Matthew Keyser and Henry Liebenberg will team up for their debut Trek 2 Teebus race in the Steynsburg district this weekend.
The Silverback Volvo pair said they would race as hard as they could during the three-day Karoo stage race.
“Our main goal, apart from winning the race, is to go out and keep the pace hard and constant while playing it safe,” said Liebenberg.
Silverback Volvo’s Henry Liebenberg will join forces with Matthew Keyser at the Trek 2 Teebus race in Steynsburg this weekend. Photo: QuickPix
Keyser added that they would head with full force into each stage so that when they tackled bigger stage races in future they would be used to going at a good pace for three days in a row.
Liebenberg is a regular at stage-race events, having done this year’s Tankwa Trek with Andrew Hill as well as last year’s Berg & Bush with Wessel Botha, claiming fourth place overall.
“My main focus is cross-country racing, but I enjoy all forms of cycling.”
The 19-year-old arrived back from a successful trip to the United States last night, where he managed to place well in two main UCI races.
“I battled to start the year off as I had a big nasal operation and suffered with a viral infection that affected my form and training badly for the first part of the season,” said Liebenberg.
He added that he was starting to bounce back to where he was last year and where he should be with his form. “I’m feeling confident and I’m happy with my fitness.”
Keyser, on the other hand, has not participated in a lot of stage races but he said he felt good and was confident with his form heading into the race.
Silverback Volvo’s Matthew Keyser will team up with Henry Liebenberg for the Trek 2 Teebus race in Steynsburg this weekend. Photo: Supplied
“I feel pretty good. About a week or two ago I had all four wisdom teeth removed and four days after that I raced in Namibia, so I’m feeling pretty strong and on a good level,” he said.
Keyser said he expected challenges throughout the stage race.
“This will be the first time Henry and I have raced together, so racing in a team will be a bit of a challenge for me.
“The wind will also be a bit tricky and will make things difficult with regards to staying together as a group.”
The pair said they looked forward to the event and to racing in an unfamiliar area. “It’s good to explore new terrain,” said Keyser.
Liebenberg felt the route would suit him well. “It’s very rocky and sandy. The climbing also doesn’t look too hectic. I’m a good climber and do well on technical descents, so that might be the main reason why I love cross-country riding.”
Day one of the event covers 72km with 1 030m of elevation, day two takes riders on a 55km route with 980m of elevation, while the final day features an 80km stage with 780m of elevation.
