Rio 2016 Olympian Alan Hatherly (Kargo Pro Cycling Team) and South African endurance athlete Jeannie Dreyer (Merchants) took the top honours at the 2016 Mandela Day Marathon MTB Dash in the windy KwaZulu-Natal Midlands located at the Nelson Mandela Capture Site on Saturday 27 August 2016. Hatherly’s conditioning was on top form following last weekend’s Olympic XCO race in Rio, and Dreyer’s supreme fitness saw them both trump the 42-kilometre route.
Rio 2016 Olympian Alan Hatherly (Kargo Pro Cycling Team) took the top honours in the 42km Mandela Day Marathon MTB Dash at the Nelson Mandela Capture Site on Saturday 27 August 2016. Photo: Gavin Ryan/Quickpix
Keen trail runner, Owen Bhengu took a chance in the 10km MTB ride, and came first at the 2016 Mandela Day Marathon MTB Dash at the Nelson Mandela Capture Site on Saturday 27 August 2016. Photo: Gavin Ryan/Quickpix
The grandson of our late former President Nelson Mandela – Mandla Mandela – took full opportunity to cycle in honour of his late grandfather. “Today went very well. It was a very touching moment for me to be able to participate in the 21-kilometre mountain bike ride. At the same time it was a really challenging course. In his book “The Long Walk to Freedom”, Madiba says once you have climbed to the top of the hill, only then do you realise how many more hills and rivers you have to climb and cross. The Capture Site is a direct depiction of that chapter. Once we got to the top of the first hill only then did I realise how many hills we still had left to climb. I have to applaud all of those who came out today to ride in honour of our Madiba.”
Racing in his first MTB Dash, and his first race since returning from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Hatherly said: “I started a hard effort on the final climb on the race and pretty much time trialled from there until the end. The wind was quite hectic and had to play tactics to try and hide from the wind but really happy to come out on top. On the whole, it was a really awesome race and I will definitely be back here next year’s.”
Endurance athlete Jeannie Dreyer’s (Merchants) supreme fitness saw her trump the 42-kilometre route at the 2016 Mandela Day Marathon MTB Dash at the Nelson Mandela Capture Site on Saturday 27 August 2016. Photo: Gavin Ryan/Quickpix
Dreyer, who has competed in every MTB Dash in the past three years, scored two out of three victories with today’s win. “It was a big surprise to win today; the race panned out differently to last year. There was quite a bit of climbing and it was a brilliant day to be on the bike.”
Riders were “blown away” by the magical route that wound it’s way through the Lions River Valley and the adjoining Sappi Forests with magical vistas of the Midmar Dam area and sections of Howick over the 42-kilometre, 21-kilometre and 10-kilometre routes.
Race winner in the 21-kilometre race was RMB Change-A-Life’s Mboneni Ngcoso, who also made it two victories out of three races. “It went well today – I came here to defend my title from last year. To win today makes me very happy. To ride for Madiba is amazing – it is a very big honour and I am proud to be an African and proud to be racing a big race like this.”
Young Sub Junior rider Chloe Bateson won the 21-kilometre women’s race: “It is the third time that I am doing this race and it was really dry and dusty today. I really enjoyed the singletrack and the flat district roads were great. There were a lot of sharp climbs but the fantastic atmosphere made it a great day out. I just kept going and raced against the guys because there weren’t any other young girls to race against.”
Race winner of the 10-kilometre race, Owen Bhengu, put his energetic traits to the full test for the festival of sports over the Mandela Day Marathon weekend. “I am trail runner – it’s what I do. I love running, especially in the mountains. Trail running is like a washing machine to me, I can do it automatically. Today I did the four-kilometre trail run and finished third and then after that I decided to do the 10-kilometre mountain bike ride and I won it. It was my first mountain bike race ever. Tomorrow I will be back and will run the 42-kilometre marathon – I am sure that it will be tough, but I will do it.”
While the three races were underway, KwaZulu-Natal Cycling continued with their District Development Programme by inviting local cyclists from the Lions River area to compete in a small contained loop at the venue, some of them for the very first time. Phakamane “PK” Radebe (KZN Cycling Development Event Officer) has been working with newcomers to share his passion for cycling with a brand new wave of riders.
“Some riders have got the idea of how to ride a bicycle but don’t ride as often as they can, but as you can see I coach them and get them through the loop. Some are just naturals, and they jump on the bike and just want to race,” he said.
