Philip Buys and Sarah Hill conquered the Fedhealth Magalies Monster MTB Classic on their first attempt this past weekend.
The event took place in the might of the Magaliesberg and the majestic Buffelspoort Dam on Saturday August 28. Celebrating its 18th anniversary on the day, mountain bikers could choose between the Marathon/+-65km, Half Marathon/+-33km, Fun Ride/+-16km and a 2.5km Kids Event.
Philip completed the Marathon/+-65km route in a lightning-fast time of two hours, 49 minutes and 2 seconds.
“The route was quite rough. I really enjoyed it,” said Phillip.
“It was my first Magalies Monster, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun that rough downhill was. The weather was fine today. We had a little bit of rain on the far end of the route, but it didn’t affect the outcome of the race. If my schedule allows it, I’ll definitely be back next year.” Pieter du Toit came in second while Jan Withaar finished third.
Sarah secured gold in the women’s race in a deserving time of three hours, 31 minutes and 11 seconds.
According to Sarah, she wanted to see what all the hype was about.
“Everyone talks so highly of this race. I was absolutely blown away. I’ve done Breedt’s Nek a couple of times, but I did not realise that there was more to it. I really enjoyed finding rhythm on the climbs, and the downhills were absolutely phenomenal. It was rocky, technical, hard-packed, fast – everything you want, and it rained. My favourite part was the moment that I crested Breedt’s Nek and turned right to start descending. You have the most beautiful views. It’s a great area for training and it’s breathtakingly beautiful.” Samantha Sanders came in second while Karlise Scheepers finished third.
Other results on the day:
• Lenre Coetzee was on fire in the Half Marathon/+-33km securing victory in one hour, 19 minutes and 40 seconds, while Ernie Roets came in second, and Bertie Emmett Anderson third.
• Yvonne Prinsloo was the strongest contender in the women’s race crossing the finish line in one hour, 43 minutes and 40 seconds. Sasha-Lee Sauer came in second, followed by Tshidi Ebudilwe in third.
• Riaan van den Berg claimed the top spot on the podium in the Fun Ride/+-16km in 55 minutes 35 seconds. Dirk Steenkamp came in second, while Frans Naude finished third.
• Alicia Steenkamp was the first woman home in the women’s race in a time of 57 minutes 12 seconds. Alet de Lange came in second while Lianne Zermatten finished third.
Fedhealth Principal Officer Jeremy Yatt said, “We’ve just concluded the Fedhealth Magalies Monster MTB Classic and what an event it’s been. Despite the restrictions due to Covid-19, we trust that all the MTB riders had a blast on some of the North West’s most spectacular routes. It was amazing to be out riding in the fresh air again and to celebrate health and fitness with all the participants. Thank you for joining us!”
