Hill and Jessop team up for dusi2c
Hillcrest mountain bike champion, Andrew Hill, hopes to grab another win at this year's event with race partner, Julian Jessop.
FOUR-TIME winner of the dusi2c race, Andrew Hill, will team up with Julian Jessop and aim for a fifth win in the popular two-day race from 10 to 11 June.
The dusi2c is a gruelling two-day mountain bike race from Camps Drift in Pietermaritzburg to Blue Lagoon in Durban.
The race also follows the Msundusi and Mgeni Rivers through the Valley of a Thousand Hills.
“It’s always good to race with Julian. He is a serious up-and-coming talent and it’s great that we have created such a good partnership,” said Andrew.
“He keeps me on my toes and it’s great for me to race with him but it’s also good for him to race with someone with experience who can teach him the ropes of stage racing. We get on well together and understand each other, which makes the combination work well.”
The pair recently finished fifth overall at the KAP sani2c, against one of the strongest fields in the race’s 13-year history.
In testing conditions, the duo proved they were able to compete with the best stage racers in the country.
Andrew, a Hillcrest resident, is a regular visitor to the Valley of a Thousand Hills where he does a lot of his training, however he still feels privileged and appreciates the opportunity to race so close to home. “The dusi2c is nothing like sani2c in that it gets right to the roots of mountain biking. There are no frills to the event and you feel like you have taken part in something different and exciting when you get to the finish.
“It is such a cool event and for me being just 20 minutes away from home makes it even more of a privilege because there are a lot of guys I feel who miss out on it.
As the route mostly follows cattle paths, commuter trails and district roads to Durban, Farmer Glen Haw opts to change the course as little as possible but usually has a few tricks up his sleeve.
Despite winning every previous edition of the race, Andrew believes that there is always a threat to his crown and this year is no different. “Warren Price and Trevor Rowe finished second last year and they know the route really well so they will definitely provide a threat. The Change a Life guys are always a force to be reckoned with,” he added.
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