Durban — A local cyclist finished first during a 3-day cycling event that took place this weekend.
In the Men’s Team event, Andrew Hill was a member of the winning Men's Team MTB Stage Race of the North Coast Challenger that was held in Sugar Rush Park in Ballito, on the Dolphin Coast, on Sunday.
A jubilant Hill said that a total of 126km was covered and that was split into 20km on the first day, 63km on day 2 and 43km on the final day.
Hill, a 15-year veteran of mountain biking, said: “Mountain biking differs from road cycling as the training is different. Preparing for the event requires technical training that usually involves riding on trails and on the dirt, as well as riding on rocky paths. You also ride shorter distances, but the time spent is similar to that of road racing.”
Hill said that mountain biking emulated real life as it carried its share of ups and downs. His team suffered a puncture on the first day, which cost them six minutes.
“Mountain biking, like any sport, teaches you how to resolve problems under pressure, and that you have to work hard to gain positive results and triumph,” said Hill.
In the Ladies Team Event, Cheryl Robinson and Kerry Campbell finished second in the Ladies Team event during the Mountain Bike (MTB) Stage Race.
The duo competed in the three-day event and covered more than 117km, reaching altitudes in excess of 2800m.
Robinson, who’s been mountain biking for four years, said both she and Campbell have been in training this year for a few events and that this was a great opportunity to increase their fitness and improve their skills. Robinson said she would definitely enter the event next year.
“Mountain biking has taught me about competition. It’s taught me how far I am able to push myself and how strong the mind is versus the body. However, more than that, it’s given me friendships, amazing weekends away riding in our beautiful country, and it’s taught me what sportsmanship is really all about,” said Robinson.
Robinson said this was a well-planned and well-organised event on home turf.
North Coast Challenger race director Shaun Peschl said it was the first time they had this event and they planned to host it annually. He said that this event would also form part of the national race calendar and not only focus on mountain biking, but trail running too.
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