Phillimon Sebona knows all about the ups and downs of the Absa Cape Epic. On Stage 2 this year, for example, he crashed after being forced off a downhill trail by other riders and then being unable to bunny hop over “a big rock”.
He cut his chin badly and had to ride the next 40km without a saddle after it broke in the fall.
Five days later, however, he and partner Jan Motshioa (Exxaro PWC) left the Meerendal Wine Estate finish of the 2015 Absa Cape Epic with the Exxaro special jersey draped across their shoulders.
“It was a tough Epic,” said Sebona. “The wind and rain was quite challenging – I don’t like the rain – and we had mechanicals and a few crashes.”
They also faced a “huge challenge” from last year’s Exxaro special jersey winners, Investec-Songo-Specialized 2’s Sipho Madolo and Azukile Simayile, who led after the Prologue but dropped behind the Exxaro PWC pairing on Stage 1. They fought a tight battle on Stage 2, but on Stage 3 Madolo’s injured knee put the Investec team out of the running for the much sought after jersey and he eventually pulled out.
“It is the second time I have won it (in four starts),” said Sebona. “It was Jan’s first time in the jersey and we are very pleased.”
They each win a R25 000 education bursary and Sebona said he would use it to complete his studies to be a safety officer.
He paid tribute to Exxaro’s sponsorship of Exxaro MTB Academy and said it was encouraging to see increasing numbers of people coming into the sport from communities that had not traditionally taken part.
The Exxaro MTB Academy was launched in 2011 and set about introducing mountain biking to historically communities and individuals, and ultimately to help transform the sport in the country.
It has notched up many successes in the past four years. In 2012, nine teams of previously disadvantaged riders participated in the Absa Cape Epic, and three of those teams finished in the top 100 of the elite Men’s category, the best finish being 57th.
The following year 13 Exxaro MTB Academy teams lined up at the start, one of which was the first women's team from the academy. It was a thrilling moment for the Exxaro MTB Academy when Rozalia Kubwana and Alicia Meyers crossed the line, finishing 14th overall in the Women's category.
The process of selecting riders from the academy has become more refined as the years have gone by. At first, it was purely about getting riders from disadvantaged backgrounds into the Absa Cape Epic, said Mellis Walker, Exarro’s liaison at the 2015 Absa Cape Epic. “But immediately we saw the riders doing well. We didn’t expect too much, but the results were great from the very start. In our second year everyone improved again.”
The potential is obviously there, and the Exxaro MTB Academy is certainly nurturing new talent. Through their system they have 100 bikes in circulation in the regions where Exxaro has business units - Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo.
Throughout the year training camps are held, with a final Cape Epic team selection made after the completion of the The Bridgestone Route 66 MTB Experience. “Our top 10 riders - the top five teams within the academy – also stay in a house together,” said Walker. “The guys ride together as much as possible and we have an internal ranking system.”
The end goal for Exxaro is to take the term “development” out of the Academy’s strategy and really focus on producing well-rounded individuals who can handle a mountain bike race as well as anything that life can throw at them. Money-matters, nutrition and education are all staples of the academy.
This year Sebona and Motshioa finished 37th overall. They will fancy their chances of a top 20 finish next year if they can avoid the mechanicals and crashes.
* To apply for the Exxaro Academy Bursary both riders must be 26 years or younger on 31 December of the year of the race, and both riders must be Historically Disadvantaged South Africans (HDSA).
“The term Historically Disadvantaged South Africans (HDSA) refers to any person, category of persons or community, disadvantaged by unfair discrimination before the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1993 (Act No. 200 of 1993) came into operation.” Source: Broad-Based Socio-Economic Empowerment Charter for the South Africa Mining Industry.
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