.png)
The 2018 Trans Baviaans Race, wrapped up with prize giving at the Fountains Mall on Sunday the 12th of August – but the racing action had concluded well over twelve hours earlier before the last light had faded over the Baviaanskloof. A consistent tail wind and smooth road conditions ensured records tumbled throughout the categories in the fifteenth edition of the toughest team single stage MTB race in the world.
There was drama in the men’s race, outright dominance in the women’s and a legacy sealing victory in the mixed; as the racing categories were wrapped up within nine hours of the event’s start. Never have so many records been set in one event and the new men’s course record is all the more remarkable, given the teams setting it made a wrong turn.
Photo Credit: Jacques Marais
The record breaking feats were even more remarkable in the women’s race were Theresa Ralph and Sarah Hill took fifty eight minutes off Ralph and Amy McDougall’s 2016 record time. The Galileo Risk riders rode a flawless race. “Everything went perfectly today” Hill said afterwards. “We always stayed slightly uncomfortable. We agreed on a scale system before the race, and we kept communicating, staying at a level eight” she explained.
Photo Credit: Jacques Marais
The pair has now defended their Trans Baviaans title as a team while Ralph added a third successive Race victory to her palmarès. They were keen to play up the event to their fellow elite women’s mountain bikers too. “Women’s mountain biking has really picked up in the last couple of years” Ralph started. “And we love the competition between the ladies, and actually we’re all friends. So it would be nice if they could come and join us, we could have a more competitive race and then we could all have a beer together at the end. It would be marvellous if other ladies could come give us some gears” the Galileo Risk champion enthused.
Photo Credit: Deidre Cloete
Results: Trans Baviaans Race
Men:
=1. Insect Science/Garmin (Ben Melt Swanepoel & Timothy Hammond) 07:51:06
=1. DSV Pro Cycling (Gert Heyns & Arno du Toit) 07:51:06
3. William Simpson Cars (Mike Posthumus & Derrin Smith) 07:57:00
4. Bianchi (Jac-Louis van Wyk & Gert Fouche) 08:18:40
5. Bikelane/SPH Transport (Steven Philip Hayes & Andreas Studer) 08:21:47
Mixed:
1. Ultimate Cycling Knysna (Yolande de Villiers & Neill Ungerer) 08:23:19
2. East Coast Cycles (Kevin Taljaard & Siska van der Berg) 09:14:44
3. Enduroplanet (Christo Roos & Tanya Kirstein) 09:41:01
4. Urcycling (Pierre Smith & Mariske Mclean) 10:19:04
5. Siverfish (Tania & Werner Visser) 10:24:31
Women’s:
1. Galileo Risk (Theresa Ralph & Sarah Hill) 08:58:02
2. Riding for Jason (Sarah van Heerden & Cindy Theunissen) 11:41:44
3. Long Life (Marle Kotze & Naomi Visser) 12:30:33
4. Cycles Direct (Gina Wills & Sannelize Janse van Rensburg) 13:02:29
5. Mud & Muck (Tilly Ferreira & Marie-Daleen Serfontein) 13:36:15
To view the full results from the 2018 Trans Baviaans Race click here.