Philip Buys and Sarah Hill conquered the 18th edition of the Fedhealth Magalies Monster MTB Classic on their first attempt at the ATKV Buffelspoort on Saturday 28 August 2021. The popular event took place in windy, damp conditions and offered four different distances to cater for all levels of mountain biker.
Buys (Pyga EuroSteel) completed the Marathon 65km route in a lightning-fast time of 02 hours 49 minutes 02 seconds to claim the overall win at his first attempt. Pieter du Toit (Pyga EuroSteel) finished second with Jan Withaar (24/7 Security/Merida) rounding out the podium.
Phil Buys combined pleasure with business to win his first Fedhealth Magalies Monster title. | Photo: Tobia Ginsberg
“The route was quite rough. I really enjoyed it,” says Buys. “I’m used to this type of terrain. It’s loose and rocky, very similar to what we have in Pretoria. It was my first Magalies Monster, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun that rough downhill was. The weather was fine today. We had a little bit of rain on the far end of the route, but it didn’t affect the outcome of the race. If my schedule allows it, I’ll definitely be back next year.”
Sarah Hill (Liv Racing) secured gold in the women’s race in a time of 03 hours 31 minutes 11 seconds. Samantha Sanders (Galileo Infiniti Spot) finished second, while Karlise Scheepers finished third. According to Hill she wanted to see what all the hype was about.
Sarah Hill claimed a dominant victory at her first attempt at the 2021 Fedhealth Magalies Monster. | Photo: Tobias Ginsberg
“Everyone talks so highly of this race. I was absolutely blown away. I’ve done Breedt’s Nek a couple of times, but I did not realise that there was more to it. I really enjoyed finding rhythm on the climbs and the downhills were absolutely phenomenal. It was rocky, technical, hard-packed, fast – everything you want, and it rained. My favourite part was the moment that I crested Breedt’s Nek and turned right to start descending. You have the most beautiful views of the North-West. It’s a great area for training and it’s breathtakingly beautiful.”
Lenre Coetzee was on fire in the Half Marathon, securing victory in 01 hour 19 minutes 40 seconds. Ernie Roets came in second, while Bertieemmett Anderson finished third.
Eventual third place finisher, Jan Withaar, leads Phil Buys up a climb during the 2021 Fedhealth Magalies Monster. | Photo: Tobias Ginsberg
“I think I’ve done about four Magalies Monsters already,” says Coetzee. “Today’s route was definitely more technical. The wind was hectic, but at least at the end we conquered the Monster.”
Yvonne Prinsloo was the strongest contender in the women’s race, crossing the finish line in 01 hour 43 minutes 40 seconds. Sasha-Lee Sauer came in second, while Tshidi Ebudilwe finished third.
“The race was great,” says Prinsloo. “The route was well marked. The up-hills were my favourite part of the route as well as any part where we caught the wind from behind. I’ve probably completed the Magalies Monster seven or eight times already, but this is my first short one. I’ll definitely be back.”
Former South African champion, Sam Sanders, finished second in the women’s race at the 2021 Fedhealth Magalies Monster. | Photo: Tobias Ginsberg
Riaan van den Berg claimed the top spot on the podium in the Fun Ride in 55 minutes 35 seconds. Dirk Steenkamp came in second, while Frans Naude finished third.
“The route was technical with a lot of ups and downs,” says Van den Berg. “It’s rough terrain. I trained for four days, it’s very little. I’ll definitely be back and will train for the 15km again.”
Every finisher deserved their medal after conquering a tough course in challenging conditions at the 2021 Fedhealth Magalies Monster. | Photo: Tobias Ginsberg
Alicia Steenkamp (Hartbeespoort) was the first lady home in the women’s race in a time of 57 minutes 12 seconds. Alet de Lange came in second, while Lianne Zermatten finished third.
“The route was awesome,” says Steenkamp. “I loved the route, and I loved the challenge. The downhills and up-hills were awesome, and I loved going through the water. I’ll definitely be back next year for the Half Marathon.”
