Teen wins national title

Somerset West teenage mountain biker, Dylan Hattingh recently added a national title to his growing portfolio when he won the Open Men’s division of the 2011 Nissan National Half Marathon Series.

Dylan(16) is the current is the current Western Cape 2011 Junior Cross Country Mountain Bike Champion and a pupil at Parel Vallei High School. To be awarded with the national title was not easy as Dylan had to win a series of eight gruelling races held all over South Africa over nine months.
The series kicked off with the Attakwas in Groot Brak on 16 January, followed by a race in Baberton on 30 January then another in Clarens on 20 February, then in Tulbagh on 15 May, the Gravel Travel in Wellington on 28 July, the Hilton Dirt Fest on 25 September and the final race the Crater Cruise in Parys on 9 October.

Besides these races Dylan also chalked up an impressive tally of mountain biking achievements in 2011, including international racing awards. One of these was in February when he finished sixth in the African Continental Championships in Stellenbosch on 14 February as a member of the South African team.

In April Dylan was selected for the SA Junior first team for the opening event of the 2011 UCI World Cup Cross Country Series in Pietermaritzburg, where he finished in a credible eight place.

On the national level, Dylan also chalked up some impressive 2011 mountain biking achievements.

In March he finished second in the SA National Half Marathon Championships (Junior) in KwaZulu-Natal.

The SA National Cross Country Championships, also March, saw Dylan on the National podium again, taking a third place. He competed in all five of the SA National Cross Country Series races, finishing in overall fifth place on the national log (second among the first year juniors).

On the provincial scene, Dylan won the title of 2011 Western Cape Junior Cross Country provincial race series consisted of five races from May to July. Dylan also finished in first place on the log at the end of series.

Although mountain biking is Dylan’s passion he is no sloth on the road either. As part of the invitational first start group in the 2011 Argus Cycle Tour, his finishing time was a phenomenal 2 hours, 37 minutes, riding on borrowed bicycle as a solo rider.

What makes this achievement even more noteworthy is that the Cape Arhus Cycle Tour took place the day after the SA National Cross Country Championships, where he took second place. Peace Force security was his main sponsor while Helderberg Cycle World assisted with technical and moral support and ASG Sport Solutions made up his third sponsor for 2011.

He is in the market for a main sponsor for 2012 after Peace Force announced it would not be able to sponsor him next year.

Dylan is quick to express gratitude to his trainer Erica Green and Adriaan Louw, his elite age class mentor. If anyone is able to assist this talented young mountain biker, phone his mother Desire on 082 451 5612