12 year old pips competitors at Giant Sugar Rush Classic

The Ballito girl streaked ahead in the women's 19 kilometre mountain bike race.

April 13, 2016

Jacqueline Herbst 2 minutes read

Sheer determination - Chloe Bateson heads out at the start of the race.

Chloe Bateson (12) proved again that she has the fastest legs on the North Coast when she made her competitors eat dust at the Giant Sugar Rush Classic on Sunday, April 10.

Ballito girl, Bateson, polished the women’s 19 kilometre mountain bike race in 00:48:25, edging out Sabine Thies by only five seconds.

“I caught Sabine on the district road while she was trying to catch up to Travis (Stedman) and we worked together from there. I stuck with her until the last 150 metres where I made my move,” said Bateson.

One of the 45 kilometre batches are getting ready to roll out of the park.

MJ Schoeman, who won the 10 kilometre race, laps Wandile Ngema on his way to a crushing victory.

Thirteen-year-old Travis Stedman from Hillcrest was over the moon to win the men’s 19 kilometre race in a time of 00:45:48, a mere second faster than sub veteran Kehla Mabaso and two seconds quicker than than senior rider, Siya Nopitoli from Shakaskraal who recently signed a contract with Fox and Giant (‘Dreams do come true’, Courier, March 18, 2016).

“The riders I look up to are Nino Schurter and Julian Absalon and my goal is to one day represent South Africa at the Olympic Games and to ride in the Cape Epic,” said Stedman.

Olympic hopeful, Alan Hatherly convincingly won the 45 kilometre men’s race in 1:33:05. A five time SA downhill and four time SA cross country champion, 20-year-old Hatherly was too strong for his counterparts and from about the 30 kilometre mark it turned into a one-horse-race when Hatherly opened up a gap over the field that was impossible to close.

Chloe Bateson heads out of Sugar Rush Park at the start of the race. — The kids had their own races on the forest single track.

Colette Kriek was the first woman across the line in the 45 kilometre race in a time of 1:55:17, a respectable 29 seconds faster than second placed Christie-Leigh Harder.

The Giant Sugar Rush Classic attracted a record 1000 entries and race organiser, Gill von Buddenbrock got just as much exercise, running around, as some of the mountain bikers.

“My Apple watch clocked 15 kilometres,” said Von Buddenbrock.

The little ones had their own races to ride and the three and ten kilometre races, held on the forest single track were perfect stepping stones for children to get into the sport.

Some parents used the opportunity to get in a trail run, following their children on foot while others went for the gentler option of riding with them – just in case they needed help with a chain that jumped off or a flat tyre.

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