The popular Quattro ROAG Series is back with its second event for 2015 as mountain bike fanatics head up the north coast for the Compendium Sugar Rush Classic on Sunday 19 April and Quattro ROAG Series leader Andrew Hill will be hoping to notch up his second win of the series.
Hill, who won the recent Illovo Wartburg MTB Classic and in the process opened his Quattro ROAG Series account was not present at the 2014 edition of the Sugar Rush Classic but the trails are not unfamiliar to the TIB Insurance rider.
TIB Insurance’s Andrew Hill will be hoping to make it two from two in the 2015 Quattro ROAG Series when he lines up against a tough field at the upcoming Compendium Sugar Rush Classic on Sunday. // Photo: Anthony Grote/ Gameplan Media.
“I took part in the Sugar Rush in its first year and the trails were new but I spend quite a lot of time there as my in-laws are based there so I have done quite a bit of riding there so I know the tracks quite well and see it as a sort of backyard advantage,” the defending Quattro ROAG Series champion said.
“I was away riding somewhere last year which meant that I couldn’t ride in the race but I am excited to be back this year and I think that it is going to be a really exciting race!”
The entry list for the Sugar Rush has some quality names on it with the devastating Kargo Pro MTB duo of Brendon Davids and Alan Hatherly set to be on the start line as well as Thule’s Tyronne White and Hill expects there to be a serious tussle for the title.
“The two cross country guys, Brendon (Davids) and Alan (Hatherly), are suited for this shorter 45km distance and myself and Tyronne (White) are more at home in the longer marathons and the race is going to be seriously fast due to the flatter nature of the course.
“I am going to have to think very carefully during my ride to make sure that I don’t make any mistakes as the other three are sure to capitalise and I can see it being good, hard racing which I am really looking forward to,” Hill added in anticipation.
Alan Hatherly has been one of the surprise packages of the year and the Elite Athlete Development Programme rider has been growing from strength to strength but Hill knows the threat that he poses to his quest for another ROAG Series scalp.
“Alan is racing really well this year and even though he is new to the elite division I have raced against him in the past. It is going to be a good tussle and I can’t afford to be off my game with such a strong top end of the field to contend with,” He explained.
With only Hill’s name on the ROAG Series trophy Hill is happy with how he started the 2015 edition of the popular nine-race event and he hopes that he can continue the good form into and beyond this weekend’s north coast showdown.
“I have started the series well with a tough win at Wartburg in what was a pretty hard race and I want to try and build on that start and I hope that the legs will be good to go this weekend and I can add another win to my list.
“This race is shorter than the first race in Wartburg and it will be fast and flat and it usually is pretty hot down at the coast so conditions will be interesting for all riders,” he added.
The Quattro ROAG Series is growing from strength to strength and Hill thinks that the format of the series is something that they have got right.
“The idea of the series was to have the top riders taking part in as many races as they could when they were back in the province and with nine legs it means that there are more than enough races for guys to qualify for the final results.
“It has definitely raised the bar of mountain biking in the province,” he said.
Gary Watkins, Joint CEO at Quattro said coming on board as major sponsors was an easy decision, purely because they are passionate about the sport of mountain biking.
“Mountain biking is not only a passion of ours, but also a passion of many of our clients. What the ROAG Series aims to achieve is in line with our objectives. We support mountain biking, therefore we support the ROAG Series,” Watkins said.
