The new 2012 racing machine - Morewood Makulu

Yesterday my new bike that I will be racing on for the 2012 season was built up! I was riding a small Morewood Kalula frame for the 2011 season and I have now moved onto a medium Morewood Makulu. I rode the new beast for the first time today at Karkloof,and I have to say, that I have never felt so at home on a bicycle as I do on my Makulu. Everyhting about it seems perfect - the setup, the size and the feel of it. I am super stoked to be riding next season on such an awesome machine and I can't wait to ride it a lot more. Huge thanks to Andre from Rush Sports and the guys at Morewood for putting together such an amazing bike!

Hiking to the summit of Cathedral Peak

I have always wanted to do a big hike in the Drakensberg and yesterday I got the chance to do so. My dad, my uncle, my brother and myself all summited the infamous Cathedral Peak. The Peak is at 3004m above sea level and is one of the most challenging hikes in the area.

We had an early breakfast and set of with our guide at about 7:20. The sun was already shining and I could tell it would be a scorching day. The first part of the hike was through the foot hills and wasn't too difficult. The terrain all of a sudden became very rocky and steep, and thats when the hike really began. We were very lucky to be able to fill up our water bottles in the streams along the way, because keeping hydrated in that heat was crucial. The last kilometre of the route to the summit was definitey the most challenging. "Bugger Gulley" as it is known, really leaves you feeling "buggered" after you climb it. The last 300m to the top was the most exciting part of the hike. We left our back packs and food underneath some rocks, and began climbing up the almost vertical rock faces. The rocks were slippery, and wet but we managed to all make it to the very top. The 360 degree view of the Drakensberg was breathtaking. After a 5 hour up, we had a well deserved break and took in the beautiful views.

Feeling fresh and full of energy, we started the trip back to the bottom. The pace was much faster, and my legs seemed to holding up well. I was so impressed with my Salomon shoes and the amount of grip that I had because of them. We finally got back to the hotel just after 3 o'clock.

My legs are very stiff this morning, and the 8 hours of intense hiking yesterday has definitly taken a toll on my body. My plans for the rest of the day are to relax by the pool and put my feet up.

Rico Racing DH event / Greg Kaumpek Memorial Race - 1 October 2011

The past weekend saw the Rico Racing DH event, combined with the annual Greg Kaumpek memorial race, take place. After a lot of rain on Friday the track had a little bit of mud on the surface. I hadn't done much practicing on the track but it was relatively straight forward and there weren't too many lines to choose from.

The first few pratice runs were slipery in some places, and the mud was sticking to the tires, which decreased traction. On about my third practice run I had a big crash, where I drifted around a slippery, off-cambre corner and could not make the turn properly, resulting in me hitting a stump and going over the bars. I was really winded but thankfully my bike was alright, and my my body was still in one piece.

I really enjoyed my race runs. I just had fun on the bike and was enjoying the riding time. The atmosphere was awesome and it seemed as if everyone was enjoying themselves. The age categories were slightly different to normal with riders older than 17 racing in elite. I finished 6th overall and 6th elite. The racing was competitive, but I think everyone was mainly there to have an awesome time and ride with their mates, supporting Rico Racing and remembering Greg Kaumpek at the same time.


The day ended off with a very fun, 'mass start' race. All of the riders lined up the start, and ran to our bikes. We then rode down the track in one big train. I had a great day riding and chilling with everyone. Big thanks to Dave from Rico Racing for putting on the event, and to everyone who helped make it a super fun weekend. Looking forward to the next one for sure!

  

 Photos: Grant Dekker

Sa National #4 - Hartebeespoort - 31 July 2011

After hearing about the track from some of the Joburg riders, I could not wait to start the trip to the last round of the National series held at Stonehouse, Hartebeespoort. I was very prepared for this race, and although Gauteng had been dry and no rain was forecast I even packed my rain pants and jacket. We left home at 3:00 am on Friday morning, hoping to miss Joburg rush hour. My dad and I shared the driving on the way there, and against my liking, forced me to man-up and drive in the dreaded 'Joburg traffic'. It just so happens that we arrived there during roadworks, and I had to make my way through heavy traffic. We did however arrive safely, so the weekend was off to good start.

