RandMark choose their MTB club champs in muddy terrain

The muddy terrain and gloomy weather didn’t stop the RandMark Run, Walk, Cycle Club to decide who their mountain bike club champions would be.

Club spokesperson Lee Kotze explained that due to Covid-19, this was the second year in a row that the club champion had to be decided during a ‘one-day winner takes all’ event. Usually the club champ is the rider who completed the most nominated races throughout the year.

“The mountain bike champion was the first winner of four disciplines that needed to be decided,” Lee stated.

Riders woke up to heavy rain on Saturday, February 5 and the route that was in perfect condition on the Friday, was covered in muddy puddles, and the other wet parts were like clay.

Lee said the riders went off on the same route as last year and no one knew what the route was going to look like, except that there would be mud.

They had to navigate themselves through tricky un-rideable sections of the route, and the longer into the lap the more mud puddles appeared and the deeper they were.”

She explained that some bikes didn’t make it to the finish line and there was a crash or two. One of the riders unfortunately didn’t see a hole and went over her handlebars; fortunately she was okay after her tumble.

A lap was 10km, and men did four laps and the ladies three. A wet drizzle tested the riders’ mental and physical abilities.

At the finish line, and with faces covered in mud, the riders shared laughs about the various incidents that took place during the day while enjoying a cold beer.

The results are as follows:

Men:
• First – Tiaan Smit
• Second – Paul Kotze
• Third – Marius van Tonder

Women:
• First – Annamarie Jacobsz
• Second – Maude Badenhorst (non-club member)
• Third – Lee Kotze