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