The track was just what I was hoping for: tight in places, technical, rocky and very loose. My practise runs on Friday went well, but I didn't feel like I was going very fast. Saturday went much better for me, and I started to feel some speed coming on as I did more runs. The track was changing everytime I rode it because there were so many loose rocks which was going to make things very interesting come race day.

I had decided that I was only going to do one run down the track before my race runs as the track was very demanding on the body and I wanted to conserve energy. I was going down behind my team mate Kyle Davids, who had dislodged a rock that fell into my line. I came down the one steep section to find this rather large rock in my line. I could do nothing about it, and I went sailing over bars onto the rocks. I didn't even finish the run and I rode down to the bottom on the road. My elbow, ribs, and hand were very bruised and my hand swelled up. I had to ice my body and try and get my mind right for my race runs. The push to the top was hard, so I headed up early for my race runs.

My first run was good and I managed to keep it together to the bottom. I made a minor mistake in the middle of my run which wasn't very costly. The bottom pedalling section was hard work because of all the rocks, and my pedals had some gashes in them from the rocks. I finished my run and had a good time of 1:50.047. I was 1st Junior after the first runs which I was really stoked about.

My second run also went well. I felt good on the track, the bike was performing really well, as usual, and I finished my run with a time of 1:51.360. Alastair Fey then came down with a faster time than me, and so did Tiaan Odendaal. My team mate and I were both in the same hundredth of a second and I was 0.043 secs faster than him.

I finished 3rd in Junior and 9th overall, and won some really cool Skull Candy earphones. The race organisers did a great job and the goodie bags that all of the riders received were really cool. Thank you so much to Andre van Aarde from Rush Sports for the awesome setup I have on the Morewood, and to Adrenaline Cycles for all the help this year. I have asolutely loved every minute of this season and I cannot wait for next year's racing to start.

 

PHOTOS : CSharp Photography and Erlo Brown Photography

Greg Minnaar/Mongoose DH Series #5- Giba Gorge - 10 July 2011

The final provincial race of the year was held at Giba Gorge bikepark. It was rather sad to be finishing off the 2011 Mongoose/Greg Minnaar series, which has been so much fun. The Giba Gorge track was so much fun, and I was absolutely loving riding it! The track was relatively straight forward, with some sneaky lines all the way to the bottom. I had gone the day before the race with some other Maritzburg riders to practise the track. The runs I did went well and I was enjoying spending time on the Morewood.

While lying in bed the night before, I suddenly thought about a new line that my team mate and I hadn't thought of. As I arrived at Giba Gorge on race day we walked up the track to check this line out. From the looks of things, it was faster than our previous one. I headed up for a few practise runs to get the track dialled, and to try out the new line. It was faster, so I did a few more runs. On my last practise run, a mate of mine showed us a few more good lines which helped in the race runs.

My first race run started off really well and I had the top section pinned. I had a good middle section, and finished off strongly on the last section. I managed to string my lines together nicely and I was super happy to find out I was in the hotseat after my run. After being there for a couple of riders, Tiaan Odendaal finished his run with a faster time than mine, kicking me off the hotseat. My first run's time put me in second junior amd third overall.

I was hoping to improve my time in the second run and I was well on my way to doing that after feeling quite a bit faster on the top section. I ended up having a little crash as I tried to hop onto the rocks to get into my line. My back wheel washed out and I rag dolled on the rocks.I was sore and winded so I pulled off the track to make sure the other riders didn't get held up by me. I slowly made my way to the bottom pulling off for riders, including my team mate who came flying past me. My wrist and injured knee were in a bit of pain.  My first run's time obviously stood.

I was really stoked with my result. I finished 2nd in juniors and tied for 3rd overall with Jono Philogene. This was my first time finishing on the podium for overall. A huge thanks needs to go out to Morne Odendaal, Nigel Hicks and everyone one else who put together this absolutely amazing provincial season! I enjoyed it so much. Andre from Rush Sports and Adrenaline cycles helped so much, so a thank you goes out to those guys.

