Spur Tour de Mielie takes centre stage in Potchefstroom

The third race of the Spur Schools MTB League will make its way to Potchefstroom this Saturday, 13 August with some of the best mountain bikers in North West and the country, for that matter, will battle it out for first place at Friesland Melkery.

The appropriately named Tour de Mielie will feature a number of big school cycling names such as SA champion, Danielle Strydom, former SA XCO champion, Pieter du Toit, and current SA XCO champs, Nooi Louw and Ryan Conradie, to name but a few.

Overall, Potchefstroom Gimnasium is in first place after the opening two rounds of the series with 199 points with Rustenburg High School in  second place on 140 points. Volkskool Potchefstroom is in fifth place with 88 points and will need to start catching up.

On an individual level, Joné van Eeden of Potchefstroom Gimnasium currently leads the sub-junior girls’ section with her brother, Brendan  also showing his mettle in the youth boys’ section in second place overall. Ryan Conradie of the same school  leads the way in this section.

In the junior men’s section, the battle is hotting up between Pieter du Toit and Brandon van der Berg, both of Potch Volkies. Du Toit still leads the overall standings but Van der Berg got a well-deserved victory in the previous race.

MTB enthusiasts should also keep an eye on the junior women’s race where Nooi Louw of Volkies and Danielle Strydom of Gimmies, who are training partners, battle it out for the top position. Almost like Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, without the heated  rivalry, these are two riders who battle it out on the track and congratulate one another after the race – a great example of sportsmanship.