Terrific Tyronne tames Joberg2C

Ballito MTB athlete Tyronne White took a spectacular win in the men’s solo category in the latest edition of the JoBerg2C stage race that ended last weekend.
The gruelling but picturesque Joberg2C takes place from Karan Beef Feedlot (Heidelberg) to Scottburgh Main Beach, over nine long days. The race sees cyclists cover around 900km, ranging between 84 and 123km per day.
Tyronne was approached by Avis Van Rentals early this year to do Joberg2C with partner, Tyron Bird.
Two weeks before the race, Bird had a very bad crash in the rock garden, at the XCO MTB World Cup at Cascades. Major facial surgery and concussion forced him to withdraw from the Joberg2C, leaving Tyronne to compete in the solo category.
The first day of the race was a “neutral stage” with all riders being awarded the same time, allowing them to get into the swing of things before the real racing started on the second stage. This ended up being a blessing for Tyronne as he had numerous mechanical failures and flat tyres on the day. A lot of help from fellow riders and steely determination saw him to the end of the long day, regrouping for the rest of the race.
The racing in the solo category was fierce, with the main challenge coming from riders from Belgium and Switzerland. Stage four proved to be a decisive one though as Tyronne opened up a 6 minute gap on his nearest rival, Schroyen Lieven, in tough riding conditions in the Winterton and Spioenkop area. He won four of the remaining five stages after that to claim the title, but not before crashing heavily 8km into the final stage, breaking his helmet and damaging his bike. Tyronne crossed the finish line in 34 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds, first in the solo men category and fourth overall.