Time.
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