HB Kruger won yet another race in his own backyard when he came up trumps at the Cederberg Experience in Citrusdal, Western Cape, at the weekend.
Kruger, currently staying in Paarl, has won an assortment of races in his home province this season, among them the TransCape MTB Encounter, Darling Brew Extreme, Around The Pot 100 Miler and Stellenbosch MTB Challenge.
HB Kruger, pictured here at the Cape Epic this year, won yet another race in his own backyard when he came up trumps at the Cederberg Experience at the weekend. Photo: ZC Marketing Consulting
The Ellsworth-ASG rider, however, remained humble about his achievements.
“The elite mountain-bike competition in the Western Cape is quite stiff. We have the best pros based here – Matt Beers, Gert Heyns and Arno du Toit to name a few,” he told In the Bunch.
“Claiming to be the best would definitely be a very bold statement, but I have been fortunate enough to participate in some spectacular local events and I’ve grown a lot as a mountain-biker.
“I originally came from a road background and I am looking forward to continuing my growth on the mountain-bike.”
He said he was glad to win on Saturday after a mechanical prevented him from claiming victory last year.
“It felt good crossing the line in first place. I wanted to come back and do it again without any hassles. It was satisfying.
“We had a couple of rough sections that were heavily corrugated, though, which was quite hard on the body.”
The route overall, however, suited him, Kruger added. “It was quite fast with only one major climb.
“I knew I would be able to get a gap on that climb and put some pressure on the other riders.
“I managed to get a gap and maintained my lead for the next 75km.
“I was also able to get a good rhythm on some of the flatter sections and get in tune to pedal to the finish.”
He had not yet reached peak form, Kruger said. “After the winter break I’ve had a couple of easy weeks and I’m starting to build up again now.
“I’m feeling quite confident of my form [in order] to get better and improve for the last part of the season.”
Kruger will next focus on the Fedhealth MTB Challenge, which takes place in Franschhoek from September 15 to 16.
