![\"ccs-62657-0-73189700-1468810942.jpeg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-73189700-1468810942.jpeg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Defending Champion Stefan Garlicki (Investec) descended the mountain slopes of Cascades MTB Park in the quickest overall time to claim the Elite Men’s National Title at the STIHL 2016 South African National Mountain bike Downhill Championships in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday 17 July. Photo: Andrew Mc Fadden\/BOOGS Photography<\/span><\/p>\nAfter the first qualifying run in the morning, there was much chatter amongst the competitors about the brand new track, which was designed by Rio Olympic Games XCO track builder Nick Floros. Local riders tipped the track as providing the tough challenges that the international tracks offer, while both Garlicki and second-placed Johann Potgieter (Team Racing Dudes\/YT Industries) were both unanimous that it was one of the most technically challenging tracks that they had ever ridden.<\/p>\n
Having returned from campaigning in Europe for most of the season for the prestigious event, Garlicki found himself a little off the pace in the qualifying run and further back than he was hoping to be. He qualified fourth fastest and six seconds behind previous multiple National Champion Tiaan Odendaal (JT Designs), who had set the fastest qualifier.<\/p>\n
Garlicki said: \u201cSomebody told me that I should just go faster, so I just went faster,\u201d he laughed. \u201cI think I just let the brakes go a little bit more each time so it didn\u2019t feel that much different. The first run I feel I just played it a little bit safe. Although it felt good, it was a controlled run, so I just let go a bit in the second one. I knew that I could go faster but I wasn\u2019t sure that I could go seven seconds faster, so it was a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n Potgieter, who squeezed into second place by a mere whisker ahead of Jonathan Philogene (Lapierre\/2 Bros Racing) by 0.17 seconds, put his result down to experience. \u201cThe qualifiers for World Cups are really difficult and the times are so close with everybody going so fast. It\u2019s just about keeping your cool and getting a good run down to the bottom. The World Cup tracks are very different to the tracks in South Africa. This is one of the best races we\u2019ve done in South Africa in a long time. A really good track, thanks to everyone who helped set it up, I\u2019m stoked.\u201d<\/p>\n Philogene said: \u201cI haven\u2019t been getting too much practice because I did a lot of coaching on this track, but that allowed me to get to know the track quite well. In terms of the bike, I\u2019m pretty happy and really comfortable on the new bike already so that was absolutely no issue out here today, and it worked well.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked about her double victories over the course of the weekend, overall women\u2019s winner Thies said: \u201cIt feels good \u2013 last year I lost the XCO race so I couldn’t get the double win. This year I really wanted it again and yesterday started off on an average note because I was called up last on the start line. I had to fight my way past nine people to get to the front, and once I was in the lead I stayed there until the end. Today was fun for me and I wanted to enjoy myself, and I am very happy to come out with the win.\u201d<\/p>\n Giving her opinion on the track, Thies commented: \u201cI rode the track with Jono (Philogene) on Wednesday and we rode the whole course slowly. This morning, I fell on my first practice run but didn’t hurt myself, which was fine. This track is a lot steeper and shorter than the World Cup track and has a lot less pedalling. The steeper sections suit me.\u201d<\/p>\n Elite Women\u2019s winner and second woman overall, Kathryn Fourie, said: \u201cMy seeding run went really well with very few mistakes. Unfortunately on my final run I crashed four times, which ended any chance of winning, but I\u2019m happy that I finished within five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking about the new downhill track, Fourie said, \u201cThis is one of the coolest tracks that I have ridden \u2013 it doesn’t have massive jumps in it but it was very loose today. We didn’t have to contend with six-metre gap jumps but it was very steep. You have to know how to ride these type of conditions too. Essentially this track was very much like a European track \u2013 it was very similar to Andorra just shorter. It will definitely lift our level of riding if they can ride on a track like this. I\u2019m impressed with the little guys here today.\u201d<\/p>\n In the Junior Men\u2019s category, Christopher Philogene took the title against Cullen McMaster, while Shaun Smale claimed the Youth Men victory against Keira Duncan by the closest of margins, winning the title by .044 seconds!<\/p>\n The very young riders\u2019 categories were equally hotly contested. Maximillian Wolfson beat Robert Jessop in the Sub Junior Boys race, while Caleb Archer found success against Benjamin Wolfson by 10 seconds in the Nippers\u2019 race. In the Sprogs Boys race, Liam Hall claimed top honours by .618 seconds in a tight race against Keagan Brand.<\/p>\n<\/a>Johann Potgieter (Team Racing Dudes\/YT Industries) squeezed into second place in the Elite Men’s race by a mere whisker ahead of Jonathan Philogene (Lapierre\/2 Bros Racing) by 0.17 seconds at the STIHL 2016 South African National Mountain bike Downhill Championships at Cascades MTB Park in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday 17 July. Photo: Andrew Mc Fadden\/BOOGS Photography<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Jonathan Philogene (Lapierre\/2 Bros Racing) claimed a bronze medal in the Elite Men’s race at the STIHL 2016 South African National Mountain bike Downhill Championships at Cascades MTB Park in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday 17 July. Photo: Andrew Mc Fadden\/BOOGS Photography<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Sabine Thies claimed her second National Title for the weekend after she won her Cross-country race the day before at the STIHL 2016 South African National Mountain bike Downhill Championships at Cascades MTB Park in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday 17 July. Photo: Andrew Mc Fadden\/BOOGS Photography<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Elite Women\u2019s winner and second woman overall, Kathryn Fourie at the STIHL 2016 South African National Mountain bike Downhill Championships at Cascades MTB Park in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday 17 July. Photo: Andrew Mc Fadden\/BOOGS Photography<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>In the Junior Men\u2019s category, Christopher Philogene took the title against Cullen McMaster at the STIHL 2016 South African National Mountain bike Downhill Championships at Cascades MTB Park in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday 17 July. Photo: Andrew Mc Fadden\/BOOGS Photography<\/span><\/p>\n