Brandon Stewart

Barberton MTN ultra marathon #1

2012-01-29T19:39:00.000+02:00

Hi guys

Just wanted to give a quick update on the weekends racing and all I can say is awesome! For me personally was not the ideal start to the season but an unbelievable one for the team. Jacques won Barberton in fine style and I was sorry was able to be involved in the action. I flatter on the first decent, when my rear wheel hit a rock a dented the side walls of the rim causing the tire to lose all pressure and I was unable to put a tube in. The tire bead was just popping off the rim. That was to be the end of my race.

I got back to the car and then raced out onto course to help back up Jacques and Bridgette.
Jacques made my day a lot better by doing the job and making all our sponsors so proud.

See press release done below:

ROSSOUW RETURNS TO WINNING WAYS AT BIG BARBERTON SHOWDOWN

Seven years almost to the day after his last major marathon victory, Jacques Rossouw (FEDGROUP – ITEC Connect) made a triumphant return when he claimed a dominant victory over a strong field at the MTN South African National Mountain Bike Series Ultra-marathon in Barberton at the weekend.

Four-time South African marathon champion, Kevin Evans (Nedbank 360Life) finished second with Jacques Janse van Rensburg (MTN Qhubeka) claiming third place. Defending champion, Max Knox (Decca Ghost) had to be content with fourth and South African road race champion, Darren Lill (Team Bonitas) rounded out the top five in a gruelling five-hour battle

The 120km race, which included over 3000 metres of vertical ascent, was contested by one of the strongest fields ever assembled in a South African national series event. The Barberton event marked the start of the prestigious eight-race series, which, with over 15000 participants, is the world’s largest mountain bike series.

For Rossouw, the venue of his victory was significant. In 2005 he won the Barberton Classic (as it was then known). He was one of the most dominant riders in the country at the time, but it was his last major victory before his retirement from the sport at age 24. His premature retirement was forced by illness, brought on by overtraining and a compromised immune system. But in 2011, after a six-year break, he began a comeback, wiser and hungry for success.

Patience has never been his strong point, but Rossouw displayed plenty of that in Barberton on Saturday. Power on the other hand has certainly been his strong point – his nickname is ‘Big Blade’ – and he showed plenty of that too, but only when necessary.

He raced the perfect race. He lost teammate, Brandon Stewart, after 10km due to a damaged rim, but that failed to rattle Rossouw, who sat patiently in the lead pack up the first climb, a 13km, 925m dirt road ascent, only turning an angry pedal at the summit to secure the King of the Mountains prize. He then sat in again down the long descent.

“Adrien (Niyonshuti) and Jacques (Janse van Rensburg) of the MTN team pushed the pace up the first big climb. I just sat on their wheels and waited for the top to get the King of the Mountain sprint. Then I waited until the start of the second climb, where I had decided before the race to make a big move,” explained Rossouw.

And it was on this steep 8km climb at 79km that he launched his race-winning move.

“I didn’t attack, but just picked up my pace. I saw Kevin (Evans) taking some strain, so I took it up another notch and only Jacques (Janse van Rensburg) and Max (Knox) and Darren (Lill) stayed with me for a while and then they dropped off. I kept a steady pace to the top and was told I had a three-minute lead. I went hard on the descent to try and increase my lead a bit, but then took it a bit easy on the next section with lots of river crossings as I didn’t want to do anything silly and risk bike damage,” recalled Rossouw.

The 30-year-old Capetonian then upped his pace again in the final 10km and claimed an emotionally charged victory in a time of 04 hours 58 minutes and 58 seconds. He slumped over his bike after crossing the finish line, clearly having given his all.

“I wanted to prove to myself and to everyone else that I am serious about this comeback. I trained really hard over the past few months and wouldn’t be able to be in this position if it weren’t for Brandon Stewart, my teammate and employer and our sponsors. Brandon has been coaching me and has also given me so much advice about race routes and other riders. It’s a good way to start our first full year as Team FEDGROUP – ITEC Connect.”

