It is almost impossible to predict who will be, the winner of the UCI-sanctioned MTN Sabie ultra-race, on Saturday (23 February), but of one thing there can be no doubt. It is guaranteed to be an exciting battle.
This is not only because Steffen Thum (Germany), the overall winner of the 2011- 2012 UCI MTB Marathon World Series, his compatriot Simon Gegenheimer, who finished fourth overall in the same series, Karl Platt (Germany’s Team Bull), four-time winner of the Absa Cape Epic, and quite a few other international riders will be in action in Sabie.
Judging by the results of the major local mountain-bike events so far this season, there seems to be a ‘changing of the guards’.
Riders such as Matthys Beukes (Contego), Lourens Luus (RE:CM) and Erik Kleinhans (RE:CM), who were seldom mentioned in reports on mountain biking’s ultra-races in the past, have been major role players since January.
There is another sub-plot to Saturday’s race. Max Knox (Specialized) has been Sabie’s premier mountain biking ‘export’ during the past five years, but this is not necessarily true any longer. Luus also hails from Sabie. He makes no secret of the fact that Knox has always been, and still is, his role model. But Saturday, on the slopes of the Drakensberg, he will not be hero-worshipping anybody.
“I cannot compete in a race hoping to finish second. That will be a defeatist approach. I am not saying that I am going to win, but I will certainly give it my all to achieve a good result.”
It will be interesting to see who of the two Sabie ‘natives’ will win the small internal ‘Battle of Sabie’. Will it be ‘old man’ Knox or the ‘young newcomer’ Luus. Whoever of the two wins, it is certain to be one of mountain biking’s nicest guys.
Although Thum (Ultra Sports Rose Racing Team) is currently the world’s top ultra-racer, he is realistic about the outcome of the MTN Sabie race.
“I have to be honest with myself. At this stage I am not yet ready to race to win. I will be happy with a top-ten finish. It is important for me to get some points from the race because it is the first of the UCI’s World Series.”
Thum reckons it will be tough for the international riders to beat the South Africans on their home turf.
“The South Africans are used to the conditions and there is also the matter of pride at stake.”
Thum predicts that Platt and his team-mates from Team Bull will be capable of spoiling the local riders’ fun.
“If the former world champion, Christoph Sauser (Specialized) from Switzerland, is racing he will be hard to beat,” Thum said.
Platt won the MTN Sabie race in 2011 and was fourth last year.
Knox, who won the MTN Barberton ultra-race in impressive style for a record fourth time, has not had the best of build-ups for Saturday’s race.
He was battling a flu bug for the whole of last week, but he says he is feeling better now and ready to give his all.
Knox finished second in Sabie last year in spite of having to cope with an airless tyre during the last five kilometres.
Another rider worth watching will be Matthys Beukes (Contego/Giant) who won the Addo Challenge was second in Barberton.
Philip Buys (Scott) is, according to those who saw him race recently, like a ‘time bomb waiting to explode’.
Apparently the question is not whether he can win an ultra-race, but rather when he will do it.
For full results and more info visit www.advendurance.com
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/advendurance
Find us on Twitter: @advendurance
