On Saturday Konica Minolta's Yolandi Du Toit bagged her biggest MTB victory of the season when she rode away in the Ride Mag Crater Cruise. 

With a big field at the start, every rider was fighting to hold her own on the rolling dirt roads. 

After 30 odd kilometres Yolandi realised that she might be in front of her competitors. 

"During a mountain bike event it's difficult to identify in what position you are in the field as a lady," she said.

"My focus was rather on finding the best lines, avoiding badly corrugated sections, eating and drinking and getting to the finish line in one piece."

From the 35km mark the tough mountain endurance event became a race of truth for Yolandi. Having trained on the route the week before the race, Yolandi was well prepared for the technical single track sections which lay ahead of her.

She crossed the finish line earning the biggest mountain bike victory of her career. 

"The final 20km was really tough for me," said an exhausted Yolandi at the finish. "Everything was hurting, even my feet hurt from the corrugations."

Yolandi's mountain biking has moved from strength to strength since her move to Konica Minolta in May this year. "I'm satisfied and proud of my results this season, and my mountain biking technical skills have improved tremendously over the last few months. 

"Last year I was still learning the ropes but now I'm really becoming a contender in the longer endurance events," she said.
 
Crater Cruise Elite Woman's Race Results
1st Yolandi du Toit (Konica Minolta)
2nd Samantha Oosthuisen
3rd Carla Rowley