“We’re a very new team and today we went from underdog to top dog in 120km,” smiled Stewart. “Obviously it’s good to win the first big race of the season, but to beat such a strong field is very good for our confidence. We prepared very well for this race and it showed in the end.”

In the women’s race, Ariane Kleinhans (Contego Giant) claimed her first Barberton title, securing victory in a quick 03:14:49, which gave her third place overall in the event. Second place went to rising star, Candice Neethling (Team BMC), with Ischen Stopforth (Team bizhub) completing the first three positions.

Round 2 of the MTN National Series will take place on 18 February in Tulbach, Western Cape.

Leading results
MTN Barberton Ultra-marathon, 120km
1 Jacques Rossouw (FEDGROUP – ITEC Connect) 04hr58min58sec
2 Kevin Evans (Nedbank 360Life) 05:03:18
3 Jacques Janse van Rensburg (MTN Qhubeka) 05:05:13
4 Max Knox (Decca Ghost) 05:06:10
5 Darren Lill (Team Bonitas) 05:08:20
6 Nico Bell 05:13:07
7 Charles Keey (Blend Property Group) 05:15:00
8 Adrien Niyonshuti (MTN Qhubeka) 05:15:02
9 David Morison (Blend Property Group) 05:16:43
10 David George (Nedbank 360Life) 05:17:51

Roll on 2012

2012-01-10T17:38:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys

Good to be back on track again and be able to write a good report from the festive season and new year. All the training has gone according to plan and the base ground work has been done. This week is just time to focus on the final touches of the team. Our first race of the season will be Barberton where we will be racing our brand-new team issue Momsen bikes which will be custom sprayed and will be kitted out with SRAM and stans race gold wheels and WTB tires. FedGroup have been fantastic and we will heading for a training camp next weekend to Clarens for 5 days and then come home to get things sorted for Barberton and then head to the first race of the season for 2012.

After my pop my recovery has been fantastic and everything has been such a sucsses, the only set back is that I have not been able to do any strength training for the past 8weeks. So still got some time.

We have our team video up on You Tube so can and have a look and see what it's all about.

Just search Team FedGroup-Itec Connect

Chat soon

Hiatus Hernia Operation

2011-11-09T15:40:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys

Hope all has been well your side. Everything has been going my side with loads of action and super busy Jacques and I raced the 3 day FedGroup Berg $ Bush together as well as launching our new racing team for 2012. Seemed very fitting to launch it at a an event where our principal sponsor was the sponsor of the event. So all went off very and according to plan.
I then rode the 2 day FedGroup Berg & Bush as a brand ambassador which was just as fun and was a nice time for me to just take it easy and ride with all the guys mid field of the race.

Straight after that I had to head straight into hospital to have my Hernia repaired it was getting worse and worse and starting to affect the way was feeling in the longer races. It was quite a major op and takes a lot of recovery time. So I choose to do it on my off season so could have time to relax and allow the right amount of time to relax and recover fully!

I came out of hospital today and will post a pic on facebook and twitter for you guys to see the damage done. I am still in quite a bit of pain and hopefully will be pain free soon and then my diet will only consist of fluids and very smashed foods for a month.

But will keep you up to date on my progress as I go.

Chat soon
Brandon

Team FEDGROUP-ITEC Connect

2011-10-31T20:14:00.000+02:00

TEAM FEDGROUP – ITEC CONNECT EXTENDS CAREERS OF STEWART, ROSSOUW

A year largely filled with uncertainty will end with stability and focus for Brandon Stewart and Jacques Rossouw, two of South Africa’s top marathon mountain bike racers, following the launch of Team FEDGROUP – ITEC Connect at the weekend.

Rossouw came out of retirement to race full time again this year, while Stewart faced the possibility of early retirement after the team he was racing for folded. Fittingly, they raced in the new colours of FEDGROUP – ITEC Connect at the 2011 FedGroup Berg & Bush stage race at the weekend, which they dominated, winning all three stages and the overall title.

