(At Mbuluzi Game Reserve)
MLAWULA – Once a villain, now a hero!
That is the ultimate redemption story for Mozambican cyclist Papilon Maarifo, who conquered the grueling Swazi Reserves Mountain Bike (MTB) challenge at the Mbuluzi Game Reserve yesterday.
The cycling showpiece, which ran alongside a popular trail run event, attracted a massive field of adrenaline seekers. According to Mbuluzi Game Reserve Manager Madlenkosi Motsa, more than 350 competitors took to the rugged roads and trails, including 180 determined cyclists.
While the trail runners pushed their limits across the 18km, 10km and 5km routes, and the mountain bikers spread across four distinct distances, the main talking point of the day was the pulsating, three-way tactical battle at the front of the elite 60km men’s race, which featured no female entrants this year.
It was Maarifo who eventually shook off his two closest rivals in a breathtaking finale. The Mozambican delivered a blistering final surge in the dying metres of the race to dramatically edge out Eswatini’s national champion, Kwanele Jele of 4Eva Cycling.
“It was an incredibly tough race and Kwanele pushed me all the way to the line,” a breathless Maarifo reflected after the race. “I actually got lost once along the route, but dug deep to find my way back and chase him down. He also took a wrong turn twice, and at one point, I was certain I would never catch him up again.”
Maarifo spectacularly closed the deficit over the final 10 kilometres, setting up a tense, wheel-to-wheel tactical showdown. The pair entered the final straight inseparable, forcing a dramatic sprint that ultimately required a photo finish. Just a single second separated the two warriors at the line.
The new champion stopped the clock at an impressive 2 hours, 49 minutes and 48 seconds, immediately dismounting his bike to collapse in exhaustion. A valiant Jele crossed the line just behind him in 2 hours, 50 minutes and 15 seconds, while Makepeace Bailey completed the elite podium in third place with a time of 2 hours, 54 minutes and 51 seconds.
The victory marks a poetic turnaround for Maarifo, who revealed he had not competed in the Swazi Reserves event since a disastrous outing in 2018, where he failed to finish the course and had to be stretchered off by medical personnel.
In the other cycling categories, Linda Louffer claimed the crown as the women’s 40km champion, while Tal Uzan powered his way to the men’s title over the same distance.
The trail running events also delivered spectacular displays of endurance. Busi Dlamini and Charles claimed well-earned victories in the premier 18km category. Meanwhile, Mangaliso Shiba and Vusi Maseko triumphed in their respective genders in the 10km race, while the junior 5km event was snatched by Ntando Lushaba and Odeyla Kina.
Cyclists get underway in a competitive 60km race, which carried a thrilling contest for the top three positions.