The Bull of Africa
USN still in the lead; Portuguese team suffers a blow
René Taljaard; Photo: Wouter Kingma / 10.08.2008
Team Estoril Portugal XPD suffered a setback when team member, Marcia Rusga, fell off her bike just as they hit the downhill section of Mitchell's Pass at approximately 9:30am this morning. Apart from the visible cuts and bruises on her face, the extent of her injuries is not yet known, and she has been withdrawn from the race. Rusga is currently being transported to an East London hospital for a full medical examination.
Essentially, this means that it is no longer possible for team Estoril Portugal XPD to finish the race in the official sense. However, the unfortunate developments are not going to stop the other three team members from finishing the race and giving it their all.
“Her injuries are not that serious, so we feel it’s okay for us to continue with the race,� explained team member Frederico Tiago, “It was Marcia who insisted that we keep going, because we came all this way to enjoy the race.�
He explained that a local woman drove past them soon after the accident happened and it so happened that she was a nurse who contacted the medics immediately, and looked after Marcia until they arrived.
The people of Thomas River and its surrounding areas have been incredibly supportive of the Bull of Africa race – some of them are making their own farms available for the placement of checkpoints, and everyone here is just revelling in the excitement and adrenalin of the Bull. Locals were crowding around laptops at the Thomas River bar until the early hours of the morning, chatting and cheering as they tracked the teams’ latest movements on www.sportstrack.net (see photo).
Thomas River is a small historical village, situated approximately 20km from Hogsback in the Eastern Cape. The village boasts the Eastern Cape Rock Art Centre, a motoring museum (which was donated by the Vintage Car Club), a wagon museum, and its own private library which features an impressive collection of vintage books and collectables. Thomas River - its ambiance, delicious food and friendly people - has cast its spell on South Africans and tourists alike.
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