National XCO Series Review from Renay Groustra.
Renay Groustra from our Team RSAWEB Cycle team gives us some insight into his race from the National XCO in Fountains Valley, Pretoria last Saturday, where the cream of the cycle elite in SA assembled to battle it out. We’re pleased to say he came 3rd – an amazing accomplishment!
Saturday the 14th marked the 2nd round of the National XCO series at Fountain Valley in Pretoria. Having raced there many times before, I knew exactly what to expect. As usual I was greeted by a tight and twisty course that winds itself along the river with too many corners to count, and only about 80m elevation per lap. This was definitely going to be a race of concentration and daringness.
Seeded 3rd on the line ensured that I got a good position into the first singletrack of our 7 lap race. Philip Buys of Team Contego charged off the front on his home course at a pace that no one could match, while small chase group of 4 formed. Marc Bassingthwaight of Namibia was the next rider fto get off the front, riding at a hard and steady pace. I decided that it would be wise to back off a little as the altitude was beginning to hurt me. This proved a wise decision, as taking it slightly easy for a lap or so meant that I was able to open up at full tilt to drop my other chase group companions and ride the remaining few laps by myself. Riding by yourself on this course is probably key to having a good race as it means you are not pressured into making mistakes on some of the sketchy corners, and you are not forced into riding in the same style as the other riders.
Before I knew it I had crossed the line in 3rd place, 2 mins behind Mark, and 3 behind winner Philip Buys, and over a minute ahead of my nearest chaser. I was really happy with the result. The way I felt out there shows that the Cape Epic definitely did my form a lot of good, and it was great to see that I am almost fully recovered from the 8 day effort.
Next up on the calendar is the Karkloof Classic in Howick, followed by African Continental Champs in Mauritius!
Thanks for the awesome write up, Renay!
To keep an eye on all things Team RSAWEB – check us out on Facebook and Twitter.
Click here to chat