African continental championships - 10/03/2013





This year Cascades mountain bike park hosted the African continental champs which saw around 55 riders take on the world cup course from top to bottom. This is definitely one of the most physically demanding courses on the circuit with about 55 seconds of flat out pedalling half way down. Rain on Friday night made for prime riding conditions on Saturday with everyone having a great time on the course. However heavy rainfalls Saturday night turned the course into a slip and slide near the top steeper sections. With a different format of racing seeing as though it was a UCI sanctioned event saw the Elite riders seeding early. The track had improved since practice but was still rolling very slow. Tiaan Odendaal seeded 1st, myself 2nd, and Louis Smith 3rd.

 

As soon as we got to the bottom we barely had time to clean our bike before we headed straight to the top again for the final. My run was very conservative at the top, thinking back now a little to conservative so I had to push hard on the pedaling section. Overall I was happy with my ride but looking to improve. Overall results for the day were as follows:

 

 

1) Hayden Brown

2) Tiaan Odendaal

3) Stefan Garlicki

4) Tim Bently

5) Travis Browning

 

Thanks to Max cluer sports marketing, KZN MTB and Greg Minnaar cycle store for putting on a great event. Looking forward to South African champs on the same course in a few weekends time.

 

Ride safe,

TB

 

KZN provincial series - round 1

The first round of the Kwa Zulu Natal Provincial Downhill series took place at Cascades mountain bike park. It was a short but challenging course with no room for error. Rain from the day before made conditions perfect on Saturday morning. I started off practice a bit rusty as I haven't ridden a Downhill bike for around 7 months due to a broken wrist last year, but soon got back into the swing of things. I had alot of fun and very excited for the rest of the Downhill season abroad my new GT Fury. Overall results for the day were as follows:

 

1) Tim Bently 1:30

2) David Hogan 1:33

3) Travis Browning 1:34

 

Ride safe,

TB

 

 

The Cycle fest 11 - 13 January

With a new year comes a new season of racing. This past weekend saw the first event for 2013 held at Cascades mountain bike park. Rain for 2 solid days before the event saw it being an absolute mud bath. I took part in the Enduro event held on Saturday. This consisted of 3 timed runs down 2 separate courses. The times were added together which gave your overall result. This makes for an exciting format of racing as it suites both Downhill riders and cross country riders as there is a good balance between technical riding and pedalling. Overall results for the day were:

1) Greg Minnaar
2) Tiaan Odendaal
3) Alan Hatherly
4) Travis Browning
5) Craig Paul

Overall it was a great event and very well organised, big thanks to KZN MTB and Max Cluer sports marketing.

Pics of the mud fest to follow!

Ride safe,
TB

Skills coaching at Treverton College

On Tuesday afternoon I traveled up to the great white North of Mooi river to do some skills coaching with a few students from Treverton college. All the kids were enthusiastic and willing to give the small obstacle course a go that I had set out for them. Treverton seems to be a really great school with a lot to offer. We took a ride through the nature conservation area then back up their airstrip to the main fields. I really enjoyed my time there and look forward to doing some more clinics in the future.  

Pietermaritzburg World Cup - Round 1

Finally the weekend that myself and a lot of other South Africans had been waiting for arrived. The first stop of the world cup circuit in our hometown of Pietermaritzburg. The venue was looking amazing. 4X, XC and DH courses taped and waiting for the riders. The vibe around the event was something I have never experienced and I was loving every second of it.

The track was long and very physical. I did a few hard practice runs to get my head around the course from top to bottom in one complete run. I divided it up into 3 sections. The top was fast, flowed well and alot of gradient changes. The second had some big jumps and flat out pedalling, 40 seconds of it to be exact! The third was alot quicker than the previous section which helped alot seeing as though you were so tired already. A few jumps later and you crossed the line, out of breathe and gasping for air.

I had no idea what to expect for qualifying so I just gave it everything from the start. I made a few mistakes at the top but nothing to serious. I felt I could have pedalled more in the second section but overall was happy with the run qualifying 58th. I was stoked to be in the final racing against all the guys I have looked up to my whole racing career. Sundays final came around and the vibe at the top of the course was tense, all you could hear was indoor trainers buzzing, the timing device counting down for the riders and the commissar calling rider names. I had waited for this day all year and couldn't wait to get on track. I left the gate pumped and ready for the task ahead. I couldn't believe how much faster the track was rolling compared to practice, I nailed all my lines and pedalled as hard as I could. Entering the 3rd and final section disaster struck. I was 2 seconds behind the leader at the split untill I came over the right hand hip near the bottom. I rolled the rear tyre off the rim pulling the tube into the spokes causing it to explode. I didn't want to believe what just happened and just kept on pedaling. Eventually my rear wheel locked up and wouldn't turn any more. My race was over. I was absolutely gutted. The crowd support was amazing, evan though I walked my bike across the line.

