After a gruelling Battle of the Bikes event, the trophy for the interprovincial MTB cross-country marathon (XCM) was lifted by the Free State team.
Also, Free Stater Jean Fourie was the winner of this year’s 81 km MTB XCM in the male category.
This edition of the Battle of the Bikes event took place on Saturday, 7 October, from the Landboudal High School in Jacobsdal. From there the route traverses the historical battlefields between Kimberley and Bloemfontein.
Fourie finished his 81 km route in 2:18:06. In the second place was Johan Botha (Free State – FS) in 2:19:59. Kobus le Roux (Northern Cape – NC) finished third in this category, in 2:30:52.
In the female 81 km MTB XCM category, Irma Schlebusch (NC) was first in 3:39:45, with Jacolene Slabbert (NC) second in 4:15:02.
Results in other categories are:
81 km gravel XCM, male:
1. Charl Coetsee (FS) 2:19:08;
2. Frikkie de Wet (FS) 3:01:51
51 km male:
1. André van Rooyen (FS) 1:33:12
2. Franco van Heerden (FS) 1:38:53
3. Ludwig du Toit (FS) 1:41:17
51 km, female:
1. Carla Kotzé (FS) 1:50:42
2. Colleen Jacobs (NC) 1:56:34
3. Karin Erasmus (NC) 1:56:37
29 km MTB XCM, female:
1. Chelsea Lee Williamson (FS) 1:10:50
2. Inge van Heerden (FS) 1:12:23
3. Christine Fouché (FS) 1:21:54
29 km MTB XCM, male:
1. Janu Olivier (FS) 1:00:57
2. Joshua van Rooyen (FS) 1:00:59
3. Riko Vorster (FS) 1:01:01
15 km MTB XCM, female:
1. Lané Fouché (FS) 40:39
2. Heili van Heerden (FS) 42:46
3. Mia Vogel (FS) 42:48
15 km MTB XCM, male:
1. Deon van Zyl (FS) 34:44
2. James Davies (FS) 34:48
3. Marthinus de Wet (FS) 36:50
Kobus Burger of Oryx Endurance Event Management, who presented the event, congratulated the Free State team on their victory.
“Your hard work, dedication, and exceptional performance have paid off. This achievement is a testament to your skills and teamwork,” he said. The team of the Northern Cape was second, with Eastern Cape in third.
Oryx believes in providing a platform where professional riders can challenge one another, but also caters for enthusiastic hobbyist riders.
- A next MTB event in which Oryx is involved, is the Swartberg Everesting Challenge taking place on 4 November.
The route takes riders from Kobus se Gat over the Swartberg to Prince Albert and back. The event is limited to only 150 riders.
- For more information on this challenge, and for more results, photos and information on the Battle of the Bikes, visit Oryx Endurance Event Management on Facebook or oryxendurance.co.za.
