Kallen Williams (Toyota Cycling Academy) managed to cause quite the upset in the midst of his optometry exams by winning the Momentum 94.7 Mountain Bike race.
What made the 20 year olds victory yesterday (11 November) special is that he managed to outride one of the true legends of international mountain biking, Karl Platt (Team Bulls). The German is a four time winner of the Absa Cape Epic and also a winner of the Trans-Alp Tour.
William’s winning time for the 55km race was 2 hours 04 minutes and 55 seconds. Platt finished second with Andrew McLean (Toyota Cyclelab) third.
Nic White (Toyota CSA u23 team mentor) finished fourth on a single speed bike. Dylan Rebello (ASG Eagle Canyon) was the first junior to finish.
“There is nothing better coming over the line first knowing that it is job well done,” an out of breath Williams said moments after winning. Williams and Platt dominated the race right from the start riding from the front and setting a high tempo. Most youngsters might have felt intimidated riding shoulder to shoulder with one of the world’s best mountain bikers, but not Williams. “You don’t go to a race to finish second,” is his simple explanation about why he fought so hard to win.
According to Williams the deciding moment of the race happened about four kilometers from the finish. “Just before the last water point there was a small climb. I decided to put Karl on the front and then I attacked him. It was just supposed to be a mock attack to see how he would react. Karl did not respond. I realized immediately that it is now or never. I just put my head down and gave everything. I will be honest, that last few kilometers to the finish were really hard.
Platt’s participation was a real spur of the moment decision.
Actually it was a hectic 24 hours for the German. He slept less than three hours before the race and 10 hours after finishing he was on a plane flying back to Germany.
Platt only heard about the Cycle Challenge and the Momentum 94.7 Mountain Bike on Saturday evening while being a guest of honour at the Mpumalanga Cycling Award Function in Nelspruit. The German’s reaction was immediately can I still enter proving his passion for the sport. The organizers instinctively realized what great publicity Platt’s participation would be for the Momentum 94.7 Mountain Bike Race. After a few quick phone calls to the Momentum 94.7 organizers Platt’s entry was a done deal.
Platt only arrived back in Pretoria at 02:30 and by 05:00 he was up and getting ready for the race. In the end the lack of sleep and not eating properly caught up with him. “It was fun in the beginning with all the corners and fast racing but towards the end of the race I could feel that it has been two weeks since I really raced my mountain bike. I just did not have anything left in my legs. But it is no excuse. Kallen raced brilliantly and fully deserved to win especially since it was him who initiated the deciding break early on during the race.”
Asked why he decided on such short notice to race Platt said that he heard the Momentum 94.7 Mountain bike race is one of the most popular events in South Africa and that he wanted to experience it for himself. “I anyway had to be in Johannesburg so I decided I might as well come a few hours earlier and race as well. I really love racing in South Africa. It is where I first made a name for myself as a mountain biker by winning the Cape Epic. Ever since then I really feel welcome in South Africa.”
Yolandi du Toit (Bizhub) had no problems winning the women’s race in 2:25:54.
For more information on the race visit www.cyclechallenge.co.za
Better result is Nic White 4th on a single speed!