Van Tonder Wins 12th Warrior Race Title Ahead of Spartan and OCR World Champs:
Jeep Team’s Thomas Van Tonder wins the Race 6 of the Toyota Warrior Series. Photo: Zoon Cronje
PRETORIA, GAUTENG – In the build up to Spartan World Team Champs and OCR World Champs, this past weekend saw Jeep Team SA OCR Athletes, Thomas van Tonder and Jay Jay Deysel, competed in Race 6 of the Toyota Warrior Series, powered by Reebok, at Tierpoort Adventure Farm just outside Pretoria.
Warrior #6 attracted just over 2500 competitors, all eager to challenge the notorious obstacle courses, known for their toughness and varied
The weekend of racing started on Saturday with the Reebok Individual Sprint race – a short, high-intensive course spanning 200m with 10 obstacles, a great warm-up for the Elites who race on Sunday. Van Tonder and Deysel both set an impressive time of 1m28s, qualifying second-fastest heading into the final.
For the sprint final, Deysel raced like a champ, finishing in 3rd place, while van Tonder opted to focus on the main event – the Black Ops Elite race on Sunday, using his time as a qualifier for the team race.
Sunday saw van Tonder and Deysel compete in the Black Ops Elite race, the toughest race of the weekend – a 15km trail featuring 30 obstacles, all designed to challenge South Africa’s best OCR athletes’ endurance, strength and agility.
Van Tonder, racing in top form as he gears up for Spartan World Team Championships on 1 October and the OCR World Championships in Canada, 12-15 October. He put on an impressive display of BMT (big match temperament) to win 5 seconds ahead of long-time rival, Claude Eksteen, in 1:21:49. Eksteen was 2nd in 1:21:54, and Nevarest Team’s Louis Smit took 3rd in 1:24:36. Deysel crossed the finish line in 8th place with a time of 1:31:14.
This is Van Tonder’s 12th Warrior Black Ops Elite win since inception of the Warrior Races in 2014. He has also won every ‘Beast’ Savage Beast (elite) OCR Race, all eleven of them, consecutively, making him the most successful OCR athlete in South Africa.
Deysel and van Tonder partnered with Mandie Landsberg from BeSnapped for the Reebok Team Sprint race. The team emerged victorious ahead of team BattleRush in second.
“What an epic finish! Taking home 1st place in Black Ops Elite and the win in the Team Sprint with Deysel and Mandie. I am absolutely blessed beyond words. Well done to everyone out there today,” said van Tonder
Said Deysel, “It was an awesome weekend of racing at the Toyota Warrior Race. I really enjoyed every minute of it! Well done to all podium finishers and everyone else who took part.”
Without doubt, Van Tonder, Claude Eksteen, Bradley Claase and Louis Smith are South Africa’s four medal-hopefuls for the Elite Men at the OCR World Championships this year, and Trish Bahlmann and Carina Marx stand out in the Women’s Elite category.
Results – Black Ops Elite
Men
1. Thomas van Tonder 01:21:49
2. Claude Eksteen 01:21:54
3. Louis Smit 01:24:36
Women
1. Trish Bahlmann 01:44:03
2. Carina Marx 01:54:08
3. Catherine Robson 02:03:22
Other Jeep Team SA News
MTB – Michael Lord Top 15 at Fedhealth MTB Challenge
Mountain bikers were treated to amazing weather, superb mountain bike trails and magnificent views at the 3rd annual Fedhealth MTB Challenge at Boschendal Wine Estate on Sunday, 17 September 2017.
With three events to choose from (a +-60km/Marathon; a +- 28km/Half Marathon and a 15km Fun Race), plenty of mountain biking challenges, family fun and a great day out of the city, the Fedhealth MTB Challenge catered for all levels of mountain bikers.
Jeep Team SA top mountain biker and award-winning triathlete, Michael Lord, finished top 15 using this race as a solid training race for the upcoming Grabouw, getting a time of 3hrs15m.
BCX riders, HB Kruger and Waylon Woolcock, took the 60km/Marathon in their stride crossing the finish line in a comfortable first and second place position respectively in 2hrs51.
Said Lord, “Awesome day 15th, very chuffed. Really tough route with some of the best single track in the country over a vast variety of terrain. I’m pleased with how the fitness is coming along.
Last year I would get to 1h40 somewhere and then blow. Today, I made it to 2h16. I just need to find another 15 minutes somewhere and good for Grabouw! The ‘go before you blow’ strategy has its ups and downs. Today that down included an hours’ worth of pedalling after reaching death point. I even stood in the river at Banhoek for quite a while.”
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