Cyclists conquer Cosmos 3-in-1 MTB challenge in Secunda
More than 400 riders pushed through wet and muddy terrain in a gruelling three-stage mountain bike race at Lake Umuzi, Mpumalanga.
Not even a slight drizzle or treacherous, muddy terrain could slow down the field at the Cosmos 3-in-1 MTB race on Saturday in Secunda, reports the Ridge Times.
A total of 402 cyclists descended on Lake Umuzi for a gruelling three-stage test of endurance.
The action kicked off at 06:30 with a punishing 70km opening leg, followed by a 33km half-marathon, and concluded with a high-intensity lap race to finish.
The podium finishers
In the men’s division, Brand du Plessis (senior) claimed the top spot in a nail-biting finish, clocking 03:40:53. He narrowly held off Eben Binneman, who finished just seconds later at 03:41:09. Lumaardt Pienaar rounded out the podium in third place.
The women’s race saw a dominant performance by Nadia Stückler, who crossed the line in 04:13:36. Hanné Stevens secured second place, followed by Madeleen Lombard in third.
Rising stars
The ‘mini’ divisions showcased the sport’s future talent.
Zander Ferreira took gold in the mini men’s category with a time of 01:11:35, beating Ruben Krugel and Louan Hattingh.
In the mini women’s race, Lumari du Plessis led the pack to victory in 01:15:33, with Dané Strijdom and Gabriella De Oliveira finishing second and third respectively.
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