The XCO season got off to a cracking start in Gauteng when over 300 racers tackled the reworked course at Grootfontein Bike Park at Round 1 of the Gauteng XCO Series, presented by Suzuki at the weekend. Under-23 racers, Jaedon Terlouw and Karlise Scheepers were the top male and female performers on the day, both winning their respective Elite/Under-23 races overall and also claiming the top Under-23 finisher prizes.
Photography: Dominic Barnardt
After leading through the first lap, Terlouw then lost the lead to Johan de Villiers for the second and third laps. Terlouw then maintained a consistent pace, while De Villiers began to fade. Terlouw’s winning time was 1:15:17 with De Villiers a minute back and Erick Heyns rounding out the overall podium in 1:19: 53.
In the women’s race, Scheepers took the lead from the start and continued to extend it through all five laps to clock a winning time of 1:20:50. Second overall and first Elite was Tania Bugarin Ortiz, in 1:23:09 with Michaela Laidlaw third overall and second Under-23 in 1:33:06.
The five-lap Junior Men’s race was hotly contested as usual, with Affies’ learner Jordan Boschoff capturing victory in a time of 1:02:49, just seven seconds ahead of Bryanston High’s Massi Ambrosi. Potch Gymnasium’s Ernst Roets rounded out the podium in 1:05:26.
The Junior Women raced four laps and it was Helpmekaar’s Tarina Naude who led from start to finish to claim victory in a time of 1:13:53. Lianke Fourie of Hatfield Christian School was runner-up in 1:15:39 with Miah Niecke Dreeckmeier of Waterkloof High third in 1:17:16.
It was the first time that an inter-schools points system was introduced at a provincial series event and there were learners from more than 60 schools competing. This follows the termination of the popular Spur Schools Series in 2021.
“I am sure the word will spread quickly now among the schools. Lots of schools were not ready, but we still have another four rounds to race and I’m sure the schools racing will become as keenly contested as it always has been,” said Paola Damilano, event organiser and chairperson of Gauteng Cycling.
Points were awarded to school learners in both the Provincial race and the Lite race, with the former carrying a higher weighting. The objective is to help kids move from the Lite race to the Provincial race with a series of skills clinics throughout the season.
The Lite races take place on a different race route at the same venue. The route is tamer and designed to encourage participation and attract newcomers to the XCO discipline.
There was also a healthy number of age-group racers entered at the opening round, which took place in cloudy, humid conditions.
Round 2 of the 2022 Gauteng XCO Series, presented by Suzuki, will take place on Saturday 19 March at Iron Throne Bike Park, Hartebeespoort.
Round 1 2022 Gauteng XCO Series, presented by Suzuki
Saturday 19 February, Grootfontein Bike Park, Pretoria
Leading results Provincial Race:
Overall Men (6 laps)
1 Jaeden Terlouw (Lynwood Cycling Club) 1:15:17
2 Johan de Villiers (UR Cycling) 1:16:16
3 Erick Heyns (LCC) 1:19:53
4 Nathan Naude (Coaching Corner) 1:21:53
5 Wian van den Bergh 1:22:32
Elite Men (6 laps)
1 Wian van den Bergh 1:22:32
2 Sean Weber + 1 lap
Under-23 Men (6 laps)
1 Jaeden Terlouw (Lynwood Cycling Club) 1:15:17
2 Johan de Villiers (UR Cycling) 1:16:16
3 Erick Heyns (LCC) 1:19:53
Junior Men (5 laps)
1 Jordan Boschoff (Affies) 1:02:49
2 Massi Ambrosi (Bryanston High) 1:02:56
3 Ernest Roets (Potch Gymnasium) 1:05:26
Youth Men (4 laps)
1 Josh van der Merwe 53:57
2 Beon van Staden (Midstream) 54:01
3 Gustav Roller (Randpark High) 55:32
Sub-Junior Boys (3 laps)
1 Eduard du Toit (Waterkloof) 47:24