After a cool down and getting my head around what happened I went to the line and watched the rest of the race. Was awesome to see the rest of the SA guys representing. The crowed were on their feet as Greg crossed the line, he ended up losing by 0.2 of a second to Aaron Gwin.

Overall it was an amazing weekend that i would do all over again evan knowing about the blowout right at the bottom of the course! Really exciting to know that we have been awarded the world championships for 2013!

Ride safe,

TB

GregMinnaarMongoose DH series #3

On Sunday the 27th March the third round of the gregMinnaarMongoose DH series took place on the top half of the world cup track at Cascades. Rain from the previous days made for some slippery and interesting racing. Mud tyres were a must for Saturdays practice aswell so it was nice to get used to them again as it really is a different feel to normal dry tyres. The track was very technical at the top, had a good mix of speed, steep sections and a couple rock gardens and then a flat out finish sections with some big jumps. My first run went well, the track had dried up more than practice so the traction was there, just needed to put a fast run together. I was lying 3rd overall after that run, Greg was leading with Tim in second. We headed up to the top of the track again for our second run. Quite disappointed to see the clouds had rolled in and visibility was not so good. I made a few mistakes at the top and overshot a few turns so i just focused on making it to the bottom in one piece. i went 3 seconds slower in that run which I wasn't surprised about. Greg took the overall win, Tim in second and me in third. Was awesome to see Greg racing with us again, I did a few runs with him in practice and it's amazing how much you can learn by following someone with that much experience. We have a busy schedule this month with the karkloof this weekend, Nationals next weekend and then the world cup. Very excited! Ride safe, TB

South African Championships - Contermanskloof

On the 3rd of March we headed back to the Western Cape to take part in the South African championships held at Contermanskloof on a course that I had never seen before. I really didn't know what to expect so walking the track on Thursday was a learning experience for me. It hadn't rained in the Cape from around December last year so everything was dry, dusty and loads of braking bumps before most of the turns.

The top section had alot of pedalling between the switchbacks that led into some steep turns and a flat out descent that was super bumpy and fast. A series of high speed rock gardens followed and then it was a sprint to the finish line. The course was really tough on the bike, but it handled like a champ and I was loving testing it out on new terrain. I had a few silly crashes in practice, nothing too serious though. My seeding run was better than expected and I was lying 5th overall. I was happy with that as I had no idea how fast the other guys were going. By the time our race run came around the track was super blown out and a few turns had changed. But I kept it together and had a clean run. I finished 6th overall, 1st KZN rider. Was a little disappointed as I wanted a top 4, but looking forward to having a home turf advantage for the next 3 major races coming up.

Overall results for the day:
1 ) Andrew Neethling
2) Johann Potgieter
3) Stefan Garlicki
4) Jonty Neethling
5) Darryn Stow
6) Travis Browning

Ride safe,
TB

GregMinnaar/Mongoose DH series #2

The second round of the GregMinnaar/Mongoose DH series was held at Cascades, this time on a longer more physically demanding course. We started above the N3 pedalling section, unfortunately heavy rains from the previous night stopped the trucks from reaching the top where we were meant to start so we had a shorter but by no means easier course We rode through some pine forest from the start that spat you out onto the world cup track and from there it was pedalling flat out all the way to the bottom.

My First run was good, no mistakes but I felt I did slack off on the pedalling a bit to much. I was first overall but knew there was another run and everyone was gonna push alot harder. I went to the top focused and ready to get the job done. I pedalled hard and improved by 4 seconds on my first run time. It wasn't enough to knock Allisdair out the hot seat so he took the overall win with me in second. Really stoked for him, it's awesome to see the depth of DH riders that KZN produces.

Overall results for the day:
1) Allasdair Fey
2) Travis Browning
3) Hayden Brown
4) Tiaan Odendaal
5) Kelvin Purchase

Our next regional will be on the full World cup track so it's gonna be a real test of fitness and skill!

