Garmin adidas Podiums At Illovo Eston

Race Report : Garmin adidas

A good mountain biker is one who can adapt when things are not going the way it should.

Philip Buys (Garmin adidas) proved that during Sunday’s Illovo Marathon in Eston, KwaZulu-Natal.

Before the race, Buys said explicitly that he would love to win the King of the Mountain Prime.  Unfortunately, a nasty cold put an end to that goal.

“It was just my bad luck. I was really feeling sick, so during the three days before the race I decided to rather play it safe and I did no training.  Come race day, I thought I was OK, but the moment the race started and the mad dash to be first rider to the top of the climb was on, I realised that I did not have the legs to stay with the top guys. If I had tried to stay with them, I would have ‘killed’ myself for nothing.

“So I decided that it was time for Plan B.  I settled into riding a comfortable steady pace and it worked well because, as the race progressed, I started catching the riders in front of me one by one, until I was 3rd overall.”

Kevin Evans (MTN) who took off like a rocket right from the start and was never really challenged, won the race, with Brandon Stewart (DCMChrome) finishing 2nd.

Francois Theron (Garmin adidas) said he punctured.

“But I am not going to use that as an excuse. Puncture or no puncture, I was not going to be a contender in the race. It was just not meant to be.”

Marc Bassingthwaighte (Garmin adidas) was a victim of the flu and he wisely decided not to race, but rather save himself for this weekend’s South African MTN Marathon Championship in Harrismith.

Frustration is still a ‘catchword’ in the vocabulary of Mannie Heymans (Garmin adidas) after he broke his elbow.

“I cannot begin to tell you how I miss being on my mountain bike and racing”.

“I was hoping to start cycling at the end of September, but now I am not sure about that anymore. At least, I am on a training bike and getting some exercise, otherwise I might have been in trouble, just sitting around and drinking Tafel Lager.”

“At the moment, I keep reminding myself that patience is a virtue. I am going to take it week by week. It is nearly five and half weeks after my operation, so hopefully the bones have started to heal. The doctor seems to be satisfied. But the screws and plates that were used during the operation, are giving me hell. Luckily, they are coming out in three months’ time, but that would mean another operation.

“During the past few weeks, I have realised what a good job I did when I broke my elbow. But that is just the way I am.  If I do something, I make sure that it is done properly.”

In spite of his frustration, Heymans made it clear that the ‘Old Man of South African and Namibian Mountain biking’ is far from being finished.

There is still some unfinished business on his mountain bike that needs to be settled.

“I hope to be able to race for at least another three years.”