Philip Buys will be hoping to start shifting his season back into top gear at the Trailseeker Series event in Tulbagh, Western Cape, on Saturday.
PYGA Eurosteel’s Buys has had a very up and down season, contracting a Coxsackie viral infection days before the Cape Epic started in March.
The illness ruled him out for over four months and since returning to racing almost two months ago he has not regained the form which saw him and teammate Matthys Beukes finish third overall in the Tankwa Trek in February.
He also finished third at the Attakwas Extreme MTB Challenge in January, which was won by Beukes.
Philip Buys (pictured) will be hoping to start shifting his season back into top gear at the Trailseeker Series event in Tulbagh, Western Cape, on Saturday. Photo: Milan de Beer Photography
Buys and Beukes formed a dynamic pair last year, winning both the joBerg2c and sani2c Race titles, the Berg and Bush ‘Descent’ and the Wines2Whales Race.
Both are set to take part in the Trailseeker this weekend, but not as a team.
“I want to do the race to get an indication of where my shape is,” Buys told In the Bunch today.
“I’m not sure who else will be racing. I’m aware many pros are taking part in the York Enduro, so I may just as well be racing against Matthys.
“I’ve been back at training for a few weeks now and I want to race as much as possible to get the power and speed back again.”
Buys originally wanted to use the Legends MX event on June 22 to gauge his fitness ahead of the SA national marathon championships which took place on July 14.
However, that did not go according to plan. “I wasn’t in good shape there; I sort of just took part to support my other teammates. I was like a spare wheel.
“But I feel much better and stronger now than I did last month. I’m not really expecting much, but I’m just looking for that indication of where I’m at fitness-wise.
“I need to get that race speed again for the second half of the season.”
Beukes also fell ill just before the marathon champs, ruling him out as a threat in the race.
Buys said Beukes had recovered well since then as he turned his focus to the UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships in Auronzo di Cadore, Italy, on September 15.
“After the marathon champs I went to George and we trained together for about a week.
“I think he is in good condition now and he will be strong this weekend. He is obviously working hard towards the world champs.
“But both of us really want to do well again at certain stage races in the last part of the season,” he said.
Buys added that they would like to defend their titles at the Berg and Bush from October 5 to 7 and the Wines2Whales from November 2 to 4.
They would also like to do well in the Cape Pioneer Trek from October 14 to 20.
