Day 1 saw a chilly start to the 2nd Duzi Mfula stage race. The track takes in endless footpaths through the duzi valley, this is a unique mtb experience. Just watch out for route markers or you could find yourself in a kraal taking a closer than comfortable look at some Nguni cattle... or even worse a couple of "hunting" dogs... or if you are weary, maybe you are lucky to land up in a shebeen!!
Max Knox and Shan Wilson set a hot pace from the gun, the chase pack of 3 Land Rover Gear/USN teams ensued. The Mfula is a pairs race, Shaun Peschl, was my partner. Unfortunately, he had been sick with food poisoning and was a bit off colour for the first hour.
Shaun started settling into a good pace and we dropped the other guys in pursuit of Wilson and Knox, They took a wrong turn and we ended up chasing each other through the thorn trees in the valley around the 40k mark. Then Max's cleat on his shoe came loose, we had the gap and managed to put about 2 min between us. They chased back hard and at the Inanda Dam bridge were only about 30sec behind. That was the turning point. We put the hammer down hard. Shaun's diesel engine suddenly switched on the turbo charger, intercooler and supercharger simultaneously ! Showing his mettle as a stage racer, we rode solidly for the last 15km and managed to put 7 min into Knox and Wilson. My bike again went like a dream, check out the specs here.
Day 2
Today, it was up to K & W to make the moves, they certainly did. An easy start turned ugly at about 10km and the race was on. We made a wrong turn in our pursit but were fortunate enough not to lose too much time there. The TV motorbike blocked the entrance to a bridge for us, hats off to a very ambitious motorbike rider who was trying to get his 300kg, 650cc Paris-Dakar hunker motorbike over a 1m high concrete block, now thats what I call optimism!
We chased hard and managed to limit the damage to a 5 min gap. We lost the battle but won the war! Martin Dreyer and Jeannie Bomford punished the rest of the field on both days to take overall honours in the mixed category. Charl Keet and Tyrone White were very unfortunate to miss third position by mere seconds, well done on some hard racing.
Thanks to Jonsson for a great event. If there was one blemish on an outstanding race, it was that there was no prize money. It is tough to make it as a professional athlete and every bit helps. Thanks anyway for a superb race.
