Team RECM’s JAMES REID rode a tactically flawless race to clinch victory from the jaws of defeat in the Elite Men’s South African National Cross Country Championships on Saturday afternoon in Coetzenburg, Stellenbosch. The race came down to the final few meters, ending off in a sprint finish with Kargo Pro MTB team’s ALAN HATHERLY.
Photo by © Craig Dutton | Gameplan Media
“I’m super relieved to have won the race, but it really was not easy,” chuckled the 22-year-old. “I felt horrific for the first half of the race, but kept giving it everything. It didn’t feel like I went any faster in the latter half of the race, more like the others slowed down. I got to them, attacked with one last roll of the dice and managed to draw Alan (Hatherly) and Travis (Walker) out. From there it was a flat out fight to the line and thankfully I got the hole shot once down on the field and finished it off.”
It was Reid’s first Elite Championship win, having moved into the category at the beginning of 2015, but follows on from his African Continental title he won in Rwanda in May. The young rider seemed to struggle with the pace in the first three laps of the six lap affair, but after rejoining the lead group with two laps to go, he took off the front and it came down to a final lap affair.
“That last lap was chaos. I didn’t have much left, but it was marginally more than Alan and the rest of the guys. There was some incredible home crowd support, and after some elbows out dicing, I got onto the field first for what felt like the longest sprint of my life. Thankfully no wheel appeared in my line of vision and when I crossed the line I couldn’t quite believe I had it!”
Photo by Ewald Sadie
Behind Hatherly and Reid, defending champion ROURKE CROESER (Full Dynamix) and early race aggressor PHILLIP BUYS (Scott Factory Racing) seemed to struggle with the late changes in the race tempo, allowing TRAVIS WALKER (Full Dynamix) to ride his way through the field into third, after a late wheel change.
On Saturday, Reid rode his Specialized Epic World Cup with a SRAM XX1 drivetrain (32-tooth front chainring) on the slick, rain-soaked course. “It was a hard, physical course, with lots of ups and downs, and quite steep in sections. Over the duration of the race, the Epic World Cup helped navigate the technical sections with confidence and saved my lower back which allowed me to be slightly fresher later in the race” said Reid, who opted to use Specialized Fast Track tyres (2.0 front @ 24psi & 2.0 rear @ 25psi).
Photo by Ewald Sadie
Elite Men’s National Cross Country Championships – Stellenbosch, South Africa, 18 July 2015
- James Reid – RSA (Team RECM)
- Alan Hatherly – RSA (Kargo Pro MTB Team)
- Travis Walker – RSA (Full Dynamix Pro MTB Team)
