De Villiers Crashes, Van Wyk Wins

Ellane van Wyk was elated after securing the overall victory at the Mazda Haenertsburg Mountain Bike Challenge at the weekend.

Capetonian Ellane van Wyk’s trip from one side of the country to the other paid off handsomely, when she won the women’s race at the Mazda Haenertsburg Mountain Bike Challenge in Limpopo Province at the weekend.
 

But the drama-filled race got off to an unfortunate start when, after just 13km, defending champion and pre-race favourite, Yolande de Villiers (Mazda Merida), crashed heavily on a fast descent, sustaining a head injury that saw her being rushed to hospital.

Carla Rowley led for most of the race, claiming the Velotex Queen of the Mountains title in the process.

That left the race wide open, with Carla Rowley (Raleigh MTN Energade) inheriting the lead and claiming the Velotex Queen of the Mountains prize at 43km, before faltering with cramp 10 kilometres later.

Ellane Van Wyk (Fabrinox), who recently represented South Africa at the world marathon championships, maintained her steady pace after moving into the lead with 28km to go, and remained unchallenged to finished strongly in 4 hours 32 minutes 37 seconds.

Making a return to racing after a layoff, Christi Pienaar (Fritz Pienaar Cycles) and top veteran Petruschka Constancon joined Rowley in the battle for second place, with Pienaar eventually securing the runner-up place in 4:52:37 and Rowley taking third in 4:56:04.

"I really suffered early on, and seriously thought about stopping," said an elated Van Wyk. "I’m glad I just kept going. It was definitely one of the toughest races I’ve ever done. It became more like a test of survival!"

Despite missing Events 7 and 8 due a European racing stint, Tania Raats (Maverick Momentum) still leads the Mazda Series, with two events remaining.

However the points gaps at the top of the rankings have narrowed considerably, leaving as many as six women in with a shot at the 2007 title with two races remaining.

De Villiers, who was hospitalised, was reported to have suffered a gash to the face and serious concussion, at one point losing consciousness. She also has suspected torn shoulder ligaments and may be unable to complete the Series, which she won in 2006.

The ninth and penultimate race in the 2007 Mazda Series is the Talisman Herald Karoo to Coast, which takes place on 23 September. For more information, visit the AdventureZone website.