2 Justinus Deyzel 48:21
3 Jaco Aldum (CVO) 48:54
Sprog Boys (4 laps Lite course)
1 Deowen de Jager (Garsfontein High) 37:10
2 Wieko Strydom 39:08
3 Luke Stafford (St Declands Primary) 39:26
Nipper Boys (3 laps Lite course)
1 Nicholas Norton 32:56
2 Sam Clark (Montrose Primary) 33:33
3 Christiaan van den Bergh (Monument Park Primary) 38:05
Sub-Veteran Men (5 laps)
1 Phillip Malan 1:06:19
2 Dana Coetzee 1:06:51
3 Dewald Lotter 1:08:07
Veteran Men (4 laps)
1 Alby Nel 55:51
2 Doug Lang 59:29
3 Etienne van der Merwe 59:45
Master Men (4 laps)
1 Jason Duffin 58:37
2 Rynard van Hoven 59:29
3 Hein du Toit 59:44
Overall Women (5 laps)
1 Karlise Scheepers 1:20:50
2 Tania Bugarin Ortiz 1:23:09
3 Michaela Laidlaw 1:33:06
4 Talia Behr 1:40:49
5 Kathleen Baker + 1 lap
Elite Women (5 laps)
1 Tania Bugarin Ortiz 1:23:09
2 Michaela Laidlaw 1:33:06
Under-23 Women (5 laps)
1 Karlise Scheepers 1:20:50
2 Talia Behr 1:40:49
3 Kathleen Baker + 1 lap
Junior Women (4 laps)
1 Tarina Naude (Helpmekaar High) 1:13:53
2 Lianke Fourie (Hatfield Christian School) 1:15:39
3 Miah Niecke Dreeckmeier (Waterkloof High) 1:17:16
Youth Women (3 laps)
1 Arielle Behr (Menlo Park High) 52:33
2 Bianca Botha (Montana Krugersdorp High) 55:24
3 Tamlyn Luyt 56:38
Sub-Junior Girls (4 laps Lite course)
1 Mieke Gilbert (Constantia Park High) 46:12
2 Helen Olwage (Waterkloof High) 47:38
3 Anel Verster (Constantia Park High) 57:28
Sprog Girls (3 laps Lite course)
1 Bella Grobler (Aston Manor Primary) 34:30
2 Hannah Young (Constantia Park High) 42:10
3 Kayla Sinden (Rynfield Primary) 42:13
Nipper Girls (3 laps Lite course)
1 Annebell Kleyn 26:00
2 Lana-Leigh Du Toit (Garsfontein High) 29:12
3 Minke Kruger (Constantia Park High) 30:50
Sub-Veteran Women (3 laps)
1 Christina Louw 1:01:53
Veteran Women (3 laps)
1 Marisa van der Linde 50:43
2 Catherine Townshend 53:30
3 Leonora Changuion 58:14
Master Women (3 laps)
1 Monica Glover 48:33
2 Christelle le Roux 1:07:53
3 Tracey Reynolds 1:10:36
Leading results Lite Race:
Sports Men (6 laps)
1 Marc Beattie 51:35
Under-23 Men (6 laps)
1 Patrick Williamson 43:32
2 Bladen van Rensburg 47:34
Junior Men (6 laps)
1 Adrian Meddows-Taylor 38:29
2 Yashin Perumal 41:48
3 Ziyad Khan 42:20
Youth Men (5 laps)
1 Tyler Lang 31:07
2 Michael Falck 33:35
3 Emile Jansen van Rensburg (Waterkloof Primary) 34:27
Sub-Junior Boys (4 laps)
1 Michael Freemantle 29:58
2 Christian Rademeyer (Helpmekaar High) 31:14
3 Luca Dos Santos 31:16
Sprog Boys (4 laps)
1 Leon Seyffert 29:12
2 Andrew Becker (St Davids Marist Inanda) 29:22
3 Ashley Becker (St Davids Marist Inanda) 30:39
Nipper Boys (3 laps)
1 Wihan van Niekerk (Pretoria Oos Primary) 23:28
2 Reuben Duvenage (Tygerpoort Primary) 25:24
3 Nate Gavin (De La Salle Holy Cross College) 26:44
Sub-Nipper Boys (2 laps)
1 Eric Smit (Tygerpoort Primary) 18:48
2 MJ Kleyn 19:15
3 Joshua Grobler (Aston Manor Primary) 20:15
Sub-Sub-Nipper Boys (2 laps)
1 Alaric Massey 35:43
2 Lihan Serfontein (Garsfontein Primary) 1:11:40
Veteran Men (6 laps)
1 Johan de Villiers 36:33
2 Bryn Lotter 52:15
Junior Women (6 laps)
1 Jessica Stafford (Dinamika High) 44:25
Youth Women (5 laps)
1 Mikaela Wessels (Helpmekaar High) 48:15
2 Raylene van Rooyen 1:06:01
Sub-Junior Girls (4 laps)
1 Karmia van Jaarsveldt (Garsfontein Primary) 41:57
Sprog Girls (3 laps)
1 Lana Coetzee (Woodlands Park Primary) 26:44
2 Roxanne de Lange 27:11
3 Lea Kruger (Constantia Park High) 28:59
Nipper Girls (2 laps)
1 Amelie Janse van Vuuren 20:35
2 Nikita Woest (Constantia Kloof Primary) 22:56
3 Katia Kriel 24:24
Sub-Nipper Girls (2 laps)
1 Suma Fourie 24:51
2 Miah Engelbrecht (Constantia Park High) 26:37
3 Keiana Broodryk (Curro Serengeti) 30:28
Master Women (6 laps)
1 Hannelie Strydom 58:35
GALLERY
