Lowveld professional mountain bikers proves his skill at the Builders Sabie Classic’s MTM ultramarathon
Continuing from his success at the Mopani Barberton XCM Mountain Bike Challenge in January, Lowveld professional mountain biker Nico Bell took the win at Saturday's Builders Sabie Classic.
He did so in a sprint finish with NAD teammate Wessel Botha. The tough 105-kilometre ultramarathon ran over the 65-kilometre and 40-kilometre loops to ensure the riders experienced everything the Sabie mountains can offer.
Gauteng pro, Shawn Nic Bester, rounded out the podium, with Julia Westoby the first woman home. In the 65-kilometre marathon, Hennie van Wyk raced to victory with Zandri Strydom dominating the women’s race and coming ninth overall, showing just how strong her form is at the start of the season.
Local junior, Reinhardt Viljoen, grabbed the 40-kilometre title, despite a slight detour that saw a number of riders get to experience a few extra kilometres of the trails.
Bernice van Wyk showed why she is the dominant junior woman on the local mountain-biking scene, finishing the 40 kilometres with ease ahead of a
strong field.
ALSO READ: Debut golden duck has no power over Janneman as he hits 129 runs in 2nd ODI
Almost 700 riders hit the legendary Sabie trails on a cool and slightly damp morning, providing perfect conditions to test their fitness and skills. After having run the race for 22 years, the organisers were very happy to be back at the Castle Rock campsite, which proved to be the perfect venue for this iconic Lowveld event.
