Hill aims for joBerg2c top spot
The mountain biking duo are the race favourites and have, since the start of the race, claimed a strong lead.
ANDREW Hill and racing partner, Shaun-Nick Bester, are competing in the gruelling nine-day joBerg2c mountain bike race from Heidelberg to Scottburgh from 26 April to 4 May.
After mixed fortunes at the Epic, where the Darkhorse Wheels duo ended 25th despite Bester discovering only after the event that he had tick bite fever, the pair will compete in their second major stage race of 2019 as the favourites.
Hill, however, knows just how fortunes can rise and fall in a multi-day event and was careful to play down the team’s chances.
“Our aim for joBerg2c is, like most stage races or tours, to try and ride for the overall general classification (GC) placing and try and avoid any unnecessary energy expenditure or injury and illness.
“The overall race strategy is to finish on the podium. As a team, we have the necessary experience for this event and know what is required to be up there in the mix for a win. We have definitely tried to make our season-build slightly longer in an effort to target the nine-day race. Shaun-Nick and I have worked hard in the planning phase this year,” said Hill.
Bester agreed and believes the success of Team Darkhorse Wheels would be because of teamwork.
“Motivation for long events, and particularly multi-day stage races, is critical,” said Bester. “You go through ups and downs from day to day. As a team, Andrew and I have a great ethos and we know we can really rely on each other to motivate and drive one another when needed.”
ALSO READ: Hill claims another Drak Descent MTB win
Bester and Hill are excited to compete in the event as the joBerg2c provides riders with a unique look at South Africa. It is the only race that takes competitors from the South African Highveld, through four different provinces and ends at the coast.
“We go from the flat farmlands of the Free State to the thorny bushveld and over the mountains of the Drakensberg and finally through the KZN canelands to the sea. Each day holds something different and special. I love the uniqueness of each day and the amazing people you meet along the way. The farming communities really come out to support the riders and the race villages, and the food each night, which is prepared by the local farming communities, is something to be really excited about.”
The joBerg2C started on Friday at Heidelberg in Gauteng and will finish in Scottburgh this Saturday. The first three stops will be in Frankfort, Reitz and Sterkfontein Dam in the Free State. The riders will then drop over the escarpment into KZN for overnight stays at Winterton, Nottingham Road, Underberg, Ixopo and finally, Highflats.
The total race distance is about 900km and the bulk of the riding is on district dirt roads as well as a lot of Jeep and single track. The longest day is the 121km ride on day 3 from Reitz to Sterkfontein.
Do you want to receive alerts regarding this and other Highway community news via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message (not an sms) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5409.
You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Highway Mail WhatsApp number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts.