Stewart’s proactivity resulted in him securing an interim sponsorship in May 2011 with ITEC Connect and Kathea. Rossouw, one of South Africa’s most successful cross-country and marathon racers in the early 2000s, ended a five-year break from bike racing this year, achieved early success and then teamed up with Stewart to create a formidable pairing, leading to the establishment of the new team.

Stewart, a former national Elite cross-country champion, is the only South African to have won stages at the TransAlp in Europe, the BC Bike Race in North America and the ABSA Cape Epic in South Africa, three of the world’s highest profile mountain bike stage races. He has established a company called SSS Racing under which the team will be run.

The pair showed excellent compatibility when they won their first stage race (including all three stages) at the recent Isuzu Three Towers in the Mpumalanga region of South Africa. This just days after Rossouw finished second and Stewart fourth at the MTN Crater Cruise, the final event of South Africa’s prestigious MTN National Marathon Series. They will be top-10 contenders at the 2012 ABSA Cape Epic and definite contenders for the African team title at that event.

“As with our sponsorship of the Berg & Bush event, we opted to sponsor a mountain biking team, first and foremost because of its strong family appeal, which ties in perfectly with the FedGroup family ethos,” said FedGroup's Scott Field.

“FedGroup is a company that aligns itself with the dynamics of mountain biking. Values of professionalism, determination, perseverance and ambition held by Stewart and Rossouw (on and off the bike) are considered synonymous with the values held by FedGroup Financial Services. We look forward to being part of this team's 2011 and 2012 racing journey".

“After a successful sponsorship in 2011, the choice for ITEC Connect to team up as co-sponsor for the 2012 season was an easy decision. Besides the fact that a lot of senior staff at ITEC Connect are passionate mountain bikers, cycling has always had a special place in the ITEC Connect Group’s DNA,” said Gavin Meyer, Managing Director of ITEC Connect.

“ITEC Connect are the sponsors of the mobile communications centre at joBerg2c, Sani2c and Berg and Bush, all premier mountain bike stage races. As a sponsor of a top team like FEDGROUP – ITEC Connect, it will help us expand the ITEC Connect brand awareness beyond the boundaries of those events.” 

“We’ve already achieved some good results towards the end of the 2011 season and look forward to continuing that success in 2012. It’s a small focused team, but Jacques and I have connected very well as teammates. Our sponsors have been so supportive and it’s great that they all have such passion for mountain biking too,” said Stewart, whose wife, former SA women’s downhill champion, Bridgette Stewart, will manage that team and also race at selected events.

The team will race Momsen Bikes, a relatively new South African bike brand.

“Racing is an integral part of product development. Brandon and I have known each other for quite some time and I have the utmost respect for him and his ability to not only win races, but also give very valuable feedback and input about his bike and equipment,” said Victor Momsen of Momsen Bikes.

“With Jacques Rossouw as his team partner and the support of FedGroup and ITEC Connect, 2012 is definitely going to be a very exciting year for the team and the brand. I am extremely proud to have them racing on Momsen Bikes.”

Team FEDGROUP – ITEC Connect:
Brandon Stewart (rider, owner)
Jacques Rossouw (rider)
Bridgette Stewart (manager, rider)

Sponsors
Financial:
•   FedGroup financial services
•   ITEC Connect corporate communication solutions
•   Kathea telecommunication solutions
Product:
•   Momsen Bikes bicycles, parts and accessories
•   Kia motor vehicles
•   Biogen sports nutrition supplements
•   Thule bike racks and luggage
•   Salomon casual wear

Click on the link to view the FEDGROUP – ITEC Connect team launch video
http://vimeo.com/31363936

Isuzu 3 Towers stage Race

2011-10-24T17:27:00.001+02:00

Thursday morning we headed to Nelspruit to the Mankele Bike Park to take part in one of the best stage races in the country, with great prize money, passionate mountain bikers as organizers and great riding. This is an event that i have done every year since its inception and the guys from Mankele go to a great effort to get some of us top riders to the event. I was racing with my new partner for 2012 Jacques Rossouw who was a multiple cross country champion and making a big comeback in the sport.

