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<\/a>Lowveld Trekkers’ Max Knox repeated his 2015 victory when he won the Sappi 60km Marathon at the 2017 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival on Sunday. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\nConditions were frosty when riders set off to take on the famous Karkloof trails and the early racing was exciting with a bunch of riders on the front led by Lowveld Trekkers\u2019 Knox who pushed the pace hard to try and break up the field up.<\/p>\n
\u201cI managed to get a slight gap on the opening climb which gave me the advantage that I needed and I kept my head down from there,\u201d Knox commented.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe trails are incredible here and we had the SA Marathon Champs last weekend, they should have just had it here this weekend!<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a massive race in Mpumamlanga this weekend but I love Karkloof and made the effort to come down and race here.\u201d<\/p>\n
South African Marathon Champs was an event that Knox tried to put out of his mind after he pulled out 10km into the race, however it might have been a blessing in disguise going into the Karkloof showdown.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a mechanical at SA champs and so I was feeling really fresh this week and was strong throughout the race today.<\/p>\n \u201cJulian (Jessop) is a strong, young rider and he was always going to be a threat but I just really enjoyed my ride today,\u201d Knox added.<\/p>\n Jessop\u2019s last month of mountain bike racing has been choker-block with a race every weekend; despite this a few small dramas on Sunday didn\u2019t help him in his bid to track down the imperious Knox, meaning he had to settle for his second runner-up finish in as many years.<\/p>\n \u201cWith massive races every week as well as university exams starting this last week, it\u2019s been a really hectic time for me.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a few issues today starting with a broken spoke which cost me some time and then I had a lapse of concentration and went the wrong way!<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough these didn\u2019t help me, I think my biggest problem was that Max was just far too strong for me today,\u201d the Ballito Concept Cyclery star mentioned humbly.<\/p>\n Rounding out the men\u2019s podium was Leeroy Emslie who came home just under three minutes behind Jessop.<\/p>\n The women\u2019s race was always going to be a shoot-out between veteran Natalie Bergstrom and Christie-Leigh Hearder and the pair decided that they would set the pace at the front of the race right from the get-go.<\/p>\n \u201cWe pushed hard early on and made the decision that we would work together to get a good gap on the others.<\/p>\n \u201cI could see when we got to about 20km into the race that Christie was starting to hurt, so I knew that it was time for me to put the hammer down.<\/p>\n \u201cThe trails were incredible today and the course was a lot faster than it has been in previous years, about 20 minutes faster!<\/p>\n \u201cI have had some problems at the race in the past two years so to get a win here is great. It\u2019s a great feeling to be able to win a race like this when I am the oldest person on the start line,\u201d Bergstrom said with a smile.<\/p>\n Bergstrom dominated the ladies field finishing over eight minutes ahead of Hearder with Andrea de Boer rounding out the women\u2019s 60km podium.<\/p>\n The aQuell\u00e9 40km Half Marathon was a showcase of some of the up-and-coming talent on the local mountain biking scene as Travis Steadman cruising to victory ahead Duane Stander in second and Bongukuphiwe Ndlovu in third.<\/p>\n The ladies 40km Half Marathon was won by Frances Janse van Rensberg ahead of Lindsay Everson in second and Pauline Rainbird.<\/p>\n In the popular aQuell\u00e9 20km Fun Ride young Jordan Bold took top honours ahead of Jonathan Watts and Mnceblisi Mkhize whilst in the girl\u2019s race Emily van Heerden, Riley Smith and Jodi Mackinnon finished first, second and third.<\/p>\n In the Stihl Karkloof Enduro on Saturday afternoon, Tiaan Odendaal, Sam Bull and Keira Duncan fought a tight battle with multiple South African downhill champion Odendaal just edging to a narrow three-second victory.<\/p>\n By winning the final two of the four timed sections, Odendaal fought back from third place to claim the title from fellow downhill specialist Bull, with the young Duncan third. <\/p>\n Duncan, who was leading after the first two timed sections, will rue his third split which saw him lose seven seconds to his older and more experienced rivals and cost him his chance of victory as he slipped to third, just five seconds behind the winner.<\/p>\n In the women\u2019s event, Sabine \u2018Beani\u2019 Thies highlighted her status as arguably the most exciting young rising star on the women\u2019s downhill\/enduro circuit with a solid victory over last year\u2019s winner, Kathryn Fourie, while Kim Westbrook claimed third.<\/p>\n<\/a>Despite putting in as big an effort as possible, Ballito Concept Cyclery’s Julian Jessop had to settle for second at the Sappi 60km Marathon at the 2017 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival on Sunday. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>It was an impressive display from Natalie Bergstrom as she powered her way to victory in the ladies race in the Sappi 60km Marathon at the 2017 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival on Sunday. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Tiaan Odendaal claimed his third Stihl Enduro title at the 2017 Sappi Karkloof Classic Trail Festival on Saturday. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span>\n<\/div>\n