Oosthuizen is the woman to beat in South Africa

Looking at her results during the past few weeks, Samantha Oosthuizen (W.I.N/Karsten Cycles) can be considered the favourite to win the MTN 50-Miler on Sunday, November 8 in Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal. If she does win, it will be the second time in two years.

Judging by Oosthuizen's performances during the past six weeks, she is the in-form women's rider in South African mountain biking at the moment. She won the Silver Star Casino Race, the 60km Race of the Ride Crater Cruise, Hill2Hill, MTN Asishove and the Telkom Satellite Race. She also finished second in the MTN Clarens Race, as well as in the 105km Race of the Ride Crater Cruise.

Her turn-about in mountain biking is impressive. During the first eight months of this year, Oosthuizen managed to win a few races but more often she had to settle for lesser placings.

Mannie Heymans (Garmin adidas) is the reason why Oosthuizen is at the moment almost a fixture on mountain bike podiums across South Africa.

"It was all Mannie's fault. Mannie and I were involved in an argument about the quality of women's racing in South Africa. Mannie does not have a high opinion about the way women race. According to him, women's cycling is more or less a waste of time," said Oosthuizen.

Upset by her Heymans' opinion, Oosthuizen was motivated. "In retrospect, the argument between Mannie and me was perhaps the best thing that could have happened to my cycling career. At the moment I am super-motivated to prove Mannie wrong."

When asked about her memories of her victory in the MTN 50-Miler, Oosthuizen said, "Mud, mud, mud. It made cycling extremely difficult. The mud got into your gears and into every other moving part of the bike. But I do not want to sound as if I am complaining. I actually enjoyed every minute of it - especially the constant climbing.

Oosthuizen makes no secret about her intention to win again on Sunday. "I will try to make the racing hard whenever there is a chance. That is a certain way of putting your rivals under pressure."

Ischen Stopforth (Marsillio Projects) who clinched the MTN Series overall by winning the Clarence Race, won't be riding. Neither will Yolandé de Villiers (Toyota-Cyclelab), who is currently second overall in the series. De Villiers decided to take a break to enable her to start preparing for next year's Cape Epic.

This year De Villiers earned a reputation of "trap, val en breek" while racing in the MTN events. That was because she took more tumbles that she would have liked. And if she did not fall, she had to battle to fix the mechanical failures of her bike at crucial moments. "It won't happen again next year. I think I have had enough bad luck to see me through for a few years."

It seems Oosthuizen's main rivals will in all possibility be Raats, and Amy Jane Mundy and Carla Rowley.

Racers will find an improved route this year with new singletrack sections replacing some less interesting parts. The forecast is for cloudy, but no rain.

Standings for the both the men's and women's categories are below.

Results