The race starts and finishes in Mankele and consists of 3 days of racing, 1^st day 80km, 2^nd day 75km and the last day been 50km. The race gets its name 3 towers because you climb to 3 different towers in the area on every single day, which only means one thing that, you have some proper climbs. One really good thing though what goes up must come down, which makes all the climbing worthwhile.

Day 1 started up a 20km climb which made things simple for us in the fact that we had to get a good gap on the first climb and then maintain and ride safe to the finish. Everything went according to plan and we managed to take the KOM and the first stages win by a comfortable margin taking the pressure off us for the next two days. But this is mountain biking and anything can happen which ultimately no gap is ever that comfortable. I hit a tree with my hip in the final section of single track thinking it might move out my way but no such luck. The tree won and I was sore, but fine.

Day 2 started with a slightly gradual climb and we were quite content to sit in the bunch and see what the other guys were going to do and knew that we needed to ride away at the 25km mark in order to secure the KOM, which we did and then once again kept a hard steady pace to the finish. We took the stage win and extended our lead to about 18min which was great for us and with the final 50km of stage 3, it seemed certain barring and major problems we would take the overall race.

Day 3 was always going to be very interesting as the previous afternoon and evening it had poured with rain, which meant the course was going to very wet and tricky. Once again the plan was the same ride safe in the front group; ride hard for the KOM and then no risks to the finish. We managed to get a gap and took no chances on the final tricky descents down towards Sudwala caves and then a quick 5km of fun single track to the finish. We took the 3^rd and final stage and the overall victory.

This was a great way to thank my sponsors ITEC CONNECT-KATHEA for all their support and assistance in helping us to achieve our goals.

Kind regards

Brandon Stewart

28-10-11@19:00

2011-10-24T17:25:00.002+02:00

28-10-11@19:00

Isuzu 3 Towers Stage Race

2011-10-19T08:48:00.000+02:00

Hi guys

Hope all has been well, I will post a race report later today about the 3Towers stage race that took place in mankele this past weekend and about some exciting stuff that will be happening in the next two weeks. We will be launching our new team with some exciting new sponsors and are proud to have such good people and brands supporting us to rueful our dreams.

chat soon
Brandon

MTN CRATER CRUISE

2011-10-10T16:15:00.002+02:00

ITEC CONNECT-KATHEA

This weekend was the last round of the MTN ultra marathon series which took place in the small town of Parys. It’s the richest one day the race in the country in mountain biking with R40.000 up for grabs for the winner. The start line was jammed with all the top teams and anyone out of the top 10 guys was in with a shot at winning the race.

The exciting part for me is that ITEC CONNECT-KATHEA had signed Jacques Rossouw for the remainder of the season and I would have a team mate to help me and to work with in this somewhat tactical race. The first 12km rolls out of town with a neutral zone for about 3 of those and then the racing is on. The attacks normally come thick and fast at the start as guys try to form a lead group. The group up front had Mannie Heymans in it which was a threat but with all the strong guys in the field it would prove very difficult for him to stay away. Slowly the guys were caught and by the time we hit the first climb I had attacked and was intent in staying out of trouble. We went down the decent on the other side and all the main contenders were there and we had swallowed Mannie up as well after he took the KOM. 360life had to now drive the break as Adrian (MTN) had missed the split and he had to win the race to take overall honours away from David George. We worked with them to keep the pace high and wanted to make sure we stayed away till the single track section.

