XCO Fourth and Final Cup - Arno du Toit

The fourth and final leg of the 2012 National XCO Cup Series was held at World’s View, just outside Pietermaritzburg. I've raced there before as a sprog a few years ago, but since then they have changed the course completely. It was pretty straightforward with only one or two sections and lines to worry about and not a lot of climbing. However, there were some tight and twisty corners and most of them where dry and loose.

On race day I was as ready as can be and with some of the big guns racing in Canada, I knew I had to grab the opportunity. The sudden rainy weather on the starting line made things interesting over the first three laps, and with everyone on dry tires, traction was a problem for some of the guys! However, I had a good start and it wasn't long until Renay Goustra and I managed to open a slight gap over the rest of the field.

It was a ding dong battle with a lot of cat and mouse games going on, but we stuck together for the first four laps. Renay put in a big effort, the same as every previous lap, but this time I just couldn't stay on his wheel. The gap slowly opened and I couldn't do anything about it. He was on a mission! I dragged myself through the last two laps and managed to hang on to 2nd overall and 1st u/23.

With the Cannondale running smoothly this season and with the support from Epic Cycle Shop, I also ended up winning the u/23 Men XCO Cup Series for 2012.