KZN#22

Sports
Tooms bags second Sappi
Howick MTB Classic title
Howick – Local
MTB star
Jedson Tooms
used his
local knowledge
and technical skills to
win the Sappi Howick MTB
Classic title for a second
time while XCO star Bianca
Haw raced away to take the
women’s marathon title to
add to the enduro title she
won on Saturday.
Racing on a new course
between the Curry’s Post
Road and the N3 freeway,
Tooms (ROAG/Quattro)
paced his race well and
took advantage of spills
around him to take the lead
and cross the line at Howick
High School unchallenged.
“There was a big pack
together early on,” said
Tooms. “I had to play catchup
after dropping a chain
twice.
“A couple of the other
guys crashed in front of me
on a slippery uphill section.
“The single track here was
absolutely amazing!” added
the Howick local. “The technical
sections really force
you to raise your technical
skills.
“This course was forced
on the race organisers but
they made it spectacular,” he
added.
The win was a second in
his local major for Tooms
after he edged out Travis
Walker in a sprint finish a
few years ago.
Tooms was quick to
acknowledge the absence
of several local pacesetters
like Andrew Hill and another
Howick local Stuart Marais,
but was thrilled to claim the
top step of the podium in his
own backyard.
RMB Change A Life rider
Sthembiso Masango was
elated to grab second place,
ahead of former Sharks centre
Jeremy Thompson.
“Man, they did an amazing
job on those trials,”
50
Kzn Lifestyle Magazine • Issue 22
enthused Thompson, whose
fun on the trails was interrupted
by a high speed collision
with a tree.
“There was lots and lots
of single track, with some
really cool technical sections.
That’s the way we love
it,” Thompson added.
Bianca “Yankee” Haw
showed signs of her return
to top form, as she ground
away from the other women’s
race contenders to take
the women’s marathon title
to go with her win in the
enduro the day before.
“Our race started really
fast,” said Haw (Red Bull).
“The first climb was hard. I
was riding with Tiffany Keep
at that stage and she was
really strong.
“I managed to get away on
one of the climbs and then
just worked at keeping the
gap,” she added.
Haw had a few anxious
moments as her lead shrank
after several crashes in the
slippery sections, muddy
after overnight rains, and on
tricky sections on loose pine
needles.
“The technical section
through the rocks were
really great. I need to up my
technical skills! Today made
me feel quite rusty,” said
Haw.
Haw is about to leave for
a few months XCO racing in
the European spring, in Italy,
France and Germany.
Keep duly wrapped up
second place, while another
regular to podium at this
race Christie Leigh-Hearder
secured the last spot on the
women’s podium.
The 20km race was
won by Bradley Scott from
Anthony Horter. Howick
MTB club trail builder Sbu
Vilikazi duly completed his
first MTB race, finishing an
impressive 12th overall, on
the bike donated and built
for him by local riders, and
conceded that he needed to
do more training.
“It was good fun but I
need to train more. Basically
my training was done on one
day – on Friday!” said the
enthusiastic local hero.
On Saturday the Sappi
Howick Classic Enduro drew
rave reviews as the big field
took on the new and largely
unknown course on the left
hand side of the Curry’s
Post Road that consisted of
four timed stages and a fifth
untimed descent.
Downhill pacesetter Tiaan
Odendaal took the men’s
title from Keira Duncan and
Sam Bull, thriving on the fast
technical timed sections.
“I had an absolute blast
today,” said Odendaal. “I am
very happy to take the win. I
really enjoyed the fast flowing
trails and felt really good
on them.
“It was an excellent event,
and I am already excited for
the next one,” he added.
The women’s title race
provided a thrilling showdown
between Haw and rising
star Beanie Thies.
The pair was almost
inseparable as they pushed
each other on the fast technical
timed sections, until
Thies’ chance of pulling off a
major upset win ended with
a technical mishap, when
her timing chip failed to register
on the timing system
on one of the timed stages.
Runner-up Kathryn Fourie
said the event was well
supported by riders across
all the age categories, all of
whom praised the new trails
prepared for the event.
“The stages were unique,
fast paced and all had different
types of challenges. The
cherry on the top was Stage
Five, which was untimed and
just done for fun.
“It was absolutely insane!
It’s a fully European style of
trail and is seriously steep
and gave people an opportunity
to try out proper Enduro
style trail, with no racing
pressure.
“This is the kind of trail
that will lift the standard
of riding for everyone.
The Howick MTB Club have
SUMMARY
promised to
OF
put
RESULTS
in more
Sappi Howick Classic 40km
trails of this style, in anticipation
of another event later
1.Jedson Tooms
2:00:03
in the year. We can’t wait!”
2.Sthembiso Masango 2:00:49
3.Jeremy
said Fourie.
Thompson
2:01:21
4.Dean Wortmann
2:03:58
5.Bongmusa Zikhali
2:04:36
6.Grant Underwood
2:06:16
7.Cian Leveridge
2:08:56
8.Andrew Kenward 2:09:30
9.Bianca Haw
2:10:11 (1st woman)
10.Warren Price
2;10:24
WOMEN
1. Bianca Haw
2:10:11
2.Tiffany Keep
2:13:21 (1st Jnr)
3.Christie-Leigh Header
2:17:20
Sappi Howick Classic 20km
1.Bradley Scott
1:09:50
2.Anthony Horter
1:10:21
3.Craig Pike
1:11:32
4.Omar Wilson
1:13;17
5.Judy Gous
1:16:45 (1st woman)
6.Lungisani Xaba
1:17:18
7.Riley Smith
1;17:31
8.Ian Smith
1:17:47
9.Reuben Price
1:18:14
10.Matthew Strydom 1:18:50
Sappi Howick Classic Enduro
MEN
1.Tiaan Odendaal
2.Keira Duncan
3.Sam Bull
WOMEN
1.Bianca Haw
2.Kathryn Fourie
3.Charné Dreyer