I rode the single track section as hard as I could, making sure of been smooth and not taking any chances. When I came out the single track I saw I had a bit of a gap and decided to go for it and this would put pressure on the others teams to chase me and give Jacques a bit of a free ride. I was pulled back after about 10km and as soon as the bunch caught me Jacques put in a perfect counter attack and taking Kevin Evans (360life) with him. This was the perfect move and I knew from then that it would the winning move of the day as David and I were content to let them go.

Unfortunately Jacques had a slow flat with about 7km to go and allowed Kevin to get a gap and make the final move to ensure his third straight win in a row of the MTN Crater Cruise. Jacques finished in a very credible 2^nd place, with David George in 3^rd and me in 4^th. Jacques made a late come back during the last half of the season and is going to be a very exciting rider again in 2012 and the balance of the season.

Till the next one!!

Kind regards

Brandon Stewart

2011-10-07T19:34:00.002+02:00

Blog Update

2011-10-07T19:29:00.002+02:00

Hi Guys

Just an update on the week we had in Clarens, It was really cool to do some riding at altitude and spend some time with JR and prepping for the race. The MD of ITEC CONNECT group came out to join us which was really cool so that he could meet Jacques and do some quality riding with us.

I asked him about a month ago if he would not and Jacques into the team to give him an oppurtuinty to prove himself for the last part of the season, which he very kindly did! For this we thank ITEC CONNECT and its great to have new sponsors in our sport and that are willing to support the riders. There was a really nice article written with a lot of negativity towards the sport and teams going forward we as riders fight hard to keep sponsors in our sport and people who try butter too many slices of bread all at the same time.

I have had a really good run in the last couple races and for us as a team i hope this contiunes and tomorrow Crater Cruise will be raced hard by many teams and may the best man best man win on the day. All the teams and sponsors put in huge time effort and money into our sport and lets keep it that way>>>

Till after the race will chat soon.....

Sunday Tribune Hill2Hill

2011-09-19T15:41:00.004+02:00

Sunday Tribune Hill2Hill

This Sunday was the 6^th edition of the Sunday Tribune Hill2Hill which takes place from Hilton to Hillcrest and is often referred to as the Comrades marathon of mountain biking. This was my 6^th time taking part in the race which allowed me a special yellow ledged number board which was pretty cool. There was quite a bit of pressure on me for this race as I have raced it 5 times and never finished outside the top 3, but this year was a class field and keeping up the track record was going to be a very difficult task. I picked up a neck injury from a crash that i had in training which seemed to fade away but came back with a vengeance with 3 days till the race. With 2 days of Physiotherapy and chiropractic treatments things were not looking good even to start the race as the pain in my neck was pretty bad. By race day I was ok to race!!

The 15km downhill into maritzburg was fantastic this year with great single track and really good technical sections. My intention was to just get down safely and in a good position, as the race is never won on the decent but can certainly end your race very quickly. The course was dry and conditions were hot. Midway into the race the group was still pretty big with about 6 or 7 of the main contenders always there and paying close attention. Everything was running really smoothly until about 70km into the race just before Bartlets climb silly laps in concentration saw me off course, over the bars and lying on my back. I hit my face on something during the action and was bleeding from my nose. I was up pretty quick all been ok besides hurting my neck again and a buckled front wheel. My motivation was still good and chased back to the lead group on pure adrenaline. Somewhat angry and irritated by my mistake as i rejoined the group, I upped the pace up Barttlets because the race was going to be decided now or never. Soon it was Burry, David and I at the top with Kevin not far behind and Burry then put the hammer down in the technical downhill, I tried to follow his pace but with a wobbling wheel the bike seemed to riding me at high speeds. I was kind of caught in no man’s land with Burry just ahead and Kevin and David just behind so I thought I would wait for them to chase Burry. Kevin soon had to stop for a front wheel change which now put the pressure on me. I wanted a guaranteed podium so I just set a steady pace, to try make sure that i could hold my position to the finish, this allowed David somewhat of a free ride as he was waiting in hope that Kevin would rejoin us. Burry had ridden away with a very strong ride and seemed to steadily increase his lead to the finish to win his fourth Hill2Hill, Displaying why he is a world champion.

