![\"ccs-62657-0-61592200-1488734058.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-61592200-1488734058.jpg\")
<\/a>Jedson Tooms combined technical skills and local experience to win the 2017 Sappi Howick MTB Classic on Sunday 5 March. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThere was a big pack together early on,\u201d said Tooms. \u201cI had to play catch-up after dropping a chain twice.<\/p>\n
\u201cA couple of the other guys crashed in front of me on a slippery uphill section.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe single track here was absolutely amazing!\u201d added the Howick local. \u201cThe technical sections really force you to raise your technical skills.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis course was forced on the race organisers but they made it spectacular,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The win was a second in his local major for Tooms after he edged out Travis Walker in a sprint finish a few years ago.<\/p>\n
Tooms was quick to acknowledge the absence of several local pacesetters like Andrew Hill and another Howick local Stuart Marais, but was thrilled to claim the top step of the podium in his own backyard.<\/p>\n
RMB Change A Life rider Sthembiso Masango was elated to grab second place, ahead of former Sharks centre Jeremy Thompson.<\/p>\n
\u201cMan, they did an amazing job on those trials,\u201d enthused Thompson, whose fun on the trails was interrupted by a high speed collision with a tree.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was lots and lots of single track, with some really cool technical sections. That\u2019s the way we love it,\u201d Thompson added.<\/p>\n Bianca \u201cYankee\u201d Haw showed signs of her return to top form, as she ground away from the other women\u2019s race contenders to take the women\u2019s marathon title to go with her win in the enduro the day before.<\/p>\n \u201cOur race started really fast,\u201d said Haw (Red Bull). \u201cThe first climb was hard. I was riding with Tiffany Keep at that stage and she was really strong.<\/p>\n \u201cI managed to get away on one of the climbs and then just worked at keeping the gap,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Haw had a few anxious moments as her lead shrank after several crashes in the slippery sections, muddy after overnight rains, and on tricky sections on loose pine needles.<\/p>\n \u201cThe technical section through the rocks were really great. I need to up my technical skills! Today made me feel quite rusty,\u201d said Haw.<\/p>\n Haw is about to leave for a few months XCO racing in the European spring, in Italy, France and Germany.<\/p>\n Keep duly wrapped up second place, while another regular to podium at this race Christie Leigh-Hearder secured the last spot on the women\u2019s podium.<\/p>\n The 20km race was won by Bradley Scott from Anthony Horter. Howick MTB club trail builder Sbu Vilikazi duly completed his first MTB race, finishing an impressive 12th overall, on the bike donated and built for him by local riders, and conceded that he needed to do more training.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was good fun but I need to train more. Basically my training was done on one day \u2013 on Friday!\u201d said the enthusiastic local hero.<\/p>\n On Saturday the Sappi Howick Classic Enduro drew rave reviews as the big field took on the new and largely unknown course on the left hand side of the Curry\u2019s Post Road that consisted of four timed stages and a fifth untimed descent.<\/p>\n Downhill pacesetter Tiaan Odendaal took the men\u2019s title from Keira Duncan and Sam Bull, thriving on the fast technical timed sections.<\/p>\n \u201cI had an absolute blast today,\u201d said Odendaal. \u201cI am very happy to take the win. I really enjoyed the fast flowing trails and felt really good on them.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was an excellent event, and I am already excited for the next one,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n The women\u2019s title race provided a thrilling showdown between Haw and rising star Beanie Thies.<\/p>\n The pair was almost inseparable as they pushed each other on the fast technical timed sections, until Thies\u2019 chance of pulling off a major upset win ended with a technical mishap, when her timing chip failed to register on the timing system on one of the timed stages.<\/p>\n Runner-up Kathryn Fourie said the event was well supported by riders across all the age categories, all of whom praised the new trails prepared for the event.<\/p>\n \u201cThe stages were unique, fast paced and all had different types of challenges. The cherry on the top was Stage Five, which was untimed and just done for fun.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was absolutely insane! It\u2019s a fully European style of trail and is seriously steep and gave people an opportunity to try out proper Enduro style trail, with no racing pressure.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the kind of trail that will lift the standard of riding for everyone. The Howick MTB Club have promised to put in more trails of this style, in anticipation of another event later in the year. We can\u2019t wait!\u201d said Fourie.<\/p>\n SUMMARY OF RESULTS<\/strong><\/p>\n Sappi Howick Classic 40km<\/strong> Women<\/strong> Sappi Howick Classic 20km<\/strong><\/p>\n 1.Bradley Scott 1:09:50 Sappi Howick Classic Enduro<\/strong><\/p>\n Men<\/strong> Women<\/strong> More information can be found at www.howickmountainbiking.co.za<\/a> or www.facebook.com\/howickmtb<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Local MTB star Jedson Tooms used his local knowledge and technical skills to win the Sappi Howick MTB Classic title for a second time while XCO star Bianca Haw raced away to take the women\u2019s marathon title to add to the enduro title she won on Saturday. Racing on a new course between the Curry\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":37271,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[733,732,1647,731],"featured_location":[],"class_list":["post-17020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","tag-bianca-haw","tag-howick-mtb-classic","tag-jedson-tooms","tag-sappi-howick-mtb-classic"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17020"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17020\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17020"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=17020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a>Sthembiso Masango was delighted to claim second place at the 2017 Sappi Howick MTB Classic on Sunday 5 March. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Bianca Haw was peerless in the women’s race at the 2017 Sappi Howick MTB Classic on Sunday 5 March. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>The Howick MTB Club did an excellent job in organising all the aspects of the 2017 Sappi Howick MTB Classic on Sunday 5 March. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>The men’s podium at the 2017 Sappi Howick MTB Classic Enduro on Saturday 4 March, from left Keira Duncan, Tiaan Odendaal and Sam Bull. Gavin Ryan\/ QuickPics<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/a>The women’s podium at the 2017 Sappi Howick MTB Classic Enduro on Saturday 4 March, from left Kathryn Fourie, Bianca Haw and Charn\u00e9 Dreyer. Gavin Ryan\/ QuickPics<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
1.Jedson Tooms 2:00:03
2.Sthembiso Masango 2:00:49
3.Jeremy Thompson 2:01:21
4.Dean Wortmann 2:03:58
5.Bongmusa Zikhali 2:04:36
6.Grant Underwood 2:06:16
7.Cian Leveridge 2:08:56
8.Andrew Kenward 2:09:30
9.Bianca Haw 2:10:11 (1st woman)
10.Warren Price 2;10:24<\/p>\n
1. Bianca Haw 2:10:11
2.Tiffany Keep 2:13:21 (1st Jnr)
3.Christie-Leigh Header 2:17:20<\/p>\n
2.Anthony Horter 1:10:21
3.Craig Pike 1:11:32
4.Omar Wilson 1:13;17
5.Judy Gous 1:16:45 (1st woman)
6.Lungisani Xaba 1:17:18
7.Riley Smith 1;17:31
8.Ian Smith 1:17:47
9.Reuben Price 1:18:14
10.Matthew Strydom 1:18:50<\/p>\n
1.Tiaan Odendaal
2.Keira Duncan
3.Sam Bull<\/p>\n
1.Bianca Haw
2.Kathryn Fourie
3.Charn\u00e9 Dreyer<\/p>\n