Luca Ruwiel (Welgemoed, Bellville) set the +-60 km route of the 8th Fedhealth MTB Challenge Marathon in Stellenbosch on fire this weekend, being the first across the finish line in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 30 seconds.
Launched in 2015, the Fedhealth MTB Challenge caters for mountain bikers of all ages and capabilities, with routes boasting well-manicured, sensational single track and magnificent views.
For Saturdays race, mountain bikers could choose between a +-15 km Fun Ride, +-30 km Half Marathon and +-60 km Marathon, while junior mountain biking enthusiasts could test their skill in the 5 km, 1,5 km and 500 m Fedhealth MTB Challenge Kids Events.
“I’ve been entering marathons as part of my training to keep it interesting,” said Ruwiel.
“Moving the event from Sunday to Saturday (due to the weather forecast) worked better for me in terms of training. I’m not familiar with these trails, but it was a good mix of single track and jeep track climbs. I enjoyed the single track. It feels great to win today, especially because I had Matthew Beers behind me. I look forward to popping into Root44 now to get something to eat.”
Matthew Beers came in second, while Franko Van Zyl finished third.
the finish line
In the +-30 km Race Ilze Coetzee (Meerenhof, Bellville) was the female rider to beat crossing the finish line in 1 hour, 44 minutes and 9 seconds. “I entered because of my brother-in-law who recently got into cycling, he’s obsessed with the sport. So now we try to do family events. The route was awesome. I liked the fact that the climbing was in the beginning and then at the end the single track was cool. I’m really impressed with the trails at Root44. So, all in all fantastic. It feels cool to cross the finish line first. It’s my first win.” Taryn Brown came in second, while Lauren Coetzee finished third.
