![\"nationals1.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-2-0-62849100-1343145060.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nBurry Stander (Specialized Racing) is elated with his victory and in defending the elite men\u2019s national XCO title at the 2012 SA MTB XCO National Championships at Mankele MTB Park near Nelspruit, Mpumalanga on Saturday 21 July 2012. Photo Credit: Johan Orton<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Fierce racing ensued in the Pro-Elite men\u2019s race, which saw Burry Stander (Specialized Racing) as the victor, completing his six laps in 1 hour 33 minutes and 38 seconds. USN\u2019s Philip Buys (elite) finished second in 01:35:13, with U23 category racer Rourke Croeser (Orange Monkey Cannondale) in third place in 01:36:09.<\/p>\n Luke Roberts (RE:CM) and Arno Du Toit (Epicsports\/GT\/USN) finished second and third respectively in the U23 men\u2019s category, recording the same finish time of 01:40:09), while Max Knox, who has been racing marathon events for the past few years, rounded out the elite men\u2019s podium in 01:40:12.<\/p>\n Stander attested that the racing was quite close and that over the years, the course had become easier to race on and it was harder to create gaps during the race. \u201cI attacked a few times during the race on the same climb, but Phil (Buys) managed to stay with me each time, but on the last lap I could see he had tired a bit and when I attacked again I managed to ride clear of him,\u201d said Stander.<\/p>\n \u201cThe course has a lot of rocks and trees where it is easy to push hard and make mistakes, and get a mechanical. I rode really well with no incidents and the racing with Phil was really good. We are both in great shape for this weekend\u2019s World Cup in France,\u201d continued Stander.<\/p>\n Philip Buys (USN) is in good form ahead of this coming weekend\u2019s UCI World Cup in France and ahead of the London Olympics on 12 August, seen here at the 2012 SA MTB XCO National Championships at Mankele MTB Park near Nelspruit, Mpumalanga on Saturday 21 July 2012. Photo Credit: Johan Orton<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n When talking about the raised level of the local competition in XCO racing, Stander was in full praise of the young talent: \u201cI noticed that there are a lot less mechanicals during the race, so not only is the fitness of the riders improving but there is an overall improvement in the general way in which they approach the race. The numbers in the youngsters is definitely on the up as well, which is good to see.\u201d<\/p>\n Apart from this weekend\u2019s World Cup in Val d\u2019Isere (France), Stander, Buys and Candice Neethling will also be tackling the Olympic Games in London two weeks later. \u201cThe London course is a high speed kind of course, not the toughest course, but the profile is similar to Mankele\u2019s although the technical aspects are not quite the same,\u201d said Stander.<\/p>\n The Pro-Elite women\u2019s race saw Yolande Speedy (Epicsports\/GT\/USN), Candice Neethling (BMC SA) and Samantha Sanders in a titanic battle with Speedy (elite) taking top honours completing the 5-lap race in 1 hour 36 minutes and 31 seconds.<\/p>\n Neethling (U23) finished in second place 2 seconds later with Sanders (elite) third overall in 01:37:14. Amy McDougall rounded out the elite women\u2019s podium (01:45:17) while Ashleigh Parker-Moffatt (BMC SA) and Mariske Strauss finished second (01:48:11) and third (01:53:05) respectively in the U23 women\u2019s category.<\/p>\n Yolande Speedy (Epicsports\/GT\/USN) celebrated a victory by the narrowest of margins to defend the elite women\u2019s title at the 2012 SA MTB XCO National Championships at Mankele MTB Park near Nelspruit, Mpumalanga on Saturday 21 July 2012. Photo Credit: Johan Orton<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n For Speedy, who is almost fully recovered from her broken wrist from earlier in the year, the full confidence of tackling the much talked about drop-off was not quite there, and it almost cost her the victory.<\/p>\n \u201cCandice made an early break and Sam and I were fighting for 2nd place for most of the race,\u201d said Speedy. \u201cSam went into the last lap with a 10-second lead and Candice with 22 seconds. I caught Sam on the first climb and pushed as hard as I could to try and get enough of a gap before the drop. Catching Candice on the short steep climb after the wooden bridge drop off was a surprise and I knew I would have to give 100 percent with no mistakes to keep a lead.<\/p>\n With Neethling and Sanders firing on all cylinders after racing World Cups in Europe, Speedy was challenged from the start right until the very end.<\/p>\n \u201cFortunately we were both taking the 2nd chicken run and I got into the last singletrack section with a few seconds lead. One slip out through a corner lost me some time but I came into the last BMX section in the lead and gave it everything I had left until the finish line with Candice on my wheel.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n