Phil Buys and Arno du Toit crossed the finish line together to tie for first place in the penultimate round of the Gauteng Nissan TrailSeeker Series at Hakahana, west of Pretoria, on Saturday.
Buys and Du Toit hard on the charge at Nissan TrailSeeker Hakahana. Photo: Marike Cronje
The SCOTT Factory Racing LCB duo shared the win in the shortened 61km marathon in 2:21:26, with Stuart Marais rounding out the podium in 2:24:18.
For more news and results see: Trailseeker Series Gauteng #4 Hakahana
RBS rider Theresa Ralph claimed the women’s title, which was her first of the 2015 series.
The challenging route, combined with heat-wave conditions, proved to be a formidable test for the almost 3 000 entrants.
Marais went hard from the start and was soon joined by Buys and Du Toit.
The trio quickly went clear of the chasers but Buys and Du Toit worked together on the rocky, steep and technical terrain to successfully drop Marais.
In the women’s race, an in-form Ralph claimed the honours in 2:53:29, just a single second ahead of Nicolette Griffioen. Kimberley le Court followed a distant third in 3:07:57.
The Gauteng Nissan TrailSeeker Series draws to a close with the Diamond Rush in Cullinan, on October 31.