SA National #3 - Cascades - 5 June 2011

Cascades WC track was the track used for the third round of the national series. After the first national at Cascades and the second at P.E both being rained out, my fingers were crossed that this race would at least take place. That Friday, during practise, I had a nasty crash in the notorious Pebble Beach rock garden. I ended up injuring my ACL in my knee and somehow during the crash, I bent my swingarm. This was definitely the biggest crash I have had so far. Luckily I didn't fully tear my ACL because that would have put me out for at least 6 months. Morewood have definitely helped out loads as they have already replaced the swingarm, and my bike is ready to race at the next event. I am really disappointed that I wasn't able to race, but I am looking forward to coming back strong at the next race.

Greg Minnaar/Mongoose DH Series #4 - Rico Racing Track 22 May 2011

After helping put the Rico Racing track together some weekends before, I was really keen to race this fun track. The weather was good, the bike was perfect, and now it was up to me to get the result. The shuttle to the top of the track was very short, so I had put in enough runs to know the track well.

I did a few practice runs on race day and was feeling confident. I sat under the trees at the bottom, refuelled my body and had a couple of good laughs, as we always do, and then headed up to the top of the track.

My first race run went well, and I had no serious problems, except for one error coming out of a corner which might have cost me a second or two. As I neared the bottom half of the track, the amount of spectators increased and there was a really cool vibe at the end. I had a good, solid time which put me into 3rd Junior after the first runs.

After a short break it was time for the second race run. I really thought I could improve my time on the track, and I seemed to be going much faster on the top section. I obviously was pushing too hard, because after the top road gap there is a step down into a berm, and I came in too hot to make the berm, and overshot it. I was really lucky to stay on the bike and I managed to roll back onto the track, and try to get back onto the gas. After a mistake like that I knew my time would be slower, but to add to that, my feet blew off the pedals on the last corner. I then rode the last rock garden with my feet unclipped and no momentum at all. My first time was faster, and so it stood.

My teammate Kyle Davids then narrowly beat my time and I moved down a spot. I finished 4th Junior and 6th Overall. I was very pleased with my result. 4 out of the top 6 riders overall were juniors, so it shows just how competitive the age group is!

I can't thank Andre from Rush Sports enough for all the help with the mechanical that I had over the weekend. My Morewood felt so good on the track, and I loved every second riding it. Big thanks to the race organisers for putting on a really great event.

SA National #2 - Port Elizabeth - 8 May 2011

The second round of the National series was held about 70 km outside PE. The drive was extremely long, and I was so disappointed when we were told on the morning of the race, that due to the medics having trouble accessing certain areas of the track, the race would have to be cancelled. Fridays practise was wet, and Saturdays practise was very wet. The rain poured down down almost every night. The track was relatively flat at the top, with a few steeper, off-camber corners nearer the bottom. There were small jumps, with a tricky rock drop right at the bottom. The bike handled the wet conditions really well, and I can`t fault it. Very disappointed with the weather, and the fact that we spent so many hours in the car with no race results to show for it.

UCI World Cup Round 1 - Peitermaritzburg 22 April 2011

The UCI MTB World Cup had finally arrived, and with it, an excitement I had never had before. This was my first experience at riding in an international event alongside some of my heros of the sport. The weather had been looking good the whole week and was no different on the weekend. The sun was shining, and the track was dry. The course walk on Wednesday went well, and I managed to find a few good lines.

Thursdays practice started off rather early for me, because the top 80 had timed practice runs in the afternoon, so I did as much riding as I could in the morning. I had a few good runs, and I was feeling  rather good on the track. The Morewood Kalula was abolutely perfect, and it felt so good! I went home that evening, and prepared myself for Qualifiers the next day.

Friday morning  couldn`t have come sooner. I managed to get one or two runs in, just to see what the course was looking like. Everything seemed to be the same, I felt good and I refuelled myself. The shuttle ride to the top felt so long. The sound of stationary trainers, as riders warmed up, was all over. I waited until about 15 minutes until my run to start my warm up.

