A break in racing did little to slow the action as Mathias Flückiger and Ralph Näf continued to take control in the fourth stage of the Lesotho Sky mountain bike race today.
Day three’s racing was cancelled due to thunderstorms and riders returned fresh to take on the 87km stage. Flückiger and Näf finished in 3:32:24, two minutes ahead of Phetetso Monese and Stuart Marais. Katleho Manasi and Malefetsane Lesofe followed in third.
Frankie du Toit and Ila Gray won the women’s category while Marc Böttger and Andrea Böttger took honours in the mixed race.
Graham Pearson and Siska van der Bijl were the first male and female solo riders home.
It was racing as normal on day four of the Lesotho Sky after thunderstorms led to the cancellation of yesterday’s stage. Photo: Wayne Reiche
Provisional results are as follows:
Day four – 87km
Men
1. Mathias Flückiger, Ralph Näf (Team Radon Factory XC2) 3:32:24
2. Phetetso Monese, Stuart Marais (Vodacom Lesotho) 3:34:23
3. Katleho Manasi, Malefetsane Lesofe ( African Dream Team) 3:45:58
4. Felix Marvin, Marvin Augustyniak (Focus RAPIRO Racing) 3:46:24
5. Paseka Makhebesela, Teboho Khantsi (Standard Lesotho Bank) 4:09:59
Women
1. Frankie du Toit, Ila Gray (SAICA) 4:50:42
Mixed
1. Marc Böttger, Andrea Böttger (r2-bike.com MTN Crew) 4:14:37
Solo
Men
1. Graham Pearson 4:26:25
2. Tait Lester 4:29:28
3. Mmeke Mapanya 4:37:06
4. Craig Fussell 4:43:48
5. Jean-Paul van der Linde 4:49:38
Women
1. Siska van der Bijl 4:29:37
2. Brigitte Hofmann 5:26:45
3. Anna-Rosa le Roux 5:36:53
4. Estie Du Plessis 5:56:06
General classification
Men
1. Mathias Flückiger, Ralph Näf (Team Radon Factory XC2) 9:10:25
2. Phetetso Monese, Stuart Marais (Vodacom Lesotho) 9:26:14
3. Felix Marvin, Marvin Augustyniak (Focus RAPIRO Racing) 9:58:53
4. Katleho Manasi, Malefetsane Lesofe (African Dream Team) 10:28:27
5. Paseka Makhebesela, Teboho Khantsi (Standard Lesotho Bank) 10:42:26
Women
1. Frankie du Toit, Ila Gray (SAICA) 12:32:30
Mixed
1. Marc Böttger, Andrea Böttger (r2-bike.com MTN Crew) 11:15:37
Solo
Men
1. Graham Pearson 11:28:46
2. Mmeke Mapanya 11:54:09
3. Lester Tait 12:20:01
4. Craig Fussell 12:25:51
5. Jean-Paul van der Linde 12:40:17
Women
1. Siska van der Bijl 12:00:45
2. Brigitte Hofmann 14:52:33
3. Anna-Rosa le Roux 14:52:34
4. Estie du Plessis 16:12:58