Ride safe,
TB

African Continental championships - Stellenbosch

The KZN mountain bike team travelled down to the Western Cape on the 13th Feb for the African Continental champs held at Jonkershoek in Stellenbosch. The course was the same one we rode 2 years ago so we had an idea of what we were in for, but didn't expect the track conditions to have changed so much during that time. Overall the track was really good, there were some steep off-camber turns at the top, a road gap that led into fast flowing single track that was super rough and blown out. There was a sprint to the finish through some harvested forest land and a final tight left hand turn towards the finish line.

My first few practice runs were a bit sketchy from the conditions being so much different than I'm used too. But I finally got into the swing of things and started enjoying myself. I had one big crash on Saturday afternoon on the fast off-camber turn, but was soon back on the bike with no serious injuries. Race day came and I was in the zone and ready to put in some good runs. Our Nationals are being run a little differently than previous years, as we now do a seeding run first then a final race run. Before we would do 2 race runs, the faster of the two counting for the final position. I prefer the new race format as it gives you an idea on how fast or slow you are riding in your seeding run, but only gives you one chance to put a fast run together in the final just like a world cup.

My seeding run went well but I did make a few mistakes at the top of the course. I was lying 6th overall and I knew there was time to be made. For the final I gave it my all and pedalled hard, it got a bit loose near the bottom but I held it together. I pushed Tim out the hot seat and managed to finish 5th overall and first KZN rider. I was happy with my result for the day.

Results for the day:
1) Andrew Neethling
2) Jonty Neethling
3) Johan Potgieter
4) Stefan Garlicki
5) Travis Browning

Ride safe,
TB

GregMinnaar/Mongoose series #1

The first round of the GregMinnaar/Mongoose series kicked off on the 30th January at Cascades on a fresh top section of course designed by Brian Dinkelman which led onto the bottom half of the World cup track. I was really excited and motivated to start the new season off on my new GT Fury.

The track was really fun, there was alot of pedalling on the top part of course which led into some steep switchbacks and tight turns. A few big jumps on the world cup track and a fast sprint to the finish. My first run went well, I had no big mistakes but was certain there was room for improvement. I was second overall, just 1 second off Tim. The second run I pushed hard and made an effort to pedal more between every turn. I went 1.5 seconds faster in that run to end the day first overall.

Results for the day were:

1) Travis Browning

2) Tim Bentley

3) Tiaan Odendaal

I was really happy to get the season off to a good start aboard my new bike and super motivated for the next few races.

Ride safe,

TB

Karkloof Trailblazer - 28th November

One thing I have been really enjoying since I got home is all the amazing single track and just riding in general we are so fortunate to have here in Howick. Sunday was an event I was definitely not going to miss as it was a ride on some incredible single track in the karkloof designed and maintained by Hylton Turvey and his crew. I started off in H batch so I knew there was gonna be a serious back log in the first few kms of single track. After one or two sniper lines and shifting out of granny gear i started passing riders and making my way through the pack. There were some serious climbs to get to the single track, and the mornings heat didnt make them any easier. But all in all totally worth the effort because the ride down had me in my element and just made me remember why i love my sport so much. It was a hard 45kms, I finished in 2 hours 48 minutes, placing me 55th out of 303 riders, and 15th in the senior men. I really enjoyed the ride and was happy with my result. I want to do more longer rides in the future and slowly improve the results as I get stronger.

Ride safe,
TB

Greg Kaumpek memorial race - 7th November

After 3 plane trips, one missed flight, a bit of sightseeing in London and ALOT of walking I finally arrived in South Africa on Sunday the 31st November. I was extremely excited to see my family again, you really learn to appreciate how much they mean to you when your limited to a phone call once a week at the most. After a week of relaxing, catching up with friends and getting over some serious jet lag it was that time of the year again where Martin Fourie puts together a race to remember our good friend and fellow rider Greg Kaumpek who passed away in April 2004 on the way back from the George national. I chose to ride my Ndiza since I had heard the track was quite pedally at the top with a few jumps thrown in. Turned out to be a good choice and I was really enjoying being back on the bike since I hadn't ridden for about 2 months due to my rear shock blowing at one of the bike parks in Canada. I pedalled hard in the first run and finished second behind Tiaan with Kelvin in third. Second run was nice and fast in the top half, but near the bottom of the course I landed on a rock leaving me with a flat tyre and a slow pedal to the finish line. Luckily I had done enough to stay in second position for the day. Would have liked to have got my name back on the floating trophy for Greg, but Tiaan rode hard to earn it for this year.

