MTB RIDERS BOGGED DOWN IN MUD
...heavy rains nearly spoiled the Otse Expedition Trails
The organisers of the Otse Expedition Trails Moutain Bike race held in Otse Village this past weekend have declared the event a success despite numerous challenges the riders had to endure. The most challenging was the weather conditions on both the 35 and 50 km trials on the day.
Prior to the race day this past Sunday there were heavy rains in Otse and surrounding areas followed by strong winds on race day. Over 60 riders in both routes soon found themselves bogged down in the unforgiving mud which eventually slowed most of the athletes. The enthusiastic mountain bikers found themselves losing directions as some of the route markers were removed or destroyed while others were not visible.
In an interview this week, race organiser, Daniel Mophuting of D& G Cycles said the pouring rains made the terrain difficult to navigate with the car they were using for inspection before the race. “The car got stuck when we did the final route inspection. We made changes in the route where riders had to make a detour because the stream on the way was dry before the rain,” he said.
Furthermore, Mophuting said kids around Otse village removed some of the tags marking the route hence the competitors getting lost along the way. Mophuting said another issue they had to contend with was the lock appropriate tape to mark the route. “Our suppliers could not deliver the visible tape on time therefore we had to improvise. These issues were unfortunate as our competitors could have concluded the race a lot sooner.”
Meanwhile, Mophuting said the 50 km race was won by Gontse Lethokwe who walked away with P750 cash and a Hisense cell phone while Lebopo Mompe won the 35 km race. “This was our first long distance race and we had riders from as far as Kanye, Ramotswa, Mochudi and Gaborone. The 50km race featured 33 riders while the 35km stage attracted 28 riders.” Nevertheless, Mophuting said they have since organised smaller races in Mochudi and Ramotswa. Despite all the challenges they faced, Mophuting says they have learnt numerous lessons including having a lot more crew such as marshals on race day. According to Mophuting, the next Otse Expedition trail is expected to be even bigger, with tenting activities over two days. Some of the sponsors on the day were GWM, HAVAL, Pro time, Family brands, Speech Events, Emergency Assist, Orbit Geo tracking Satellites, Sign Experts and Happy Soul adventures.