Last Saturday the final leg of the National Cross Country series was held in PE. The course was short, fast and technical with a series of drops, a jump and a rock garden that would separate the men from the boys!
The U23 category is exceptionally competitive with a field of 15 riders, an impressive 12 of whom finished. This compared to an elite field of 8 riders, 4 of whom managed to finish.
Arno Du Toit fought a hard battle tooth-and-nail he placed 5th U23, the top 4 spots taken up by RourkeCroeser, James Reid, GertHeynes, and Luke Roberts. The top 6 riders were separated by a mere 2 minutes, showing just how close the battle between these top class athletes is! Du Toit's 7 lap times were within seconds of each other, another sign of top class performance with his last lap being his fastest! Du Toit's consistantly good results throughout the series earned him 3rd place in Pro Elite category for the year."I lost contact with the lead group about half way through the 2nd lap and ended up fighting for 5th or 6th place during most of the race. Towards the end I felt really good and managed to set the fastest final lap." Du Toit adds "I'm very happy with my consistent performances throughout the year and would like to compliment and thank coach Paul Cordes on a very successful training plan."
In the Elite Ladies’ race Samantha Saunders took the lead from the beginning, Amy McDougall and Cherrie Vale switched between 2nd and 3rd for the first 2 laps out of 6 before McDougall shook her off and finished in a solid second place. She also ranked 2nd in the Elite category for the series. “This is my best result in an SA XCO Champs race yet. After a run of not so great races this was a nice end to the series and a step forward to World Champs around the corner.”
On the tail end of her road to recovery from a serious bout of bronchitis, Yolande Speedy true to her fighting nature raced to defend her SA Champ title even though she knew she’d taken a knock by the illness. She placed 4th in the Elite category. “Super XC course, great team support & equipment but sadly no legs :(. Well done to all my team mates & to Sam Sanders for a well-deserved SA Champ Title!”
In the Sub Vet category; Paul Cordes and Jan Withaar once again found themselves racing within seconds of each other, Paul finished second to Jan by 10 seconds. Paul did however come first in the Vet B category and won the series, earning him an SA Champion jersey. “I am very happy to successfully complete 2 of my year’s goals but now it’s time to knuckle down and finish off the rest. Also, it was great to see my teammates racing so hard and putting in a huge effort, it makes all the effort feel worthwhile!”
For Nicholas Popich, 2013 had been a year of firsts. He raced his first ever national XCO race earlier in the year at Cascades finishing in an impressive 3rd place. Now in PE, he would be competing in his first ever SA XCO Champs race. In a strong field of Junior men, Popich crossed the line 9th "It was my first SA champs and an unforgettable experience! I have never before been on such a fun course. I had a great weekend with the team.”
The U23 category is exceptionally competitive with a field of 15 riders, an impressive 12 of whom finished. This compared to an elite field of 8 riders, 4 of whom managed to finish.
Arno Du Toit fought a hard battle tooth-and-nail he placed 5th U23, the top 4 spots taken up by RourkeCroeser, James Reid, GertHeynes, and Luke Roberts. The top 6 riders were separated by a mere 2 minutes, showing just how close the battle between these top class athletes is! Du Toit's 7 lap times were within seconds of each other, another sign of top class performance with his last lap being his fastest! Du Toit's consistantly good results throughout the series earned him 3rd place in Pro Elite category for the year."I lost contact with the lead group about half way through the 2nd lap and ended up fighting for 5th or 6th place during most of the race. Towards the end I felt really good and managed to set the fastest final lap." Du Toit adds "I'm very happy with my consistent performances throughout the year and would like to compliment and thank coach Paul Cordes on a very successful training plan."
In the Elite Ladies’ race Samantha Saunders took the lead from the beginning, Amy McDougall and Cherrie Vale switched between 2nd and 3rd for the first 2 laps out of 6 before McDougall shook her off and finished in a solid second place. She also ranked 2nd in the Elite category for the series. “This is my best result in an SA XCO Champs race yet. After a run of not so great races this was a nice end to the series and a step forward to World Champs around the corner.”
On the tail end of her road to recovery from a serious bout of bronchitis, Yolande Speedy true to her fighting nature raced to defend her SA Champ title even though she knew she’d taken a knock by the illness. She placed 4th in the Elite category. “Super XC course, great team support & equipment but sadly no legs :(. Well done to all my team mates & to Sam Sanders for a well-deserved SA Champ Title!”
In the Sub Vet category; Paul Cordes and Jan Withaar once again found themselves racing within seconds of each other, Paul finished second to Jan by 10 seconds. Paul did however come first in the Vet B category and won the series, earning him an SA Champion jersey. “I am very happy to successfully complete 2 of my year’s goals but now it’s time to knuckle down and finish off the rest. Also, it was great to see my teammates racing so hard and putting in a huge effort, it makes all the effort feel worthwhile!”
For Nicholas Popich, 2013 had been a year of firsts. He raced his first ever national XCO race earlier in the year at Cascades finishing in an impressive 3rd place. Now in PE, he would be competing in his first ever SA XCO Champs race. In a strong field of Junior men, Popich crossed the line 9th "It was my first SA champs and an unforgettable experience! I have never before been on such a fun course. I had a great weekend with the team.”
Neville Ackermann came 2nd in the Master B category to Graham Taylor and earned himself 4th in the series overall. "A tough XCO Champs course an well run event. I did not quite nail it on the day but I am looking forward to the Masters World Championship with more confidence and training still to come."
Francois Ebersohn was unfortunately forced to forfeit due to a burped tyre, but because of his consistently excellent results throughout the season, he place 1st Vet in the series.
The ASG Academy has made it possible for these aspiring athletes to work towards and achieve goals they would not otherwise have been able to achieve. The consistency of their hard work combined with the guidance of Paul Cordes and Yolande Speedy has provided them with the opportunity to perform at the top end of this Olympic discipline.
Francois Ebersohn was unfortunately forced to forfeit due to a burped tyre, but because of his consistently excellent results throughout the season, he place 1st Vet in the series.
The ASG Academy has made it possible for these aspiring athletes to work towards and achieve goals they would not otherwise have been able to achieve. The consistency of their hard work combined with the guidance of Paul Cordes and Yolande Speedy has provided them with the opportunity to perform at the top end of this Olympic discipline.
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