Robyn de Groot rounded off her preparations for the national marathon championships by winning the 80km Knysna Cycle MTB race yesterday.
De Groot defended her title and won in 3:25:14, beating Candice Lill in a sprint finish. Sarah Hill finished third, 21 seconds behind.
“I’m very happy. It was the last race before the nationals; the last one in my national jersey,” she told In the Bunch, referring to the marathon championships to be held at Grabouw on July 14. “To win it was special.”
Robyn de Groot rounded off her preparations for the national marathon championships by winning the 80km Knysna Cycle MTB race. Photo: Deidre Cloete
The Ascendis Health rider had been in third place for most of the race, behind Lill and Amy McDougall, she said.
“I’ve been struggling with an injury for the last couple of weeks. So it was about managing and persisting through pain; finding my own rhythm and riding at my own pace.
“With about 15km to go, I caught up with Candice. By then Amy had already dropped her, so as far as we knew it was going to be a sprint finish for second and third place.
“Just after crossing the line I heard them announce that I had won. I was a bit confused when I didn’t see Amy at the end. Apparently she took a wrong turn somewhere.
“I always enjoy racing with Candice. She plays fair and rides well. All in all, the win was good for me and my sponsors. It’s been quite a struggle lately.”
The route, she said, was “proper mountain-biking. It had a combination of different aspects of riding.
“We had some overnight rain, so it was muddy as well, which made it fun and exciting.
“The route generally suited me and most of the other riders also completed the race with a smile on their face.”
De Groot was satisfied with her form and fitness. “Training has been going well and things are great. There are challenges here and there, but nothing I can’t handle.”
After the marathon championships, De Groot will set off for a two-month racing block in Europe.
“I’m looking forward to something new,” she said. “New races, different terrain and routes, and some summer weather.”