My run started off well, and I was feeling good on the top section. I started to feel tired just before the peadally section. The timing couldn`t have been worse! I pushed down on my pedals as hard as I could, and as I entered the lower section of the track I was battling to hold on. I crossed the finishing line, not knowing whether my time would be in the top 80, resulting in me qualifying. Unfortunately I didn`t have a good enough run, and my qualies time put me in 94th.

I obviously would have loved to race in the final on Sunday, but I am just so thankful to CSA for giving me the oppotunity to partake in the event. It was such an amazing experience. Big thanks to Andre for all the help with the bike.

SA National #1 - Cascades WC Course - 17 April 2011

With only a week until the first round of the UCI World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, and the first race of the SA National series being held on the world cup track, the race entries were overwhelmed by international riders. All of them wanting to get a chance to ride the track before the WC. This was the first time I had ever ridden alongside international riders of such a calibre, so my excitement levels were through the roof. I imagine that the other SA riders were very excited as well.

As usual, the week before, mother nature sabotaged another one of our DH races and gave us heavy rainfall. Friday`s practice was also ruined by rain, and I didn`t end up doing any practice runs. Saturday morning arrived, and brought the sun out with it. I took advantage of this and immediately loaded the Morewood onto a shuttle to do a run. Having Aaron Gwin join us the shuttle was a complete bonus. The track was still very sketchy after the rain, and the top sections seemed like they had not seen the sun. Cloud 9 and pebble beach were very slippery, but throught the day it got better, and I managed to do some solid practice runs. After a great day on the bike, I was really looking forward to the race. Just as I left Cascades, it started raining again.

Sunday morning was overcast, and due to safety reasons, the race organisers had been forced to start the race just above the N3 tables. During the seeding runs, it started pouring with rain, and did not stop. Some very lucky riders were able to do theirs before the rain, but my run started after about 45mins of constant rain, so the track was an absolute mud bath. I decided to just get to the bottom of the track, and not push too hard, and conserve my energy. This was a big mistake. My run definately wasn`t that great, and I couldnt even peddle into jumps to clear them because of the thick mud.

My seeding run seeded me in 4th in Junior. I rested up, had something to eat, and then got onto a shuttle. The rain hadn`t stopped yet, and so the driver had to do some rally driving to get us up to the top. I sat around in the rain and prepared for my race run. I had the energy, and the Morewood was all dialled in, ready to race. The starters were informed that the race had to be cancelled due to the fact that shuttles with some of the top riders couldnt make it up. Very disappointed, a couple of us rode down the track in one huge train. That was good fun.

We were unsure as to what would happen in terms of results. In the end it was decided that seeding run times would count. I wasnt very happy because I didnt have a great seeding run, and I knew that I could have do a much faster time.

Huge thank you to the race organisers, but especially to Grant from Adrenaline Cycles, and Andre from Rush Sports for their help.

Karkloof Classic DH Race

The Karkloof Classic is one of the biggest mountain bike festivals in SA, and this year they finally came to their sences and introduced a DH event. I was really excited for this event because I knew the track would be really cool, and it wasn`t part of any series.

The track was of an international standard with tons of effort been put into it. There were big jumps after pretty much every corner, 15 in total. You can imagine my disappointment when the rain showed up again! The mud tyres were put back on the bike, though this wasn`t a problem seen as I had put them on for the previous two races, so I was getting pretty good at it.

It wasn`t raining on race day but I thought that mud tyres would still be necessary. I caught the first shuttle up, and started to make my way down the track for a practice run. I crashed twice that run, thanks to the mud tyres which were actually not needed, so I changed back to my dry tyres, and headed back up the track.

I didn`t have many expectations for this race as my main focus is the World Cup being held in Pietermaritzburg. I didn`t do all the jumps on the track and I took things easy.

I didn`t have any problems in my race run, but I did have a rather heart-stopping moment when i nose-dived the massive rad gap, but I made it to the bottom in one piece so it was a successful race in that regard.

