Nel overcomes cramps to finish 4th at Jock Tour
LITTLE FALLS – Local cyclist is disappointed to finish fourth after starting well, but looks ahead to the next race.
Despite suffering painful leg cramps during the course of the gruelling Bestmed Jock Tour local cyclist, JC Nel (24), pushed through to finish fourth.
The tour – hailed as the toughest three-day cycle race in Africa – took place in Mpumalanga from 15–17 July, with Willie Smit of Road Cover winning the title. The race covered 304km, with 7.2km of vertical ascent.
Little Falls resident, Nel, took the first stage in his stride, to finish ahead of the pack in the hill climb time trial. However, 50km into the second stage, the first of two road stages, he began to struggle. “I had terrible cramps in my legs and it was difficult; I couldn’t generate any power,” he said.
Stages 2 and 3 were each approximately 140km and included a 3.1km incline in Stage 3, but Nel pushed through and endured the pain to finish seventh in Stage 2 and third in Stage 3. “I am disappointed to finish fourth overall, after such a good start, but I am recovering well,” he said.
Nel joked that he had not left his bed since the end of the race and plans to go on holiday to Margate, KwaZulu-Natal, to recover from such a taxing race.
It was not all a loss, however, as Nel explained, the Pro Touch team excelled at the tour, taking the yellow jersey on two occasions. “The other riders are younger than me and I have been a leader and mentor for the team since January.”
Nel added that he will soon prepare for the Clover Tour, in Graskop – a five-day race from 5–9 August.
