Thubalethu Shange is a development rider from Port Shepstone with very limited means, but he participates in extreme endurance mountain bike events around the country.
Development rier Thubalethu Shange will compete in the Race to Rhodes from Sunday. Photo: Supplied
And his next adventure is the Race to Rhodes, which starts on Sunday.
Shange, who did the Munga last year, has no transport, so he is riding his bike over 200km to get to the start of this year’s event, which covers 480km from Pietermaritzburg to Rhodes.
He received a complimentary entry from the organisers of Race to Rhodes, which forms part of the Freedom Challenge.
“Chris Fisher said he’s giving me a taste of how it feels riding the Freedom Challenge and that it was a good idea for me as a newcomer to do this event.
“The race itself is so challenging with its trails, hiking and river crossings. I know for sure I’m putting myself into a ‘shark cage’ and I’ll have to manage to navigate with no GPS, but simply use a map and compass.
“Coming to the Freedom Challenge with just the minimum of equipment has made it more mentally and spiritually challenging.”
He added that as some parts of the race will require him to hike, at the beginning of this year he started doing running sessions when training.
“Running with no decent shoes couldn’t stop me from doing these sessions. I even used the river next to my home (uMzimkhulu River) for my swimming sessions.
“I hope that will really help me out when crossing uMkomazi river. I’m hoping I’ll not be crossing the river at night as I’ve not got a proper light to cycle at night.”
He will be racing the event on his imported unnamed Chinese carbon frame, fitted with a donated rigid fork and tyres. His clothing has also been donated.
“Ultra mountain biking is just in my veins. I breathe ultra, I eat ultra and I’ll die ultra.
“This is just a taste of how it is riding on the Freedom trails and hopefully next year when racing Race Across South Africa it will be much easer for me.”
Shange was born in Ndlovuzulu and when growing up he never knew anything about bicycles due to the poor background he came from.
“I was an eagle, and I’m still an eagle even now. I never stopped hunting to get what I wanted.
“The influence to love the sport started when Burry Stander of Port Shepstone competed at the London 2012 Olympics. I was so inspired seeing a local rider doing so well in the world and I told myself I can do it and try to do it better than him.
“No one, not even my family, ever believed in what I wanted to achieve.”
He added that he joined a cycling group established by the late Stander’s family and eventually the love of and passion for the sport developed in him.
“My first bike I had was a stainless steel bike 26er in 2011. Everyone used to laugh at me with the bike and all my cheap clothing I had at that time.
“But that was just a way to make me strong and to do what I loved, and I knew as an eagle I had to keep hunting irrespective of the challenges.”
Along his journey he started meeting helpful individuals who wanted see him excel in the sport, especially Mohamed Hafagee of Bobby’s Cycles who helps him to this day.
“The year that really changed me was 2018. My first stage race was Berg & Bush Descent which I did as a solo rider, due to the lack of funds.
“I had to ride my bike from Port Shepstone up to Winterton so that I could start racing the next day.
“At the race I was talking to another rider about how I travelled to the event and he was so shocked that I had ridden about 300km and then managed to race the three-day stage race.
“He told me to enter that year’s The Munga. The worst part was that it was in the next 30 days.”
Shange said he did not hesitate and received a complimentary entry from race director Alex Harris.
“Why did I start doing these extreme mountain biking races? I simply wanted to be the best out of nothing, challenging myself up to my limits. That is what I love the most.
“At least when I’m out there on the mountains I can connect with nature and that is what makes me survive all the challenges that life throws at me.”
He said his next challenge was “how I am going to get myself to and from the Munga”.
“I really have to appreciate the help of social media. I posted a funding request on the Munga Facebook page. The community stood up, even though they didn’t know me.
“They collected and donated some funds to make my dream come true. I managed to service my bike and got myself for the first time ever on an Emirates plane from Cape Town back home to Durban.
“For Munga, I have to make it clear, I only had time to prepare for it in less than 30 days – with my goal to finish it even though I didn’t know what I was going to be facing
“I managed to finish 78th overall and as the fifth development rider after completing it in about four days.”
He said that was his biggest achievement and his life had completely changed after that.
“Ten days after I finished Munga I had to ride to the Ubhejane MTB Challenge, which covered 250km. Imagine how it is to race 1 080km then the next 10 days you do 250km.
“Another achievement was finishing it. Well it’s not a race per se, but an awareness ride dedicated to stopping rhino killing.”
While at the Munga, he met and chatted to Ramses Bekkenk from the Netherlands and he told him he would like to do the 36One Challenge last year.
“Here comes the beginning of 2019. I participated in the Drak Descent with the big help I received. When I received an entry, my plan to get to Underberg was that I was going to ride my bike 180km up there and ask any petrol garage around to sleep in the toilet the night before the race.
“But Sani Spoors helped me with everything to get myself proper transport and accommodation. I was so grateful because the only thing I had was my bike.”
Some of the other races he competed in last year were Berg100, Trans Xhariep, Scottburgh MTB race, Mandela MTB Challenge, Go Durban MTB 100km and the Amashova.
“These years have been very challenging also, where I’m finding it difficult to get a potential sponsor. To do these extreme races is so challenging to me financially, to even afford travelling to and from it.
“Getting a decent gravel bike is also my wish as they are my favourite bikes for the ultra races. It’s also challenging to even have a proper diet. I mainly depend on gardening jobs to have pocket money and to buy food for my family.
“I actually only have a bike. The rest I let God take over, but my biggest challenge is simply financial.”
This year he will also compete in the 36ONE Challenge, Scottburgh MTB Race, Eston MTB Race, Mandela Marathon MTB Dash, Amashova, Berg & Bush, Drak Descent and Munga.
“In 2020 my biggest goal I want to achieve is to see myself at the Belgian MTB Challenge on May 7.
“I then hope I’ll be able to get a sponsor for this one as well. It’s been my dream to be racing in Europe and as we’re talking the race entry is all sorted. It’s just a matter of how I will get to Belgium.”
