Surprises and spills at first 2011 National Series Duathlon event

Monday, 28 February 2011 06:33

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New venue, new faces, growing talent

The first event in the six-fixture Momentum Health i-Flex National Duathlon Series at Waterfall Estate in Kyalami brought with it several surprises on Sunday 27 February 2011.

Traditionally attracting the loyal run-bike-run set, the fourth annual season of the Series seems to be appealing to the nation’s specialist runners and cyclists, keen at trying their hand at the ‘other’ sport.

The ladies led in this department. Seasoned mountain bike campaigner Carla Rowley tackled her first National Duathlon Series event just 24 hours after her seventh place at the South African XTERRA Champs in Grabouw (outside Cape Town). Despite a sluggish first run that placed her sixth into the transition, her riding power on the 25km bike course took her all the way into second. Seasoned triathlete Riana de Lange clawed back at her on the final 2.5km run. Rowley’s third spot today undoubtedly made her the best newcomer and a talent to look out for in future.

Diminutive Alae Brand of Cape Town put in two strong running legs to make up for her newbie mountain bike skills, to finish in what she termed her “gazillionth fourth” placing.

Also out of her normal hunting grounds of triathlon was former Czech Lucie Reed (formerly Zelenkova) on a mountain bike she’d only tested the day before. She has just two weeks before she tackles the richest triathlon in the world, the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, on 12 March.

But none of the surprise newcomers was able to challenge the Queen of duathlon, Andrea Steyn. The former World silver medalist and 2010 National Duathlon Series champion was in a class of her own, leading from the gun and never looking in any danger of doing anything other than growing her lead. A recent inability to run due to a medical issue did not seem to hinder at all.

The men’s race repeated the theme of honouring its past champion, as Mpumalanga’s Brand du Plessis (owner of all three Duathlon Series overall titles to date) took his first win of 2011. He didn’t have it all his way though, getting lost on the winding hilly MTB course and waiting for second-placed Jean-Pierre ten Napel (of Ladysmith in KZN) to catch up. Ten Napel had his own battle with a slow puncture and at one stage on the second bike lap there were just five seconds separating the two.

Two reported serious bike crashes occurred: one an unidentified male with a broken collarbone and the other to Heidi-Lee Robertson (ironically one of the sponsors from DSM/I-Flex) with a broken humerus and elbow.

The next event in the Series is on Sun 17 Apr at Zevenwacht Wine Estate in Cape Town. It is also an offroad event, with a mountain bike course described as ‘challenging’.

 

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RESULTS Event 1
Momentum Health i-Flex National Duathlon Series, Waterfall Estate, Sunday 27 February 2011

Junior Ladies

1.         Mary-Jane Prinsloo            2:05:39

2.         Charné Prinsloo            2:11:27

3. Sarah Hogan  2:31:41

 

Junior Men

1.         Carel Laubscher            1:33:34

2.            Gerhard Potgieter            1:35:51

3.             Heinrich van der Merwe  1:39)09

 

Master Ladies

1.         Gerda Gruner 2:28:07

2.             Vivienne McKinlay            2:54:30

 

Master Men

1.         Charles Nienaber            1:36:15

2.         Louis Marchand Bredell 1:43:28

3.         Tony Mellows            1:57:29

 

Veteran Ladies

1.         Lona Liebenberg            2:00:03

2.         Diana van Rooijen            2:02:56

3.         Tessa Shallard            2:05:38

 

Veteran Men

1.         Patrice Gautier 1:29:48

2.            Andreas Harms            1:37:03

3.         Josef Hadwell            1:40:33

 

Open Women

1.         Andrea Steyn   1:37:48

2.         Riana de Lange             1:40:39

3.         Carla Rowley 1:41:35

 

Open Men

1.         Brand du Plessis            1:24:39

2.         Jean-Pierre ten Napel   1:26:44

3.         David Labuschagne            1:28:50

 

Mens Team

1. Marcel Marais  1:38:10

2. Reginald Pietersen            2:16:32

3. Andrew Dallas   2:17:18

 

Ladies Team

1.         Ingrid Botha   2:02:04

2.            Geraldine Harris            2:26.06

 

Mixed Team (2)

1. Petro Labuschange / Wilhelm Steyn            1:43:06

2. Takalani Nthugane / Mazu Ndandani            1:45:47

3. Anke Bos / Stephanus Nel            1:53:34

 

2011 Series dates:

Event 1: Sun 27 Feb, Waterfall Country Estate, JHB (offroad)

Event 2: Sun 17 Apr, Zevenwacht Wine Estate, Cape Town (offroad)

Event 3: Sun 15 May, Pollock Beach, Port Elizabeth (road)

Event 4: Sun 12 Jun, Roodeplaat Dam, Pretoria (road)

Event 5: Sun 24 Jul, Holla Trails, Umhlali, 40 minutes north of Durban (offroad)

Event 6: Sun 14 Aug, Potch Dam, North West Province (road)

 

 

Series overview

Fourth year (started 2008)

Total series prizemoney in excess of R300,000

Three events are offroad (5km/30km/2.5km)

Three are road (5km/40km/2.5km)

Duathlon is run + bike + run (timed as one event)

Team option: Yes

Categories: Open, Age 40-49, 50+

Prizemoney: The Grand Prix system awards 20 points for a win, 19 points for second etc. At the end of the Series, a bonus of R10,000 prizemoney is awarded to the winning man and the winning woman, R6,000 for second and R4,000 for third. See www.duathlon.co.za for more

Medals: Only for Kiddies race

Kids distances 1km run / 5km cycle / 1km run

Goodie bag: New Balance moisture management t-shirt, Vit-T-Go energy supplements, Go Multi magazine (total value approx R300)

Spot prizes: New Balance, Rudy Project, PeptoPro, PeptoSport, Go Multi

Race website www.duathlon.co.za

Enter online www.cyclelab.co.za

Online fees: R155 individual, R210 team, R50 kiddies, R80 kiddies team

On the day entries: R200 / R250 / R60 / R100

Enquiries: Andre de Beer 082 490 5061

Televised on SuperSport

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