World warms up for Masters MTB Champs MyZA

Ready for action! Masters riders (from left) Marion Sykes, Patrick Morewood, Sharlene McGillvray, Mirco Balducci (Italy) and (Marie Walsh (USA) enjoying the camaraderie of the first training day of the UCI MTB Masters World Championships 2013 at Cascades MTB Park in Pietermaritzburg. Photo: Dave Macleod /
Gameplan Media

The first official practice day of the UCI Mountain Bike Masters World Championships saw hundreds of cross country and downhill riders take to the Cascades MTB Park courses in Pietermaritzburg for the first time with varying results.

Due to the humid overcast conditions both tracks were in demanding and fast condition, with most riders approaching the day cautiously and carefully scrutinising the tough technical elements of the courses.

Pretoria-based riders Jimmy Ramage and Sean Rossouw scoured the course inch by inch to find the quickest ways through certain sections.

“This is the first time I have ridden the course since July and it has not changed a lot,” said Ramage, who had been riding with Rossouw, trying to find the fastest lines through the key sections.

“The difference is that when I was last here the climbs were the same but the course was longer and now the course is shorter but the climbs are the same length!” he said light-heartedly.

“I have been involved in a lot of endurance riding in the past but this is very different due to the fact that the course here is short and tough and the technical stuff is a lot more challenging,” said Rossouw.

Shortly after the start of the practice section Frenchman Michel Stephane came unstuck below Cloud 9 on the downhill course and was rushed to St Anne’s hospital with a suspected fracture above his ankle.

Late in the afternoon local rider Cobus Slabbert crashed spectacularly on the tough final descent on the cross country course, somersaulting over his handlebars, landing on his back and injuring ribs in the process.

Thursday sees both downhill and cross country riders heading out onto the course for their second and final day of training before the competition starts officially on Friday.

For more UCI MTB Trials World Championships news, click here.

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