RoadCover rider Brendon Davids will undergo another examination of his road racing credentials when he competes in the Bestmed Jock Classic in Mbombela on Saturday.
The 23-year-old Johannesburg rider will ride the one-day, three-stage race for the first time, having made a successful conversion from mountain biking to the road.
After winning the 947 Challenge last year, Davids triumphed in the Knysna Cycle Tour at the weekend and now faces another interesting challenge.
From discussions with his team-mates, he said he realised the second stage could be the stretch which decides the final result.
After winning the Knysna Cycle Tour over the weekend, RoadCover’s Brendon Davids will be looking to continue his good form in the one-day, three-stage Bestmed Jock Classic road race in Mbombela on Saturday. Photo: Boogs Photography
The 45km stage between White River and Sabie has a fairly flat start before the climb up Spitskop, which is followed by a 10km run-in to Sabie.
“Most of my colleagues say the Spitskop section into Sabie can make or break the race,” he said.
“It will probably be important to try to establish a gap there as it is the most challenging part of the route, and then try to consolidate on the final stage back into Nelspruit.”
Davids acknowledged one of the challenges would be to keep warm between the stages, which start at 6.30am (42km), 9.30am (45km) and 1pm (63km).
“I have not done a race like this but have been given some good advice about how to handle it,” he said.
“I’m sure I will be spending some time on the rollers between stages to stay well prepared for the next stage.”
This year the Jock Classic, regarded as the country’s toughest one-day road race, will be held separately from the three-day Bestmed Jock Tour, which now takes place in mid-September.