I finshed 2nd in Juniors and I can`t thank the race organisers and Adrenaline Cycles enough!

Greg Minnaar/Mongoose DH Series #3-Cascades-27 March 2011

The third race in the series once again took place at Cascades, but this time the race saw us starting at the top of the world cup track, and ending just after the N3 tables tops. This was the top section of the world cup track and was a really fun and challenging track with many big jumps, and a few nice technical rocky sections.

The rain showed up again, and turned the event into another "mud race". It was time to bring out the mud tyres again. The sun half showed its face on race day and the rain thankfully stayed away, but most of the track was in the cover of trees so it stayed pretty much muddy and slippery.

My first run went well, I managed to keep everything together and luckily I was able to get to the bottom with no mechanicals or injuries in those treacherous conditions. I did however case the one double slightly, but as usual, the Morewood Kalula took it in its stide. This run put me into 3rd in Junior.

My scond run also went well. I felt like I went a little bit faster, but the stopwatch showed otherwise and I was in fact a few seconds slower than my first runs time.

This was a really fun race, and as usual everything ran smoothly. The shuttles also were really good and quick. Thanks to Adrenaline Cycles for keeping my bike in order and to the race organisers for a really good event.

SA Downhill MTB Champs-Contermanskloof 6 March 2011

The annual SA Downhill Champs was held at Contermanskloof, Cape Town. This was my first national event for the year, as I didn`t compete in the African Continental Champs, and I was eager to see how I performed against the other riders, and see if all my training and effort will pay off. I flew down on Thursday everning, and arrived later that night. My team mate Kyle had walked the course already, and told me a bit about it, so I was super keen to check it out and ride it.

Fridays practice was very hot, and there was no shade on the track what so ever, and pretty much none at the end either. I caught a shuttle up the track, so that I could walk it and see it for myself. The track was amazing, with lots of switchbacks on the steep top part, leading into a road gap, and then into some fast sections with rock gardens and a few jumps near the finish. I only managed to get one practice run in after that because of the extremely long shuttle. I was a bit disappointed about that, but I had done everything on the track so I could use Saturday to get my lines dialled in.

Saturdays practice went much better than Fridays for me, firstly because I got more runs in, and secondly because the track was so much fun once you got to know it a bit better. The first shuttle of the day did take rather long, but huge thanks to Morne for giving us shuttle up for the rest of the day. Ended off the afternoon with a good trip to the beach.

Sunday morning arrived, and the nerves started to kick in. I just wanted to get to the event and get on the Morewood and ride! Thankfully Sunday morning was overcast, and so the one practice run that I did do, I was nice and cool the whole way down. I relaxed untill my seeding run.

My seeding run went well. I got the top section absolutely dialled except fot the first corner, where I had to put a foot out, but I knew I could push much harder on the bottom half of the track. I posted a seeding time of 2:36sec, which seeded me third in Juniors. One thing I wasn`t sure of though, was whether the track would hold up after everybody`s seeding runs, because it was so dry and the corners were getting ripped up.

It was then time for my race run. I was hoping that I could get the top section pinned and have no mistakes there. Unfortunately that didn`t happen, and I ended up unclipping and putting my foot out in about three corners, which I think were costly mistakes. After those hick-ups, my run went absolutely perfectly, and I got all my lines dialled. I hit the last table, and then sprinted flat out to the finish line. I posted a time of 2:35.17secs which put me in second Junior. There were only two more juniors left to come down the track. One of them being my team mate Kyle Davids. My time was just faster than Kyles, and I held onto second. The last junior rider came down the track, and had a faster run than I did, so I ended up 3rd in  the Junior category and 18th overall. I am super stoked with my result!

A huge thanks must go out to the race organisers for putting on this event, and to all the people who helped out. My Morewood worked like an absolute dream, thanks to Grant and Matt from Adrenaline. I really appreciate all the help!

Photos: Radiate Sports Photography- Stephanie Davies

Greg Minnaar/Mongoose DH Series #2-Cascades 20 February 2011

The second round of the KZN DH series took place at Cascades once again. The track was the same one used for a national last year. I was super excited for the race, as it was a fun track, well everthing except all the pedalling.

