Toti cyclists secure top finishes in gruelling Amashova race
The club is very proud of all its members who took part.
Referred to as the oldest classic cycling race in South Africa, the Tsogo Sun Amashova Durban Classic is a 106km event that took place on the gruelling Comrades Marathon route this past Sunday, 20 October.
Unfortunately, due to the extreme hot weather conditions about 400 cyclists were asked to stop their ride at midday in Botha’s Hill. While the temperature in Durban peaked at around 29°C, participant Colin Bedingfield, a member of the Amanzimtoti Cycle Club, said it felt like the temperature on the road was closer to 42 degrees.
He said there were lots of sections along the route that were without shade which made the race more difficult.
“A lot of cyclists were suffering from heat exhaustion and at around 11am the race got really difficult,” said Bedingfield.
ACC still managed to achieve great results as many roadies knew they had good legs coming into the race.
They trained throughout the winter months and managed to secure early starts so they weren’t too badly affected by the heat. Bryan Powell paced himself exceptionally well and finished 10th overall, seventh in his age category.
Biddy Theunissen, who is still a junior, was the second female to finish and first in her age category.
The top riders of the country compete and to come in the top 10, is a major achievement. The club is very proud of all its members who took part.
It’s a logistical nightmare having the start and finish in different towns. Lucky for the club, one of its sponsors is Pickfords and they kindly offered transport for the day.
This takes a huge weight off everyone’s shoulders as Pickford’s dedicated drivers wake up at the crack of dawn to drive them through to Pietermaritzburg (and Cato Ridge for the 65km event).
The club thanks Pickfords and their staff for making it that much easier and allowing its members to enjoy one of the most favoured events.
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