Sasol Cross Off Road Klipbaai

The second leg of the Sasol Cross Series was changed to a duathlon, due to heavy rain and the river being flooded. This means that the triathlon and duathlon series points will be combined for this race.

I didn’t know what to expect on the first run as I haven’t done a duathlon for a very long time.  I went hard out hard and I managed to get a 30sec gap on the 2^nd placed athlete. I had a smooth transition and started the Off Road cycle leg.

As it was the week before SA champs, I didn’t want to take any chances on the bike and risk a crash, so I raced the technical parts very easy. A few athletes caught me and I decided to sit on their wheels and just be safe. I felt confident of my chances of winning because I managed a good first run leg. 

Again I had a good transition and started the run in second place, but after 1km I caught the first placed athlete and pulled away from him. I managed to get the win and with that also seal the win for the series.

This was a final and good confidence boost before the next weekend, I’m hoping my form will stay there and I will have another good race.

Until then

Cheers 

Sasol Cross Off Road - Emerald Casino

As always early in the new year, the Sasol Cross Off Road Series is taking place very close to my hometown, Vanderbijlpark. I raced the first series some 4 years ago and it was fun, so I decided to race it again this year. The races consist of 1000m swim, 22km off road cycle and 6km trial running. 

In the first race I wanted to do well and build my confidence for the season so I went out hard. I exited the swim with a minute gap. My brother was in a team and he managed to start the cycle with me, so it was a lot of fun having him there, keeping me company and focused. We worked well together keeping the pace fast. 

 After a quick transition the 6km trail run started. I felt good on the run and was able to open a gap quite quickly. I ran hard and felt good after this race. This was good for me and my confidence at the start of the ITU season. 

The next race will be the 2nd leg of the Sasol Cross series, one week before SA Championships. 

Until then

Cheers