Speed And Perseverance Equals Victory

Race Report : Zoon Cronje

This seems to be the formula Rourke Croeser (DCM Chrome) uses to win mountain bike races.

The youngster won the 75km race of the MTN National South African Championships – N3TC Dirty Harry Marathon Event, which took place in Harrismith on Saturday.

‘Heroic’ is the only way to describe Croeser’s victory.

He was involved in a titanic battle with Paul Cordes (IMC Reaction) to be the first rider across the finishing line.

After about 25 kilometres, Croeser saw a big mud pool right in the middle of the single track and he had to make a quick decision.

“I decided not to take the risk of riding through the puddle, but rather to go around it. In hindsight that was a serious mistake.  As I went off the track into the grass, my foot clipped a rock and I lost control of my bike. Seconds later I crashed and broke the little finger of my right hand.

“Because of the pain when I tried to close my right hand, I was unable to use my rear brakes. This meant that for the remainder of the race I could use only my front brakes.

“I crashed twice again, but for me quitting was never an option.

“This victory is very special, because it proves that I am on par to have a good race at the World Cross-country Championships in Australia.

“I just have to thank Ian van der Walt, DCM Chrome’s team-owner, for allowing me to ride the 75km race instead of the 45km race. I needed a good hard race to prepare for the World Championship and Ian fully supported me.”

During the World Cup event in Pietermaritzburg Croeser also took a nasty tumble, breaking the little finger of his right hand. However, he is confident that he won’t have any trouble when using his right hand during the World Championship.

Jacques Janse van Rensburg put in an impressive performance finishing 6th in the main 120km event, yet was a bit disappointed in himself saying he felt jetlagged and expected to do better.

For the rest of the DCM Chrome riders, the race did not quite go according to plan.

Max Knox encountered a serious problem with the frame of his Cannondale bike. It first cracked and then finally broke at a time when he was 2nd overall, with 40 kilometres to go to the finish.

Knox said he was on a downhill section and was going around a sharp corner, when his bike’s frame twisted and broke. But he refused to give up.

“I tried to fix it as best I could and cycled another10 kilometres, but when I realised that I could not muster adequate speed,  I had to quit.”