In the final km I didn’t have much left in the tank and David put in an effort and rode away from me to secure his 2^nd place about 10sec ahead of me in 3^rd. After all was said and done i was pretty happy with how things had panned out and it was another successful podium. Thanks to my wife for all the support and seconding and to all those people who were out on the course shouting for me.

The next race will be this weekend and the Hilton Dirt festival which the penultimate round of the MTN ultra marathon series.

Till Next time

Kind regards

Brandon Stewart

Umkomaas Classic

2011-09-05T17:19:00.002+02:00

Hi All

Yesterday was another race that took place in Kwa-zulu Natal in the Umkomaas valley in the similar sort of area as the 2^nd day of Sani2c and with such great riding, Great television coverage for all the sponsors and nice prize money, i was lured to the event. Only in its 2^nd year the event has huge potential and still needing to up their game a little on the marking on the route and looking after all the riders after the event. The enthusiasm is was there which is great to see.

I had a really hard training week with a couple really big days on the bike for my last big block of training for the upcoming ultra marathons. So needless to say was expecting very tired legs.

The race profile looked really tuff and seemed to me like it would be very similar to a day in the Alps but just a lot smaller! The route consisted of two climbs the 2^nd one about 8km in length and two big fast technical single track descents. On the first climb i managed to ride away and then wanted to take it easy on the first decent to ensure no mechanical issues and then really give it a good go on the long district road climb which i knew would really sort the race out. After the first decent i had almost completely lost my advantage i had gained on the first climb to Andrew War but then as we started the 2 climb i knew he had put in a big effort to chase me, So i gave it everything i had and my gap seemed to increase all the time. I took the KOM (king of the mountain) and then rode the downhill fast and smooth putting my Momsen through its paces and still been shocked by the handling capabilities of this bike.

I crossed the finish line in a time of 1:40:39 to claim another nice victory for my sponsors Itec Connect-Kathea

Special mention also to my wife Bridgette who has been training really hard and is looking in super shape and finished 2^nd overall in the ladies race.

Once again thanks to all for the continued support

Till next time

Weekly update

2011-09-03T08:11:00.000+02:00

Hi

Just wanted to write a small update about the past week and what lies ahead for me in the next couple weeks. Its been an awesome week on the bike after a rest and travel day on Sunday after the marathon headed home with Bridg AKA team queen... (thanks for her awesome techzone support). Monday was a day for a little cross training and then Tuesday wednesday and thursday were days spent on the bike and now I have a sore butt.... Friday was a very well deserved recovery day just spinning the legs and letting the body recover. CoffeeBerry have been kind enough to offer me a little support in terms of been fed by them hahahaa>>> those much needed coffee shop rides end or start with a good coffee with them! BTW best pancakes ever!

I am heading to the Umkomaas River Mtb race tomorrow which should be a lot of fun but really tuff its pretty much the same area as day 2 of Sani2c so will have a couple hills i am sure.

Then my next big focus will be on Hill2Hill marathon which has always been a good one for me and thinking about doing something crazy on the day but still a little undecided... little discussion with Momsen bikes and we will see what happens? If we do it you will know about it.......I promise......

Will be sure to catch up soon and been working really hard on setting up team for 2012 and we have some fantastic and exciting things going on but will also let you know as soon as we ready to rock and roll..

Till then keep rubber side down
Brandon

Gravel travel MTN Ultra marathon Wellington

2011-09-03T08:01:00.002+02:00

Race report MTN Ultra marathon Wellington round 5

The 105km race started at Diemerisfonten wine estate in Wellington and with 3000meters on vertical ascent it was always going to be a hard race. With Bridgette as my manager in the feed and technical zones it was going to make life alot easier as fresh Biogen bottles were ready and waiting and spare Stans wheels in case of a flat or any technical issues with my wheels.