KZN Cycling hosted a clinic which formed part of their District Development Programme at the 2016 Mandela Day Marathon MTB Dash at the Nelson Mandela Capture Site on Saturday 27 August 2016. Photo: Gavin Ryan/Quickpix
PK’s roots are deeply embedded at Giba Gorge and he has a BMX background, racing at competitive level with his fourth place finish in SA’s was his highest finish. He started out when Giba first opened as a cycling park, and he became part of the furniture long before the MTB trails and BMX track were developed.
“I first started out as a mountain bike rider and built the track there, and I fell in love with the sport and never looked back ever since,” he said.
His absolute desire and love of bicycles developed into becoming more involved with the sport, and his greatest joy is being able to give back. He is in training for SA BMX Champs and African Continental BMX Championships over the first weekend in October.
Nhlanhla Thabede, founder of the Ladysmith Development Cycling Club in the uThukela District, commended KZN Cycling on doing a wonderful job with the development events and for helping the young riders learn and grow in cycling.
“I now would like my riders exposed to competition environments so that they can come back next time and race for honour in the main races. I am working on starting a racing league in the uThukela District to encourage my riders to start competing and to lift their level of racing.”
The grandson of our late former President Nelson Mandela – Mandla Mandela – took full opportunity to cycle in honour of his late grandfather at the 2016 Mandela Day Marathon MTB Dash at the Nelson Mandela Capture Site on Saturday 27 August 2016. Photo: Gavin Ryan/Quickpix
Summary of Results – 2016 Mandela Day Marathon MTB Dash
42km
Overall Men
1.Alan Hatherly 01:42:53
2.Brendon Davids 01:43:12
3.Stuart Marais 01:44:01
4.Travis Walker 01:48:59
5.Jaco Pelser 01:51:07
Overall Women
1.Jeannie Dreyer 02:05:59
2.Frankie du Toit 02:12:17
3.Hayley Smith 02:16:27
4.Desiree Verwey 02:17:27
5.Chriestie-Leigh Hearder 02:23:44
Senior Men
1.Alan Hatherly 01:42:53
2.Brendon Davids 01:43:12
3.Stuart Marais 01:44:01
Senior Women
1.Frankie du Toit 02:12:17
2.Hayley Smith 02:16:27
Junior Men
1.Thomas Jessop 01:55:35
2.Dean Wortmann 01:56:58
3.Kelvin Green 01:58:07
Junior Girls
1.Chriestie-Leigh Hearder 02:23:44
Youth Men
1.Devon Baird 02:15:31
2.James Lycett 02:33:31
3.Scott Fisher 02:38:04
Sub Veteran Men
1.Tyronne White 01:52:37
2.David Low 01:53:34
3.Mitchell Ginsberg 01:58:30
Sub Veteran Women
1.Jeannie Dreyer 02:05:59
2.Desiree Verwey 02:17:27
3.Nadine Nunes 02:37:21
Veteran Men
1.Jeremy Thomson 02:00:50
2.Marc Adam 02:08:10
3.Martin Dreyer 02:09:54
Veteran Women
1.Landy Puddu 02:26:24
Master Men
1.Kozma Dede 02:19:15
2.Charlie Young 02:21:52
3.Dave Hanbury 02:22:27
Master Women
1.Marie du Toit 02:40:41
Grand Master Men
1.Kim Phillips 02:13:25
2.Bruce Hansen 02:32:41
21km
Overall Men
1.Mboneni Ngcoso 00:48:40
2.Siyanda Masango 00:00:50:16
3.Scelo Mhlongo 00:50:33
4.Travis Stedman 00:52:12
5.Leonard Roberts 00:53:41
Overall Women
1.Chloe Bateson 00:57:40
2.Maria Pieters 01:05:37
3.Kim Kriel 01:10:27
4.Judy Gouws 01:14:59
5.Josick Watkins 01:20:00
Senior Men
1.Mboneni Ngcoso 00:48:40
2.Siyanda Masango 00:50:16
3.Scelo Mhlongo 00:50:33
Sub Junior Boys
1.Travis Stedman 00:52:12
2.Dean Gregson 00:57:35
3.Mitchel Potgieter 00:59:23
Sub Junior Girls
1.Chloe Bateson 00:57:40
2.Bandisa Ndlovu 01:41:10
3.Uyonda Majingo 01:48:39
Nipper Boys
1.Connor Wright 01:05:32
2.Omar Wilson 01:12:48
3.Luke Newlands 01:18:36
Sprog Boys
1.Josh Gillitt 01:18:07
Sub Veteran Men
1.Mbongi Ndlovu 01:01:32
2.Sphamandla Ngubane 01:06:35
Veteran Men
1.Shane Wright 01:09:17
2.Jorge Cruz
3.Kurt Knoop
Sub Veteran Women
1.Maria Pieters 01:05:37
2.Kim Kriel
