Cycle Club Lenasia (CCL) enjoyed a weekend of Cycling Extravaganza as 26 members took too two different events over two days. It was a cycling feast for bikers on this Lenasia Club.
On Saturday, October 17 it was the Bestmed Satellite Classic scenic route 66 over the Hartebeespoort Dam, and the next day, Sunday, October 18, some took to the streets from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in the 25th edition of the Tsogo Sun Amashova Classic.
Cool conditions presented an ideal start for the Bestmed Satiellite Classic, but things were bound to really heat up by the time Hekpoort Hill beckoned. Riders’ fitness levels were tested at “Vrekpoort” with an average gradient of 7-9% when all groups break up.
The race gave you the option of three distances from 106km, 80km and 60km. CCL riders participated in the 106 and 80km.
The 106km was won by Africa Games gold medallist Meron Teshome (2:27:27).
CCL finishers were Moosa Patel with a time 3:20, Ibrahim Bagas (3:30), Ebrahim Chohan (3:33). In the shorter but popular 80km the winning time was 2:14 by Travis Barret. CCL riders times were as follows: Mohammed (Tico) Takolia (2:27), Zubair Mohamed (2:52), Yusuf Suliman (2:56) and CCL’s only female rider Nazerine Bulbulia (3:28).
Dharmesh Rawjee.
Down to KwaZulu-Natal, CCL riders rode over the hills from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. The Tsogo Sun Amashova Durban Classic 2015 celebrated its 29th anniversary of being the oldest classic cycle race, with having 4141 finishers for the 106km route and 852 finishers for the 65km route.
The uniqueness of the Amashova Durban Classic is that the race starts in one town and ends in another. The 106km route starts at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall and ends at the Sun Coast casino in Durban. The 65km route started in Cato Ridge and also ended at the Sun coast casino in Durban.
One would imagine that if you’re going from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, it would be a downhill race, but it was quite the opposite. From the time you depart PMB, you are constantly climbing through to the valley of 1000 hills. The first 60kms of the 106km route is just climbing. The only variation is the degree of the climb. A fair amount of the route overlaps the route run by the Comrades marathon.
The 106km route was won by Nolan Hoffman for the second time (2:24:54).
Cycle Club Lenasia had 10 cyclists taking part in the 106 km race and one cyclist taking part in the 65km route. For most of the CCL cyclists, this was their first attempt at the Amashova, and the 106 km route. Two of the ten CCL cyclists, Hemant Kana and Kamlesh Valla achieved their sub 3’s both crossing the finish line side by side in a time of 2:47:47. The remaining seven cyclists also posted their best times. One of the CCL cyclists, Ziyaad, had a mechanical failure on his bike, which prevented him from finishing the race.
The 65km route was won by Christopher Von Thun in a time of 1:48:10. In this race CCL was represented by Dharmesh who finished in a time of 2:12:55
Cycle Club Lenasia is making some good progress towards next months 94.7 Cycle Challenge. To show their support towards the Ammaarah Paremedics Bursary Fund, CCL will be riding for this cause this time round.
CCL urge Lenasians to join in this campaign.
Bestmed Satellite Classic – 106km
Moosa Patel (3:20:24), Ibrahim Bagas (3:30:28), Ebrahim Chohan (3:33:00), Muhammad NabeelBagas (3:43:33), Cassim Abramia (4:01:24), Ismail Rasool (4:19:29), Dinesh Amtha (4:19:29).
80km – Mohammed Yunus Takolia (2:27:58), Zubair Mohamed (2:52:51), Yusuf Suliman (2:56:51), Naeem Mohamed (3:04:06), Jan Swarts (3:07:29), Mohamed Mayet (3:08:42), Nazarine Bulbulia (3:28:45), Ismail Essay (3:38:36), Mahomed-Hanif Ebrahim Mahomed (3:57:48), Irshaad Mohamed ( 4:26:27).
Tsogo Sun Amashova Durban Classic – 106km:
Hemant Kana (2:47:47), Kamlesh Valla (2:47:47), Yusuf Waja (3:28:49), Lee Anthony KeitCrotz (3:51:47), Aadil Kajee (4:13:13), Dinesh Amtha (4:27:10), Nizaam Sayed (4:48:08). Yusuf Sarang (4:58:10), Naeem Ayob( 5:16:23)
65KM: Dharmesh Rawjee (2:12)
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