Record falls in gruelling mountain bike race
Ashanti Estate, Paarl, Western Cape
Shortly after sunset, 17 days 11 hours and 15 minutes after leaving Pietermaritzburg, Hout Bay veterinarian Maarten van Dalsen arrived at the Ashanti wine estate in Paarl as the winner of the 2300 kilometre Freedom Challenge non-stop mountain bike across South Africa.
Riding for 37 hours without sleep, van Dalsen managed to break away from second placed rider, springbok cyclist Tim James and in the process break the record set in 2006 by 2 hours and 5 minutes.
Speaking at the finish, an exhausted yet elated van Dalsen spoke of the incredible support that he had received along the route, the splendour of the places through which he had travelled and the privilege of being able to participate in the race.
The next rider, Tim James, is expected at Ashanti in Paarl this afternoon.
Sleepless race to the finish
Agterkliphoogte, Breede River Valley, Western Cape
Day 16 and the night that has followed has delivered a dramatic race to the finish of the 2300 kilometre Freedom Challenge non-stop mountain bike that started in Pietermaritzburg on 18 June 2007 and ends at Ashanti wine estate in Paarl with race leader, Hout Bay veterinarian, Maarten van Daalsen, riding throughout the night and into the next day.
Intent on avoiding an 8 am cut-off at Stettynskloof Dam, which is located 45 kilometres from the finish line, at the base of an 8 kilometre portage and beyond which participants are not allowed to proceed except between the hours of 3 am and 8 am, van Daalsen left the Anysberg support station early on Tuesday morning. He passed through the Montagu and Mac Gregor support stations and arrived at the Agterkliphoogte in the late afternoon. He then rode on into darkness in order to reach the final support station below the Stettynskloof Dam before morning. Taking on the portage below Jonaskop he lost the track and spent four hours struggling through the wheatfields at Trappieskraal. He arrived at the support station well after midnight and then immediately pushed on to reach the dam wall just before dawn. He is now headed for the finish in Paarl where he is expected in the late afternoon.
Following rider Tim James also pushed late into the night but arriving at the MacGregor support station near midnight appeared to accept that he had too far to travel and too many mountains to cross in order to reach the dam wall by the morning cut-off. He stopped for the night and today will have a leisurely ride through to the final support station before tomorrow heading up the Stettynskloof and through to the finish.
Further back in the field, Team Cycle Lab’s Xolani Mtshali and Somerset West rider Jannie Gerber rode 260 kilometres over an 18 hour period to close the gap on third placed riders Cutters Husqvarna’s Hannele Steyn-Kotze and Zimbabwean Lee John. By the time that they stopped they the lead had been reduced to four hours. A similar performance today could see a battle developing for the remaining podium place.
Follow the riders on their journey as their progress is tracked by satellite. Reports are captured on the race website at www.freedomchallenge.org.za.