The annual Talisman Pineapple Endurance mountain bike events took place from Shaw Park on Sunday with a number of Grahamstown cyclists performing well.
The 43km event took cyclists through farmlands, pineapple lands, river beds and indigenous forest.
The annual Talisman Pineapple Endurance mountain bike events took place from Shaw Park on Sunday with a number of Grahamstown cyclists performing well.
The 43km event took cyclists through farmlands, pineapple lands, river beds and indigenous forest.
The event was made up of a 43km main event and a 18km ride, with a number of shorter races for the kids.
The races took place in warm and sunny conditions, although many sections of the tracks were wet from rains during the past week making it very muddy in sections. David Wright of the Rhodes University Cycling Club was the first local and came second overall in the 43km race, finishing in 2:06:09.
He was also the first sub veteran (age category 30-39) to cross the finish line. The second local home was a 16-year-old Graeme College pupil, Jason Meaton who was the second junior in a time of 2:37:32 for the tough and technical race. Meaton said he would be back next year to compete in the 43km event again, but said he would prepare better beforehand.
The first woman home was Gabrielle Friedman of the Rhodes Cycling Club, in 3:29:07. Overall winner was Border provincial cyclist Jeff Mauer whose winning time was 2:02:31. There were 37 finishers in the 43km event.
The 18km event, also very scenic, covered a shorter technical section through river beds and pineapple lands, with the majority of the race along gravel roads.
The first local home in the 18km was Terri-Lynn Penney who was also the third overall, the first woman home and the first sub veteran woman in a time of 54:34. Richard Meaton was first veteran man (age category 40-49) home in 1:11:51. There were 59 finishers in the 18km event.
Dave Hanton and Johan Conradie cycled to Shaw Park from Grahamstown earlier on Sunday morning, with both completing the 43km as preparation for the Trans Baviaans 230km on 15 August.
Neil Currie, who also competed Sunday’s 43km event by pushing his bike the last 2km after getting a puncture, also used the race as training towards the Trans Baviaans.