The climb to the summit of Breedtsnek yields spectacular views of the North West and Gauteng provinces on either side at the Fedhealth Magalies Monster. | Photo: Tobias Ginsberg
TOP 10 OVERALL RESULTS:
Marathon/+-65km: OVERALL MEN
1 Philip Buys 02:49:02
2 Pieter du Toit 02:50:05
3 Jan Withaar 02:52:21
4 Dewald Reinecke 02:54:51
5 Barend Burger 03:05:15
6 Jan Montshoai 03:16:23
7 Marcus van den Berg 03:17:50
8 Justin van der Linde 03:19:13
9 Allen Lewis 03:19:49
10 Pressmore Dhlamini 03:24:03
A range of distances ensured that all ages were catered for, including kids at the 2021 Fedhealth Magalies Monster. | Photo: Tobias Ginsberg
Marathon/+-65km: OVERALL WOMEN
1 Sarah Hill 03:31:11
2 Samantha Sanders 03:56:38
3 Karlise Scheepers 03:59:38
4 Kerry Rice 04:06:48
5 Sheryl van den Berg 04:27:59
6 Denni Cartwright 04:28:08
7 Lee Ziervogel 04:45:05
8 Mireille Koster 04:48:42
9 Auralia Edwards 05:06:59
10 Isabel Prins 05:09:34
Despite cancellation and then postponement during the Covid-19 lockdown, the Fedhealth Magalies Monster remains a firm favourite for riders from Gauteng and the North West Province. | Photo: Tobias Ginsberg
Half Marathon/+-33km: OVERALL MEN
1 Lenre Coetzee 01:19:40
2 Ernie Roets 01:19:45
3 Bertieemmett Anderson 01:22:09
4 Jacques Griffiths 01:23:15
5 Aaron Pietersen 01:25:32
6 Gregory Roy McCall 01:28:32
7 Reinhardt Geyser 01:29:31
8 Steven Nkhoma 01:32:20
9 Bertus Anderson 01:35:41
10 Jacques Human 01:35:44
No matter which distance event riders chose, the 2021 Fedhealth Magalies Monster presented a challenging route. | Photo: Tobias Ginsberg
Half Marathon/+-33km: OVERALL WOMEN
1 Yvonne Prinsloo 01:43:40
2 Sasha-Lee Sauer 01:54:53
3 Tshidi Ebudilwe 02:13:29
4 Samantha Zermatten 02:13:47
5 Charissa Prinsloo 02:24:26
6 Myra Mantle 02:25:38
7 Gobona Mantle 02:25:49
8 Anais Huyser 02:29:53
9 Liesl Cloete 02:30:58
10 Lindie Pretorius 02:31:15
The Breedtsnek road has become progressively more rough over the years and remains a formidable obstacle both on the way up and on the way down at the Fedhealth Magalies Monster. | Photo: Tobias Ginsberg
Fun Ride/+-16km: OVERALL MEN
1 Riaan van den Berg 00:55:35
2 Dirk Steenkamp 01:00:21
3 Frans Naude 01:00:49
4 Riaz Yayoball 01:01:35
5 Joshua de Beer 01:06:23
6 Gys Albertus 01:06:56
7 Sweef Mostert 01:11:10
8 Jason Botha 01:11:42
9 Henko Terblanche 01:13:38
10 Janco Pretorius 01:15:18
Fun Ride/+-16km: OVERALL WOMEN
1 Alicia Steenkamp 00:57:12
2 Alet de Lange 01:00:39
3 Lianne Zermatten 01:04:42
4 Sulf Mey 01:15:32
5 Bianca Beumer 01:16:37
6 Saskia Beheydt 01:20:22
7 Vaness Beumer 01:24:38
8 Sanette Scheepers 01:29:21
9 Sheree Schoeman 01:31:41
10 Marieta Van Zyl 01:38:06
Fedhealth Principal Officer Jeremy Yatt said: “We’ve just concluded the Fedhealth Magalies Monster MTB Classic at ATKV Buffelspoort and what an event it’s been. Despite the restrictions due to COVID-19, we trust that all the riders had a blast on some of the North West’s most spectacular routes. It was amazing to be out riding in the fresh air again and to celebrate health and fitness with all the participants. Thank you for joining us!”
CHARITY SUPPORT: The Fedhealth Magalies Monster MTB Classic proudly supports The Kindness Collaboration. Founded by Fedhealth and Operation Healing Hands (OHH), The Kindness Collaboration focuses on supporting South Africans who cannot afford quality medical care. Mountain bikers could make a donation towards the cause when entering the events online. For more information or to make a direct donation towards The Kindness Collaboration visit https://www.fedhealth.co.za/kindness-collaboration/ For more information about Operation Healing Hands visit http://ohhsa.net/
Source: Newsport Media