The race started out at a slow pace as the feeling of nervousness was floating around, as the guys pretty much knew that the harshness of the course was going to sort the racing out. After the first 40km the race lead group was still 10 riders strong and after 70km the group to my surprise was still 10 riders strong but soon after the last feedzone and with 40km remaining i thought it was time to make a move and see who had what left. Heading out the last feed there was a monster of a climb! I had ridden clear of the group and thought it was going to be my day. The final climb kinda caught me by surprise as it was really long and hard even though i was feeling really good the whole climb, i thought on the downhill i would try and ride away in the technical sections but there were a couple hard little kicks. My energy levels seemed to fade a little and the group of Kevin, David and both Jacques had caught me. Jacques Janse van rensburg of MTN attacked and I was not able to follow, and Kevin jumped across quickly. I knew that was the race and then was going to try fight to stay with David Geore and Jacque Roussow but they got a small gap and thought i could get back on the long descent to the finish but with nothing left in the tank and a last 1km climb in the final 4km it was not going to help my cause and simply lost more valuable seconds. I just rode the final 2km into the finish in 5^th place and was happy with the ride as a whole but slightly disappointed in the final result. It was quite remarkable to see the level of the guys at the moment and it was really a fantastic ride and one that should for sure host the SA marathon championships in the future.... True mountain biking course! Very well done to the course designer and Avendurance.

Once again thanks so much to all my sponsors for the commitment and support.

Be sure to catch the Mobile Coffeeberry for the best Coffeee and pancakes

2011-08-24T19:13:00.000+02:00

2011-08-24T19:08:00.002+02:00

Aquelle Harburg Tour de Krans

2011-08-22T18:16:00.003+02:00

Hi All

This past weekend was the annual Tour De Krans held in the German community of Harburg! The race was 45km long with a hard 900m climbing, the event had a record number of riders with over 1000 riders braving the slightly chilly conditions! The course is very well renowned for its nice single track and many hard climbs.

The race started at 8.30 sharp and the race filming chopper was in the air to start filming and get the race underway despite the tricky misty conditions. My Momse machine was ready and had biogen on board to keep me fueled for the event! I was really hoping to achieve my 3rd race win in a row as to give back to my sponsors Itec Connect-Kathea who have been so good to me for the duration of their involvement in mountain biking to date!

After a hard training week preparing for some of the upcoming ultra marathons the body was a little tender and I was gonna have to fight hard for this one! The pace started off pretty quick with guys wanting to hit the single track sections first but I managed to get into the single track firrst and quickly apply some pressure on the competion. After the first serious climb of the race I managed to ride away and had Sho-air specialized team rider Brendon Davids who will be racing for the team in America for the 2012 season chasing me hard and keeping me on my toes to ensure I didn't make any silly mistakes and keeping the pace high!

After about 25km I had a minute lead and was quite content to hold it there! I managed to stay out of harms way and crossed the finish first in a time of 1:45, taking my 3rd win. The momsen bike and my motivation for my sponsors supporting me seems to be making all the difference and for this I thank all of you!

Just some news

2011-08-19T19:34:00.000+02:00

Trying to get this blog up and running but still learning how do get it all right and of course the only way to learn is just do it yourself, Makes a couple mistakes and then dust yourself off again... @kevinevansracing has his one dialed so maybe later in the year a little crash course might be needed!

But anyhow this week has been reall good to me with good training and recovery. Just been battling with a really stiff neck the last 3 days but a trip to my physio Garth and Helen the chiro at EAP, should be well on my way but was thinking its still really painful! All strapped and a teaspoon of cement should be good to go!

Tomorrow I am racing the Aquelle Harburg classic which is always an awesome ride and a really tuff 45km and then sunday will be some down time and spending it with the girls!

The pic that I posted was at the finish of the Cowan House classic which i won last weekend!

NEW BLOGSPOT

2011-08-18T17:58:00.000+02:00

Hi Guys
Please have a look at my new blog and let me what you think!