Wessel Botha and Danielle Strydom (pictured above) proved to be the strongest of the strong on Saturday 03 June 2023 when they conquered the revered Fedhealth Magalies Monster MTB Classic Full Marathon at the ATKV Buffelspoort in impressive times of 02 hours 51 minutes 24 seconds and 03 hours 28 minutes 51 seconds respectively.
Starting at the ATKV Buffelspoort, the 2023 Fedhealth Magalies Monster MTB Classic boasted four events to choose from: a Full Marathon (65km), Half Marathon (33km), Fun Ride (15km) and Kids Event (2.5km).
The Full Marathon consisted of a 65km route with a total ascent of 1433m and featured a good mixture of terrain. One of the most beautiful MTB routes in and around Gauteng and the North West Province, riders got to enjoy gravel roads, jeep track, rocky singletrack, technical climbs, and descents. About 20km of the total route was on farming jeep tracks in and around Citrus, Blueberry and Cherry Orchards. The most iconic section of this route, the Monster Climb, was on the Maanhaarrand Pass Road going all the way up to the highest point on Breedtsnek at 1765m above sea level.
“The race started pretty hard, with Marc Pritzen and Shaun-Nick Bester trying to push the pace a bit. Four of us got away, Marc, Shaun-Nick, Pieter and me. Approximately three quarters of the distance up the main climb of the day (The Monster Climb at Breedtsnek), Pieter and I managed to open a gap. We extended the gap on the rocky downhill. Pieter won the race last year, so he knew the route quite well and I just followed his wheel down. From there we just worked well together,” explained Botha.
“There was one river crossing, where I had a big crash. Luckily, I didn’t get hurt, I just got a bit wet. The course was super rough and rocky, but we navigated it well and had no punctures. It was a sprint between Pieter and me at the finish and we’re super happy to take 1 and 2 on the day. The Fedhealth Magalies Monster is always a big challenge with a nice demanding route. Our sponsor, Giant Bicycles, is also involved with the event. So, we were representing them, and our bikes performed perfectly today. It’s a good event and we always enjoy doing it,” added Botha.
Pieter Du Toit came in second, while Shaun-Nick Bester placed third.
“I was a little nervous coming into the race,” admitted Strydom. “I didn’t have a lot of competition last year, but this year Samantha Sanders re-joined the racing scene. So, I was nervous to start and knew it was going to be hard, but my legs felt good, and I decided to take a chance on one of the climbs at the beginning. I just went with it, and it eventually paid off.
“I managed to create a gap and keep it. Being a local, this is one of the ultimate races to do in the North West. It’s a really proud thing to be able to say that you conquered The Monster. Having won last year, I wanted to defend my title. I remind myself every year that it’s a super hard race. I don’t think you can ever be prepared for all of the shaking, but it really pays off and the vibe is great from start to finish. I’ll be back next year,” added Strydom.
Nicolette Griffioen came in second, while Samantha Sanders placed third.
The Half Marathon featured a 33km route that included an ascent of 711m. It might not be the big Monster Route, but it was still tough and fun to do. This distance is unique, as it is perfect for younger athletes that want to race each other in a highly competitive environment. It is also the perfect route for athletes that are new to the sport, as 70% of the route was very ridable and non-technical. It is, however, the Fedhealth Magalies Monster, and there were many sections that reminded riders of that.
Stephan Aldum finished first in the men’s race in a time of 01 hour 30 minutes 27 seconds, followed by Ronnie Purnell in second place and Wijan Nieuwoudt in third place.
Yvonne Prinsloo finished first in the women’s race in a time of 01 hour 48 minutes 51 seconds, followed by Zandri Grundling in second place and Kirsten Niekerk in third place.
The Fun Ride was just that, 15km (with a 271 ascent) of pure mountain biking bliss in the Buffelspoort Valley. The route offered an exciting variety of terrain including farming jeep tracks, untouched Magaliesberg Mountain trails and indigenous bushveld. Riders got to enjoy cycling in a beautiful indigenous bushveld forest that was easy to negotiate and perfect for new riders entering the sport of mountain biking.
Francois Van Wyk finished first in the men’s race in a time of 52 minutes 41 seconds, followed by Wynand (Jnr) De Goede in second place and Frans Naude in third place.
Magda Bronkhorst finished first in the women’s race in a time of 01 hour 08 minutes 30 seconds, followed by Tanicka Van Greunen in second place and Donita Visser in third place.
“Thank you to every mountain bike enthusiast who joined us at the Fedhealth Magalies Monster MTB Classic today. We loved spending time with you all in the beautiful Magaliesberg, and trust that you had a fun time with your family and friends. We hope to welcome you back to our race again next year,” said Jeremy Yatt, Fedhealth Principal Officer:
Leading results:
Marathon 65km
Overall Men:
1 Wessel Botha 02:51:24
2 Pieter Du Toit 02:51:25
3 Shaun-Nick Bester 02:57:24
4 Gustav Basson 03:03:49
5 Marc Pritzen 03:05:30
Overall Women:
1 Danielle Strydom 03:28:51
2 Nicolette Griffioen 03:37:34
3 Samantha Sanders 03:45:59
4 Marisa Van Der Linde 03:49:21
5 Karlise Scheepers 04:02:51
Half Marathon 33km
Overall Men:
1 Stephan Aldum 01:30:27
2 Ronnie Purnell 01:44:51
3 Wijan Nieuwoudt 01:45:02
4 Grant Twilley 01:45:46
5 Aaron Molusi 01:46:56
Overall Women:
1 Yvonne Prinsloo 01:48:51
2 Zandri Grundling 01:58:11
3 Kirsten Niekerk 02:07:51
4 Lindy Steenkamp 02:13:04
5 Wanda Meyer 02:18:59
Fun Ride 15km:
Overall Men
1 Francois Van Wyk 00:52:41
2 Wynand (Jnr) De Goede 00:56:20
3 Frans Naude 00:56:25
4 Jan Thorn 00:57:40
5 Vaughn Lombard 00:57:51
Overall Women
1 Magda Bronkhorst 01:08:30
2 Tanicka Van Greunen 01:08:32
3 Donita Visser 01:14:14
4 Janeen De Jager 01:14:35
5 Selome Wilkens 01:18:34
