ZIMBABWEAN mountain biker Stacey Hyslop won the women's overall title at the Illovo Eston Challenge 60km marathon in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, at the weekend, recovering from a first-lap crash to take the race.
Hyslop, who is based in South Africa and holds both the Zimbabwean national XCC title and the African continental XCO title, was caught up in a pile-up early in the race when another rider's chain snapped in front of her.
"We had a fast start in the first batch and someone's chain snapped in front of me and things got messy fast, ending with me on the ground," Hyslop told The Sports Hub.
"It wasn't ideal as I then ended up starting right at the back once I got up and straightened up my bike to go again."
The Illovo Eston Challenge is an annual event for competitors aged 15 and older, starting at the Eston Farmers Club. The 60km route includes fast sections and technical single-track.
Hyslop said she had to fight to stay in contention after the crash dropped her to the back of the field.
"I had to dig deep to convince myself not to give up and to fight from the back," she said.
She made up ground on an hour-long climb early in the race, overtaking most of her rivals before descending on the single-track sections to secure the win.
"I put in a big effort up the first climb, which was about an hour long, and managed to overtake most of the women there," Hyslop said.
"Then I had fun going down the fast single track."
The win follows a mixed run of results and a health scare for Hyslop in July and August. She and her husband won the mixed category and finished fifth overall at the Zambezi Cycle Challenge in Victoria Falls. Shortly after, she was hospitalised with a severe allergic reaction.
"So winning this weekend's race was great for my confidence, showing me that I can still race on top of my game," she added.
"It also tested my mental strength after a crash on the start line."
Hyslop competes internationally for Zimbabwe with her base in South Africa.
"I am very proud to be able to race XCC in the Zimbabwean National Champions jersey and XCO in the African continental champions jersey," she said.
"It's always special wearing the flag on my back when I race. Although I'm far from home, there are always fellow Zimbabweans in the crowd that cheer me on. Racing for Zimbabwe has always been special, it's where I learnt how to ride a bike.
"My first goal was to be the best in Zimbabwe, and every year I set a goal of winning the title. This year, being the elite women's XCO continental champion means a lot to me too."
Hyslop said the Eston Challenge win puts her in good stead ahead of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy, later this month.
"It makes me feel good heading into my last training block ahead of World Championships," she said.