It takes guts, determination and team work to ride to the top of the Mother of All Climbs (MAC) in the challenging Trans Baviaans 24 hour Mountain Bike Marathon race.
That is just what local mountain bike riders, Willie Landman and Dean Rosin from Team Riding 4 did when they were the first to cross the line at the Trans Baviaans 2021 The Repeat on Saturday, 4 September. Rosin and Landman weren’t the first overall finishers on a time basis, having started a bit earlier than the elite group.
They though still finished in a superb third overall position in a time of 10 hours, 45 minutes and 23 seconds.
The Trans Baviaans takes riders on a picturesque 230km journey from Willowmoore through the daunting Baviaanskloof to the finish in Jeffreys Bay. This MTB race also has the added challenge that the routes are unmarked and that competitors must compete the race in teams. Rosin and Landman as well as the former’s wife, Jolanda, decided to compete in this year’s race with Jolanda finishing the race with Esta van Wyk in the Girls4Fun team.
“The team aspect is a really important part of this race. Me and Willie have been riding together for a couple months in preparation doing rides of 130-200km. We made sure the bikes were in a good condition. Another crucial aspect is to constantly eat and drink enough during such a marathon race,” explains Dean. 
According to Dean, they decided to spend as little time as possible resting at the checkpoints in order to finish the race before nightfall. “There are seven checkpoints on the route and we decided beforehand that we did not want to stay over on the fifth checkpoint. The scenery was beautiful, and it was amazing to be able to finish first across the line. It was a great experience to see a different part of the country. We trained hard and the result is a blessing and truly special,” added Dean.
He was also full of praise for his wife, Jolanda, who finished the race in 14 and a half hours despite a difficult and technical route. “I am really proud of my wife who was also able to finish the race. It was a special weekend.” Other Potchefstromers who also competed in the race was Nienie Steenekamp and Nico van der Merwe (5th mixed team) as well as Christelle Snyman and Hazel Roos (4th women’s team) and Shaun Leach and Bossie Bosman.
