The Freedom Challenge
The Calm Before The Storm
News Release / 16.06.2011
Taking advantage of the conditions, tandem record holder Mike Woolnough left Pietermaritzburg and rode deep into the night to reach the Ntsikeni Nature Reserve, 210 kms from the start. His efforts however came to naught when crossing through the upper catchment of the Umzimvubu River he was forced to withdraw from the event with an acute knee injury.
The mantle of race leader then passed to two time finisher Ugene Nel who started from Pietermaritzburg a day later but rode constantly into the Umzimvubu Valley to ensure that his pace was well ahead of the other riders in the groups that started before him. His progress was slowed by a problem with his bike gears, which he has overcome through a temporary conversion to single speed. His makeshift repair has carried him through the last two days and looks set to hold until the end of Thursday when he hopes to ascend the Drakensberg escarpment and reach Rhodes and repairs.
Also coming into contention is Wednesday starter August Carstens who left Pietermaritzburg, passed through the Allendale support station and the Centocow Mission Station and reached the gate of the Ntsikeni Nature Reserve well before midnight.
Blazing the trail at the front of the field is Freedom Challenge novice Garth Flanders, who left Pietermaritzburg with the first batch on Sunday. He initially looked to surge forward but then, concerned about the difficulties of navigating at night through the Donnybrook forests and the communal lands at the foot of the Drakensberg escarpment, exercised restraint until he reached the foot of the Ongeluksnek Pass.
He then broke from his group, continued through to the Tinana Mission before heading up to the headwaters of the Tina River. In the fading light of Wednesday he started the 1000 metre climb up Lehana’s Pass, did much of the climb during the lunar eclipse and is now headed for the village of Rhodes, 500 kms from the start.
SleepMonsters
