Drikus Coetzee made historical past on Friday when he grew to become the primary particular person to defend his title on the The Munga ultra-marathon cycle race.
Within the course of he overcame great odds, together with dropping about two and a half hours after getting misplaced and incurring a one-hour time penalty for lacking a bit of the route, however nonetheless managed to win the race comfortably.
Coetzee accomplished the 1 127km ultra-marathon between Bloemfontein and Wellington in a time of about 54 hours half-hour, or to place it in context — he cycled for greater than two days and 6 hours throughout which he solely slept for 20 minutes.
Coetzee yesterday mentioned it was powerful, however he was elated at writing one other chapter within the historical past of the race.
“It was harder than final 12 months, we had excessive head winds from Bloemfontein all the best way to Wellington, however I managed to drag it off and I’m very comfortable to change into the primary rider to defend his title,” he mentioned.
Coetzee did not come near his report of 47 hours 37 minutes that he set final 12 months, however he nonetheless managed to beat the second-placed Marco Martins of Portugal by greater than two hours.
“My total time was 54 hours half-hour, which is about seven hours slower than my report set final 12 months. However I did not come to The Munga with the purpose of breaking my report. My primary purpose was to put in writing a bit extra historical past by changing into the primary athlete to win back-to-back Munga titles,” he mentioned.
“I additionally needed to preserve as a lot vitality as doable for the upcoming Desert Sprint on Friday the place I’ll as soon as once more do the solo journey,” he added.
Coetzee needed to overcome a number of setbacks alongside the best way, struggling some punctures in addition to a defective gentle with its clamps coming unfastened, however the largest setback got here at concerning the 700km mark when he acquired misplaced and needed to incur a time penalty.
“I managed to construct up a 40km lead at concerning the 700km mark however then acquired misplaced on the ‘Razzle Dazzle’ part, the place you wanted to go off the principle highway onto farm roads. I accomplished 95% of that part, however sadly, on the final flip, I went by a incorrect gate and took a left as an alternative of a proper flip, and ended up someplace six kilometres away from Water Level Eight,” he mentioned.
“So, I navigated my manner again to Water Level Eight and did an additional 15km. By the point I acquired there I simply sat and relaxed as a result of I did not actually know the place I used to be when it comes to the race placings after that mishap,” he added.
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By then, Martins had closed the hole to about 3km, however Coetzee managed to extend the tempo to drag away.
“As I left the water level, I noticed the sunshine of Marco within the distance, so I pushed more durable to open up the hole. I managed to open up a niche of greater than half-hour, that allowed me to sleep for 20 minutes at Sutherland, which was the one time I slept at some stage in the Munga,” he mentioned.
Coetzee, nonetheless, was knowledgeable that he was struck by an hour penalty for lacking a bit of the route at Razzle Dazzle.
“I rode one other 80km earlier than I heard that I acquired a one hour penalty due to the mis-navigation, so I wanted to choose up the tempo once more to extend my lead, as a result of I knew I needed to sit out the penalty on the final race village. I sat out my penalty on the final water level and earlier than Marco even got here in, my hour was executed and I might depart,” he mentioned.
“After my time penalty, I had a few 35km lead with 80km to go to the end line, so the penalty simply helped me to choose up the tempo and actually go for it. I am very glad that I managed to drag it off and now I am trying ahead to the Nedbank Desert Sprint beginning on Friday,” he added.