Thrilling racing at final leg of Mpumalanga XCO at Mankele

Tiaan Wolvaardt, Reinhardt Strydom and Louis Coetzee went wheel to wheel in the sprog boys’ category at the XCO #4 at Mankele on Saturday June 1.

The three talented youngsters diced each other, with just nine seconds separating first from third after the four laps.

Louis (06:34) held a one-second lead over Tiaan (06:35) after lap one, with Reinhardt (06:53) eight seconds back.

Reinhardt and Tiaan finished the third lap head to head (20:40), with Louis seven seconds ahead of them.

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Louis was pushed by his opponents on the final lap and managed to muster the energy to win in 00:27:23.

Reinhardt claimed second place in 00:27:31, with Tiaan just one second back in 00:27:32.

In the subjunior girls’ race, Maya de Vries reigned supreme, competing her three laps in 00:33:58.

Gabriella de Oliveira was second in 00:45:52 and Miané Schneider third in 0:28:27.

The other top three results were:
Nipper boys
1. Christiaan Prinsloo – 00:20:28
2. Reenen Rautenbach – 00:22:02
3. Lian Scott – 00:22:15
Nipper girls
1. Zianay Rademeyer – 00:23:25
2. Amé Schneider – 00:26:13
3. Linke Schneider – 00:26:15
Sprog girls
1. Leyla de Oliveira – 00:2:41
2. Lana de Vries – 00:28:24
3. Miané Schneider – 00:28:27
Subjunior boys
1. Brand Reinard du Plessis – 00:41;58
2. Armand Nel – 00:45;33
3. Scholtz Boshoff – 00:45:48
Youth women
1. Lu-Mari du Plessis – 00:33;58
2. Kyla Ooosthuizen – 00:35:22
3. Jana Kotze – 00:35: 54
Veteran women:
1. Megan Barnard – 00:50:13
Master men
1. Gerhard du Plessis – 00:34;17
2. Pierre Veldtsman – 00:43:20
3. Grové Eksteen – 00:47:53
Grandmaster women
1. Corné Ackerman – 00:46:09
Grandmaster men
1. Cobus Fourie – 00:48:00
2. Neville Victor – 00:35:33
3. Blackie Swart – 00:50:26
Junior women
1. Megan Botha – 00:49:22
2. Mia Putter – 00:53:51
3. Mikyla Herbst – 00:54:28
Subveteran women
1. Surané du Plessis – 00:11:59
Youth men
1. Gerson du Plessis – 00:44:07
2. janco van Staden – 00:45:32
3. Michael Gouws – 00:45:34
Junior men
1. Eben Binneman – 00:51:57
2. Dalmyn Pretorius – 00:52:30
3. Lorenzo Gates – 00:58:08
Elite men
1. Dristen Swart – 01:02:25
2. Christiaan Smit – 00:05:36
3. Jano Venter – 01:06:23
Subveteran men
1. Derek Ackerman – 00:56:14
2. Duane Purcocks – 00:58:35
3. Hendrich Behrens – 00:59:27
Veteran men
1. Brand du Plessis – 00:50:24
2. Anton van Tonder – 00:59:26
3. Lawrence Scott – 00:59:46.

The 2024 MP XCO Series top three results, with each riders three best results contributing to their points tally, are:
Nipper boys
1. Christiaan Prinsloo – 200
2. Lian Scott – 153
3. Juandré Roets – 146
Nipper girls
1. Lily Hattingh – 153
2. Klara Prinsloo – 148
3. Amé Schneider- 140
Sprog boys
1. Tiaan Wolvaart – 190
2. Louis Coetzee – 185
3. Reinhardt Strydom – 125
Sprog girls
1. Leyla de Oliveira – 200
2. Lana de Vries- 180
3. Miané Schneider – 156
Subjunior boys
1. Scholtz Boshoff – 161
2. Brand Reinhard du Plessis – 150
3. Armand Nel – 143
Subjunior girls
1. Maya de Vries – 200
2. Gabriella de Oliveira – 175
3. Chinike Reed – 133
Youth women
1. Jana Kotze – 175
2. Kyla Oosthuizen – 167
3. Lu-Mari du Plessis – 150
Veteran women
1. Megan Barnard – 150
2. Zelia Swart – 90
3. Soekie Human – 50
Master women
1. Retha Calitz – 50
2. Shirley Emerick – 50
Master men
1. Gerhard du Plessis – 185
2. Werner Barnard – 104
3. Patrice Gautier – 100
Grandmaster women
1. Corné Ackermann – 200
Grandmaster men
1. Blackie Swart – 85
2. Cobus Fourie – 82
3. Johan Steyn – 50
Junior women
1. Megan Botha – 186
2. Mia Putter – 175
3. Keara Botha – 154
Elite women
1. Laura Milne – 50.
Subveteran women
1. Surané Stapelberg – 50
Youth men
1. Gerson du Plessis – 200
2. Janco van Staden – 175
3. Shaun Kunze – 157
Junior men
1. Eben Binneman – 190
2. Dalmyn Pretorius – 157
3. Lumaardt Pienaar – 129
Elite men
1. Dristen Swart – 200
2. Christian Smit – 175
3. Estian le Roux – 148
Subveteran men
1. Derek Ackerman – 195
2. Duane Purcocks – 162
3. Hendrich Behrens – 85
Veteran men
1. Lawrence Scott – 176
2. Chris Herselman – 158
3. Brand du Plessis – 150