Unexpected action on MTB Time Trial

This past week’s MTB cycle timetrial (25th November) was not short of unexpected action. Broken bikes, children in unexpected places, cattle in the road and punctures all had their influence on the results.

It started with top rider Craig Randal’s brand-new carbon-frame bike disintegrating before he even reached the start line (Sorry Craig !!). His absence from the line-up left the front of the pack reasonably relaxed on the first section through Lobamba. That was until leader William Kelly reached the little single track with the pipe and hole on the stream crossing behind Ludzidzini. Bracing himself to ramp across the eroded hole, he suddenly spotted a child’s head emerging from the deeper than expected obstacle. His grabbing of brakes saw him somersault over his handlebars to have Bie, Mountjoy and Raw all piling up in a messy, but minor collision behind him.

Thereafter the leading group cruised for a short while before Bie changed pace just after the "Red Sea" crossing of the Mhlambanyatsi River. “ He went up the hill so fast that his back wheel was wheel-spinning,” claims Vaughn Mountjoy, who was showing some promising return to form up until that point. Shortly thereafter Mountjoy’s tyre jumped off his rim near Somhlolo, which he says was a blessed in disguise, “because I couldn’t hang on any longer.”

Robert Bie consequently posted another unchallenged win with William Kelly in second and Mike Craigie claiming third. Both Kelly and Craigie posted their best times for the new season. Darron Raw and Wandile Msibi had a neck-a-neck tussle through the bottom end of Ezulwini, with Raw’s downhill recklessness given him an edge over the tall youngster.

Robert Bie    00:43:56
William Kelly    00:45:15
Mike Craigie    00:47:36
Darron Raw    00:48:12
Wandile Msibi    00:48:47
Gavin Aranky    00:52:11
Dumi Mhlongo    00:54:11
Victor Oliveira    00:56:19
Vaughn Mountjoy    01:01:14
Manyakatane Dlamini    01:01:16
Leon Jacobs    01:02:41
Victor Barreiro    01:03:37
Pedro Isidoro    01:33:00
Anita Raw    01:38:00
Lynne Taylor    01:38:00

M-U-D spells mud !

Mud doesn’t scare mountain bikers and just as well, because this week’s timetrial had plenty to go all round.  The going was hard and times were slow, despite a lot of effort.

“My legs feel like they did a sub-43,” said winner Craig Randall, “but I guess with the mud and that nasty headwind near Somhlolo, these slower times were to be expected.” Randall handled the course well with no mishaps, which is more than a lot of the other cyclists could claim. Second-placed William Kelly came off twice, and did well to overcome Mike Craigie who at one stage was well up on him.

Last season’s early place-maker Vaughn Mountjoy has returned to Swaziland after the close of the academic year in South Africa, but by his own admission needs to do lots of work to regain form. Vaughn was sporting a bleeding knee from early on in the loop.

Nadja Shields was the first lady home in a gutsy time of 56:43, having caught and hauled in both Richard Alexander and Johnno van Wyk.

Craig Randall    00:46:15
William Kelly    00:48:59
Mike Craigie    00:49:58
Vaughn Mountjoy    00:53:09
Dumi Mhlongo    00:56:08
Nadja Shields    00:56:43
Richard Alexander    00:57:39
Johno van Wyk    01:01:05

More MTB mud 11th November

This past week saw Robert Bie have a lonely ride in the front, on what was a slippery and muddy day. Although Bie's time was the slowest he's posted in the past 4 weeks, the 43:37 effort was nevertheless an impressive effort under the days conditions.

Second home was Denzyl McFadden, who, although not impressed with his 46:38 showing, is nevertheless indicating a return to the sort of form that saw him in the time trial's overall top 5 best results last year. Third home was Gcina Ndlangamandla, a minute and a bit behind McFadden, and then the consistent Wandile Msibi in forth.

Robert Bie 00:43:37
Denzel McFadden 00:46:38
Gcina Ndlangamandla 00:47:51
Wandile Msibi 00:48:10
Mike Craigie 00:48:37
Darron Raw 00:50:40
Phila Gamedze 00:51:26
Nadja Shields 00:55:35
Anita Raw 01:25:36
Zoe Bosman 01:25:36

Muddy day 4th November

This week, the course was very muddy after the recent rains and apart from another fast finish from Bie, times were generally slower. Bie was followed home by newcomer Justen Burgin, who clocked a very comfortable 45:13 on his maiden ride. According to Robert, Justen appeared to not even raise a sweat, so no doubt he will be a pace setter for future rides now that he knows the course.

Robert Bie 00:42:43
Justen Burgin 00:45:13
Gavin Aranky 00:48:02
Wandile Msibi 00:50:00
Darron Raw 00:51:56
Barry Spencer 00:53:04
Dumi Mhlongo 00:55:04
Rodney Mountjoy 01:01:30