Tuesday 18 June 2013

Press Release: ASG Academy: a versatile force to be reckoned with.

Last Saturday, the ASG MTB Academy had a strong contingent of athletes competing in two completely different mountain biking disciplines: the National Marathon #6 in Rooiberg and the Gauteng provincial XCO #4 held at Thaba Trails.
For the first time ever, a National Marathon was held in Rooiberg, in the past the venue was Mabalingwe but due to change in management, this had to be changed. Rooiberg is only a 2 hour drive from Gauteng. The marathon was a treat, with 1063m of ascent, great views and miles of technical singletrack.



In the marathon, Arno Du Toit and Stephan Reyneke once again proved to be young athletes amongst the best in the country. Du Toit came 4th overall and 3rd U23 with Reyneke a few minutes behind him in 6th place overall and 4th U23. Says Du Toit: “from the gun the pace was rather slow but things heated up over the KOM climb and I found myself riding off the front with Brendon Davis and Jan Withaar.I felt good for the first half, but then “hit the wall” and had to drag myself home.” Reyneke successfully defended his 2nd place in the overall series standings in the U23 category. Paul Cordes also was in contention early on until a small mistake cost him some time “racing against all the youngsters is always a great challenge forcing you to fight all the way to the end”. Cordes finished 8th overall and 3rd sub-vet .

Yolande Speedy was back on the national marathon podium for a second time after a long time out of the circuit due to the broken collar bone and 4 broken ribs she suffered on her way to her ABSA Cape Epic victory. Speedy came 3rd overall and 2nd Sub Vet with Robyn De Groot and Yolandi Du Toit coming in 1st and 2nd respectively. “Hard but good race, happy to be back on the podium for @ASG_Pycycling. Great riding by Robyn and Yolandi”



For Danielle Rheeder, being on the podium is becoming a norm for the talented youngster. Rheeder placed 3rd overall in the Half Marathon, and 2nd in the junior ladies category.
At the Provincial XCO, held at Thaba trails, Kyle Wood proved to be a formidable force when he came 4thPro Elite and 3rdU23. Wood, still new to racing has improved leaps and bounds since joining the Academy. His passion for the sport shines through as he is reaping the benefits of structured training and being part of a supportive group of fellow riders. “The new course was tougher to me than the last XCO, but I still had a blast! It was my first time doing 7 laps which was a killer!”



Nicholas Popich put out a stellar performance, taking the lead from the beginning and winning the junior category. “As usual, racing at Thaba Trails was hard with an improved track, and some steep power climbs! I was glad to have 2 chain rings on my Dogma XC, and happy to take the win!” Joel Hieber put in a good fight to claim second overall.



The athletes of the ASG Academy prove to consistently be on the podium from Marathon racing to cross country. Their ability to perform on a high level in both these disciplines is a commendable and rather rare skill that will be nurtured through the mentorship of the Academy.
Next up is the 4th and last leg of the National XCO Cup this weekend at Mankele.

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