Mariske Strauss will be chasing another top finish at the SA MTB National Cross-Country Championships in Stellenbosch on Saturday. Photo: Supplied
Mariske Strauss has singled out the enjoyment factor as a key element when she contests the SA MTB National Cross-Country Championships in Stellenbosch on Saturday.
The Western Cape rider (CST PostNL Bafang) was the champion from 2016 to 2018.
After a tough year, in which she contracted the coronavirus, the 29-year-old from Durbanville in Cape Town is eager to wrap up her programme on a memorable note.
“The aim, naturally, is to go out and win, although I also understand that in cross-country riding anything can happen,” said Strauss, runner-up last year to Candice Lill.
“But ultimately I will just go out to do my best and to have fun while I do it. When I enjoy myself everything falls into place, so that’s basically what I am aiming for to end the season on a high.”
Thankfully, she said, she had recovered from the virus after receiving a positive test at the end of March.
“This has definitely been a tough year,” added Strauss. “I was in amazing form in the early part before I got knocked with Covid and it took me a long time to get back into the swing of things.
“But I feel I am finally there and I’ve built up nicely. Now that the last bit of preparation is done, it’s basically a case of getting ready for the weekend.
“Regaining my physical condition took a lot longer than I expected, but I am happy to report everything is ticking over well.”
She acknowledged that the journey this year had been “very strange”.
“We went from having no races, to starting to have them, and then they were being postponed or cancelled – it was like trying to catch a moving target, quite difficult and different to how we normally do things.
“But we have had to make the best of it and I am grateful for the amazing support from my team, which really helped a lot.”
Strauss feels the course, which was used for the 2018 World Cup, will test the riders.
“I have been out there, but there was nothing marked out at that stage. As I understand it is basically the World Cup course, which is a brutal track with rough and loose terrain.
“The climbing is quite hard but I feel it suits my riding style, so I will just go out, have fun and do what I do.”
