A fun-packed day of Enduro racing took place ON Sunday, 16 November, on the 3Rivers Trails outside Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). It was the second edition of the RBC 3Rivers Enduro and many new faces were welcomed to the trails and the Enduro format alongside returning competitors.
Great course conditions awaited riders with a sprinkling of overnight rain enhancing the traction in the sandy soils! The stage was set for PRs and KOMs to be claimed and friendly battles for bragging rights to ensue.
The Full Enduro course was 35km long with 1 000m of elevation gain and loss and comprised six downhill stages, of which the last was a magnificent 5km long! The Lite Enduro course was made up of three easier stages, with a bit under half the climbing to allow riders a taste of what Enduro racing is all about. Stage 6 was a test of carrying speed and consistent pedalling power on the flatter lower section that took the fastest riders around 9 minutes to complete!
Over half of the competitors had opted to race in the E-bike Class, enjoying the extra speed and climbing ease that comes with a bit of motor assistance. The infamous Oxwagen Pass ascent was to be completed three times in the day for riders of the Full Enduro course, its loose and technical turns are almost as enjoyable to climb on an E-Bike as the other trails are to descend.
Trails such as Room With A View, which made up Stages 1 and 2, offered a technical challenge for riders navigating loose corners and rock features before plunging them into the high-speed banked turns that make the 3Rivers Trails such a blast to ride for all skill levels.
The racing was hotly contested in both the Mountain Bike and E-Bike categories, but Stage 6 brought a big shake up to the results as the long physical test separated those with good legs on the day from those who had overcooked it on the sprint segments. The popular E-Bike category was one of the most tightly contested of the day due to the depth of field and the motor support possibly levelling the playing fields a bit on the flatter sections of track.
In the women’s field, the fastest riders of the day were Kirsty Iversen (E-Bike) and Amy Isabel Tait (Analog) on the Full Enduro, and Chelley Heyneke (E-Bike) and Jeanne-Mari Dippenaar (Analog). Jenna Byrnes was on track to be the fastest in the Women’s E-Bike Full Enduro but suffered a mechanical after the second stage that limited her pedalling ability later on.
In the men’s field, Robbie Powell (E-Bike), Jason Boulle (Analog Men) and Ruan Cloete (Analog Junior Boys) topped the standings in the Full Enduro, while Scott Kelly (Analog Men), Daniel Woods (Analog Junior Boys), and Llewelyn Tait (E-Bike) went fastest on the Lite Course.
“When we started this event, our goal was to promote mountain biking and the Enduro discipline, especially amongst young riders. We’re passionate about seeing the sport grow, and we’ll continue working to improve and elevate the experience each year,” said Demi Puttergill, Event Organiser.
“What truly sets this event apart is the friendliness and camaraderie shared among participants. That spirit is what Enduro is all about, and it’s something we’re proud to see reflected so strongly out on the trails. It was a fantastic day out, and we can’t wait to return next year – bigger, better, and more exciting than ever,” added Puttergill.
“It’s great to see people here from all over the country. I was super stoked with how it went. It was absolutely amazing and the trails were fantastic,” said Robbie Powell, owner of RBC Suspension Workshop.
“We were really lucky with the weather and as expected the vibe was great after the racing, super relaxed and nice having a bit of live music there. I think the organisers are onto a good thing! I really appreciate what they’ve done. It’s just great to see a whole bunch of people in PE coming out to enjoy themselves and experience the Enduro racing format as it is really unique, there’s a great social element to it,” added Powell.
Follow @rbc_3rivers_enduro and @3riverstrails for information on future events taking place on the network. You can find the leading results below.
INTRO IMAGE: International Downhill pro and local rider Johann “Pottie” Potgieter was fast in the technical riding but didn’t have the legs to grab the win against Rebello and Boulle.
Full Enduro
Open Men
1 Jason Boulle – 17:28
2 Dylan Rebello – 18:59
3 Johann Potgieter – 19:11
Open Women
1 Amy Isabel Tait – 22:30
2 Shauna Esmeyer – 23:00
E-Bike
Men
1 Robbie Powell – 17:59
2 Dylan Gilbert – 18:17
3 Stuart Laing – 18:22
Women
1 Kirsty Iversen – 22:27
2 Jenna Byrnes – 24:24
Junior Boys
1 Ruan Cloete – 18:43
2 Joshua Catherine – 20:18
3 Joshua Dech – 20:22
Lite Enduro
Open Men
1 Scott Kelly – 15:27
2 Stephen Craddock – 16:18
3 Jordan Woest – 18:08
Open Women
1 Jeanne-Mari Dippenaar – 23:26
Junior Boys
1 Daniel Woods – 15:49
2 Tyler van der Nest – 18:39
3 Henru Koekemoer – 36:07
E-Bike
Men
1 Llewelyn Tait – 16:02
2 Andrew Briggs – 16:07
3 Kevin Browne – 16:38
Women
1 Chelley Heyneke – 18:38
2 Carla Reddering – 21:22
3 Debbie Billson – 28:24
Full provisional results can be found here.