The days leading up to the race had been perfect weather, but on Saturday afternoon the clouds came over. Saturday night poured with rain, leaving the roads to the top of the track too slippery for the shuttles to get up on Sunday. The race organisers had a big decision to make about what to do. After delaying practice, and the roads still not drying up, it was decided that only half the track would be used, due to the top being unaccessable. The track started just above the N3 table tops, and after riding a small section of pine gulley, it was a sprint into gumtree. As you can imagine, I was a little bit bummed that the top section wasn`t in the track because it was my favourite part. 

My first race run started of well, but as soon as I started to sprint into gumtree, I could feel my legs just didn`t have enough energy in them. I think this is because I foolishly went for a xc ride on Thursday, and then did two solid days of practice on Friday and Saturday. I had over-cooked my legs, which was a stupid mistake on my part! In my practice runs I had done all the jumps in gumtree, but they required a lot of pedalling into, so in my race run, I was unfortunately too tired to do them. I didn`t post a particularly quick time at the end of my run.

My second run went pretty much the same, with the addition of a near death experience on the hip-table on N3, when my foot unclipped in the air, forcing me to land with only one foot on the pedals. I managed to ride away safely. I still didn`t have enough gas in the tank to go my hardest in gumtree, which resulted in me having another average time at the bottom.

Overall, it was a good event though, and the Morewood performed absolutely perfectly, the only thing that didn`t was my legs. I am a bit disappointed with my result, but I am looking forward to SA champs in Cape Town. Thanks to Morne for putting on the event and to Grant and Matt from Adrenaline, and Andre from Rush Sports.

Photo: Radiate Sports Photography-Stephanie Davies

Greg Minnaar/Mongoose DH Series #1-Cascades 30 January 2011

The first event on the DH calender for us KZN riders took place at Cascades in Pietermaritzburg. I always look forward to the first race of the season, and this race was no exception. I had been riding the course with my mates the weekend before, and this just increased my excitement fot the race. This was also my first race on the new Morewood.

Race day started of well, due to the fact that Grant from Adrenaline Cycles and Andre from Rush Sports had already set up the big Morewood gazebo. This provided us with some shade and a great place to view the track. I was eager to get the day going and I made my way to the shuttles for my first practise run. The track was far better than the weekend before because the rain had settled the dust and made it much tackier. I did 3 practise runs, and I had no problems with those except for the short moment when I contemplated gapping the rock garden at the end. My common sense got in the way, and I decided risks like that were for later in the season. The bike was running better than ever and I managed to get my lines dialled in. I then relaxed under the gazebo and waited for racing to begin.

My first race run went well for me. I felt that my lines were right, the bike performed faultlessly, and my time at the bottom was good enough to put me into 3rd place in Juniors. I did however feel that I should have pushed a little bit harder which would have hopefully got me a better time. I was pleased with it though.

My second race run went pretty much the same as my first. Once again I managed to get my lines done and the bike performed very well. I put everything I had into this run, and at the bottom I was sure that i had improved on my first runs time. The clock agreed with me, and it was a few hundredths of a second faster. My overall time was now 1min:39.74secs. This kept me in 3rd place in Junior. There was one other Junior who could knock me out of the top 3, and that was my teammate Kyle Davids. He completed his run, and managed tobeat my time by just over half a second. This put me in 4th in Junior men, which I was very pleased with because the competition was so strong. Just over half a second seperated me from both Kyle in 3rd and Steve in 2nd.

Overall it was an absolutely amazing event and I had a great time. The track was super fun all thanks to Morne and the track builders. The Morewood ran smoothely the entire event, and there were no mechanicals in sight. Thanks very much Grant and Matt from Adrenaline Cycles for ensuring it ran perfectly. Thanks to Andre from Rushsports for all the help in putting this amazing machine together. This was a great event and i am looking forward the next one!

Photos: Stephanie Davies- Radiate Sports Photography