Buys gets the win at Mondi Packaging Addo

It took Philip Buys (Garmin adidas) longer than he perhaps would have liked, but at long last he succeeded in doing what he had been threatening to do for the past four weeks.  He outrode Kevin Evans (MTN-Energade) when it really mattered.
 
On Sunday Buys won the Mondi Packaging Addo Mountain Biking challenge over 85km in the Eastern Cape, with Evans finishing 2nd.
 
Buys can be forgiven for rating this victory as one of his best, because during the past four weeks Buys and Evans were involved in a classic ding-dong battle with Evans being the victor each time and Buys having to settle for a less impressive step on the winner’s podium.
 
Evans first won the MTN Clarence Event with Buys finishing 3rd .   Then Evans won the Ride Crater Cruise with Buys in the 2nd  position.  To rub salt into Buys’s wounds, Evans next won the Telkom Satellite Mountain Bike race with Buys again 2nd.
 
In spite of not being able to win, Buys never lost confidence in his own abilities and he kept on promising that he knew there was a big race in his legs.  Now, finally, he has made good on his promise.
 
As far as Sunday’s racing is concerned, Buys said he was disappointed at first, because for the first 15 kilometers it seemed as if nobody was prepared to take the initiative in the race.
 
“Everybody was just sitting on, waiting for somebody to launch the first attack.  I think we only really started racing just before the first hot spot.
 
“It was a hectic sprint which I managed to win. At the big climb which was quite steep and technical, Kevin and I got away on our own. We were really testing each other while racing to the top. The sprint to win the King of the Mountains was a thriller.  Kevin and I were not even sure who crossed the line first.
 
“It was so close that the officials had to study a video clip of our sprint before any decision could be made. Apparently the video proved that I just pipped Kevin to win the King of the Mountains.
 
“The most satisfying and exciting part of the race for me was the technical downhill section with its switchbacks. Racing downhill I managed to drop Kevin. After the downhill I settled into a comfortable pace and that was when Kevin caught me again.
 
“From then on Kevin and I were involved in all sorts of tactical battles to see who could outwit the other. Luckily it was me.”
 
According to Buys he had to tread carefully after the race because everybody wanted to buy him a beer for beating Evans.
 
“I must admit that it was exciting to be able to beat Kevin, but I have to be realistic.   In a way, Kevin is already on holiday and his form might not be as good as it usually is.”