Top mountain bikers hit Ballito

BALLITO is the next battleground for South Africa’s top marathon mountain bike racers when they tackle round five of the Ashburton Investments National Marathon Series at Holla Trails today.

Nico Bell, the leader of the series, will be on the start line alongside his Team NAD teammate, Gawie Combrinck, who is in second.

The Mpumalanga pair will face formidable opposition. Max Knox (Lowveld Tractors/ Dirk Louwrens Cycles), last year’s series champion, the South African champion and the winner of the past two rounds at Clarens and Van Gaalen, will be out to secure a series hat-trick.

Also in contention are: the USN Purefit pair of Waylon Woolcock, third in the series, and Darren Lill, who is returning to form after a bout of illness; the Scott LCB Factory Racing pair of Philip Buys and Gert Heyns; Team Telkom’s HB Kruger; PSG’s Lourens Luus; and Red-E Cannondale’s Matt Beers.

Bell finished second overall at last week’s Jock Cycle Tour three-day road stage race and convincingly won the Nissan Trailseeker Hazeldean marathon the previous weekend.

“I’ve done all the Ashburton Investments Series races so far this year, finishing in the top five in each one,” he said. “That’s helped me score enough points to lead the series and I’m aiming to maintain that consistency. My form feels good and I’m hoping for a good result in Ballito on Saturday.”

In the women’s race, last year’s winner, Swiss marathon champion Ariane Kleinhans (Team Spur), won’t be in the country this weekend, and South African champion Robyn de Groot (Ascendis Health), last year’s runner-up, is still recovering from an injury. Also absent this weekend is Amy Beth McDougall, the series leader, who is competing abroad. That leaves Candice Neethling (Team Dormakaba), Samantha Sanders (Valencia) and Theresa Ralph (Galileo Risk) as the favourites.

Neethling won the event at Van Gaalen, and Sanders is in good form, confirmed by her second place at the Knynsa Oyster Festival Marathon and win at the Hazeldean.

There will be four different races, catering for all abilities – the 102km ultra-marathon, the 78km marathon, the 42km half-marathon and the 18km fun race. – Sports Reporter

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