Wet, but a winner
2008-07-10
Maggie Follett
WELLINGTONNER Danie Nel completed the second leg of the Multi-Sporting Challege at 18:00 at Ashanti Wine Estate outside Paarl on Saturday. The finish marked the eagerly-anticipated end of the punishing 2 300km Toyota Freedom Challenge mountain bike race for five riders – amongst them Danie Nel. Nel’s contingent finished four days after race winner Tim James, who broke last year’s 16-day record from Pietermaritzburg to Paarl with a time of 14 days and 12 hours. James was followed on 4 July by Sirk Loots of Cape Town and Durbanites Andrew King and Matt Botha. Although Nel shares fifth place in the Freedom Challenge, what makes the 50-year-old Afriplex CEO’s achievement remarkable, is that he - together with fellow-contestant Andrew Barnes from KZN - had completed the Comrades Marathon the day before setting off with 20 fellow riders on the arduous cross-country Freedom Challenge event! Now, for the two former arch-rivals, who arrived at their destination in Paarl simultaneously, one final challenge remains – to conquer the churning, icy, rain-swollen Berg River – in the famous four-day canoe marathon, which runs from Paarl to Velddrif on the West Coast. After a mere three-day respite from his 19-day ordeal, Nel is cheerful, in good health and ready to brave the freezing waters on the last leg of his epic sporting journey, despite the fact that he last participated in this event over 14 years ago. The Berg River Canoe Marathon began yesterday and finishes on Saturday. This year was Danie’s first time, and at time of writing, he vows it is to be his last!
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