Drak weekend sports winners
Andrew Hill won the Euro Steel Drak Descent MTB and Philip Shezi took the win at the Run the Rivers 2019 event.
DEFENDING champion Andrew Hill cruised to his second stage victory of the weekend in the Euro Steel Drak Descent MTB race in Underberg on Sunday, and in the GWK Run the Rivers trail run, Phillip Shezi took the win.
After winning Saturday’s opening stage by just under a minute, Hill (Team Darkhorse Wheels/TIB) was able to ride away from his nearest challengers early on the second stage from Glencairn to Hopewell Farm and added another three minutes to his lead.
Chasing Hill was the Ballito Bicycle Company pair of Tyronne White and Andrew Johnson, who were comfortable winners of the team event with Grant Lavers and Grant Underwood (Team Hattons) second team home in eighth and ninth overall.
Fourth rider over the line was Komborero Bere who claimed second in the individual category, seven minutes behind Hill and five ahead of third-placed Gary Doyle.
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The first woman to finish was Bianca Haw, who was riding with her boyfriend Andrew Houston. They were comfortable winners in the mixed category. They finished a massive 37 minutes ahead of the second mixed team of Rouxda Grobler and Jacques Grobler.
In the GWK Run the Rivers trail run, Underberg local Phillip Shezi used his power up the hills of the uMzimkulu Valley to wrap up a four-minute win over Steven Erasmus.
Shezi, the 2018 winner, was able to put Erasmus under pressure on the climbs on Sunday and added an extra three minutes to his one-minute overnight lead.
PHOTO: Graham Daniel/369 Communications
Shezi was using this event as part of his preparation for his eighth Comrades Marathon. He is aiming for a top 10 which will need some improvement on his best time of 6:16.
In the women’s race, Tarryn Lopez was never put under too much pressure and was able to maximise her enjoyment cruising home to a big win.
She added an extra ten minutes to the six-minute lead she enjoyed after the first stage on Saturday and ended up in an impressive seventh overall. Anja Heenop was second women over both stages, with Sarah Kirk third for the second day in a row.
In the GWK Run the Rivers Lite, the winner was Ant Stott who was quickest over the shorter distances on both days. It must have been something of a bitter sweet weekend for Stott who ironically lost his record as the most successful paddler in the associated canoe race.
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