![\"ccs-62657-0-86233000-1438005303.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-86233000-1438005303-1.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nA smiling Rourke Croeser after winning Ashburton Investments.<\/span><\/p>\n But he never did fade. Instead, Croeser steadily built his lead to more than 10 minutes over his nearest rival when he crossed the finish line in a time of 4 hours 46 minutes 50 seconds. Swiss rider, Konny Looser (Wheeler), finished second in 4:57:42 with Darren Lill rounding out the podium in 4:59:52. They were the only riders to break five hours on a course what was considered \u2018tame\u2019 but clearly made more challenging by the wet weather.<\/p>\n \u201cI planned to go hard from the start. But I didn\u2019t expect to be on my own!\u201d smiled a satisfied Croeser afterwards.<\/p>\n \u201cI know that I can ride at 175 beats per minute heart rate for five hours, so that\u2019s what I set out to do. I managed to keep my heart rate at that average for almost the whole race. Just the last five kays I started to struggle a bit, but I had a good lead so it worked out well in the end,\u201d added Croeser.<\/p>\n \u201cRegarding the conditions, if you have a negative attitude towards them it doesn\u2019t help. I enjoy it. I really like riding in the mud. That\u2019s why I\u2019m a mountain biker!<\/p>\n Looser\u2019s runner-up place ensured that he extended his lead in the Ashburton Investments National MTB Series. He hasn\u2019t finished outside the top five in all five events this year, showing impressive consistency, but is yet to claim a victory.<\/p>\n In the women\u2019s race, Kleinhans and her RECM teammate, Cherise Stander, were the aggressors, setting a quick pace from the start that was only matched by South African champion, Robyn de Groot (Ascendis Health). After the Queen of the Mountain prime at 20km, Kleinhans and Stander moved clear of De Groot and set about working together to build a lead on their rival.<\/p>\n