Thanks to Martin and Brian for organising the race as well as the Kaumpek family for being there to share a few words about Greg and hand over the trophy. He will always be missed!

Ride safe,
TB

Something new...

Seeing as though I live at Moto-x track I have been riding alot of dirt bikes lately. I started off on a smaller DRZ125 and played around on the Peewee track, learnt a few things and got some lessons from Liam on how to corner and other techniques. Then upgraded to the 450....quite a big change! Been having loads of fun, I haven't ridden dirt bike since we owned a YZ250F, that was about 3 years ago so I still got alot to learn, but loving trying something new. The track isn't the easiest to learn on either, its really sandy and super rough with big braking bumps into the turns so i have been thrown in the deep end, but loving the challenge! Here some pics from last weeks session:

World champs - Mont Sainte Anne

This past weekend was my Third World championship event, but first one being a spectator. My travels to Mont Sainte Anne, Quebec, started on Saturday morning where i caught the VIA trainway from Woodstock station. It was a 2 hour trip to Toronto where I had another 4 hours to wait before my flight from Toronto city airport to Quebec. I made my way through Toronto with my street map and had a look at all the buildings and other things that foreigners like me are amazed by. Found an Oakley shop in Queen street so had to buy some new shades! after alot of walking I caught the ferry across to the airport and departed for Quebec. The only unplanned part of my trip was how to get from Quebec city airport to Mont Sainte Anne which was about 40kms away. I soon found out that my initial plan of catching a bus wasn't going to work because they didn't operate on weekends. So the only other option was a taxi that cost me $110. I met the South African team at Chalet Montmerency, about 2km from the race village. Was awesome to see my buddies again, and meet a few new riders from the motherland. We watched the pump track world champs Saturday night, alot of the pro's had entered but the junior rider Mitch Rapelato ended up winning, he is really skilled on a bike, was awesome to watch.

I woke up Sunday real excited for the days racing, weather was overcast and raining lightly but not enough to dampen the mood of the event! I caught a Gondola up to the top of the mountain and walked down the course. It was amazing seeing a world class track like Mont Sainte Anne in real life, all those years seeing it on DVDs and reading about it. Finally I was there! The track was super rough and rutted out, the rain had made it real tacky. The riders said it wasn't so technical, just the speed you were travelling at and how long the track was made it real tough on the body. For race time i found a prime position in the finish area, in front of the Live TV screen, then to the left was the timing board so I could see the splits and final times. Our SA boys rode really well, evan though they may have not been pleased with their final results. Tim went over the bars in his run but still finished 8th in the juniors, he was definitely on a top 5 overall in his run before the crash. Unfortunately Sime had a big crash in practice that left him with a broken collar bone and fractured wrist. Andrew held the hot seat for at least ten riders until Danni Hart came down. Needles finished 11th for the day. Greg was down on Sam's split time, he looked like he was going to make a comeback until he hit a tree with his shoulder in a rock garden and stalled. He rode well to still end up on the podium finishing 3rd. He told us afterwards that the last few riders battled with the rain blocking their vision, and the track is so rough and steep that there weren't really any places to pull tear offs. Where Sam and Steve came down earlier so they
had better riding conditions. The crowd were going nuts to see Canadian Steve Smith on the podium, he really impressed me with his ride, definitely deserved the 2nd place.

Final results for the day were:

1) Sam Hill 4:37.93
2) Steve Smith + 2.63
3) Greg Minnaar + 3.00
4) Aarin Gwin + 4.08
5) Gee Atherton + 4.71

Couldn't believe it was all over. But what an experience, worth every bit of the effort to get there. All the riders let loose at the afterparty Sunday night. Greg said to us when he was leaving our chalet afterwards - " I'll see you guys at the afterparty. Well I won't see you...but I'll be there." And that's pretty much what happened haha, what a good night.

I left Quebec on Tuesday at 10:30am and arrived in Toronto at 12:30. My train was only at 5pm so I caught the subway from union station up to Don mills where Liam fetched me and I got to spend some quality time with my bud before I headed back to Woodstock. had such an amazing weekend, I will always have a passion for my sport that will never fade. The love of the sport keeps me motivated, and after this weekends racing I am evan more excited for next years season and especially the world cup in Pietermaritzburg.

Below are a few pics from Toronto, my travels and Quebec. Forgot my phone at the Chalet on Sunday so there are no pics from race day unfortunately.

Ride safe,
TB