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MTN Crater Cruise

ITEC CONNECT-KATHEA
This weekend was the last round of the MTN ultra marathon series which took place in the small town of Parys. It’s the richest one day the race in the country in mountain biking with R40.000 up for grabs for the winner. The start line was jammed with all the top teams and anyone out of the top 10 guys was in with a shot at winning the race.
The exciting part for me is that ITEC CONNECT-KATHEA had signed Jacques Rossouw for the remainder of the season and I would have a team mate to help me and to work with in this somewhat tactical race. The first 12km rolls out of town with a neutral zone for about 3 of those and then the racing is on. The attacks normally come thick and fast at the start as guys try to form a lead group. The group up front had Mannie Heymans in it which was a threat but with all the strong guys in the field it would prove very difficult for him to stay away. Slowly the guys were caught and by the time we hit the first climb I had attacked and was intent in staying out of trouble. We went down the decent on the other side and all the main contenders were there and we had swallowed Mannie up as well after he took the KOM. 360life had to now drive the break as Adrian (MTN) had missed the split and he had to win the race to take overall honours away from David George. We worked with them to keep the pace high and wanted to make sure we stayed away till the single track section.
I rode the single track section as hard as I could, making sure of been smooth and not taking any chances. When I came out the single track I saw I had a bit of a gap and decided to go for it and this would put pressure on the others teams to chase me and give Jacques a bit of a free ride. I was pulled back after about 10km and as soon as the bunch caught me Jacques put in a perfect counter attack and taking Kevin Evans (360life) with him. This was the perfect move and I knew from then that it would the winning move of the day as David and I were content to let them go.
Unfortunately Jacques had a slow flat with about 7km to go and allowed Kevin to get a gap and make the final move to ensure his third straight win in a row of the MTN Crater Cruise. Jacques finished in a very credible 2nd place, with David George in 3rd and me in 4th. Jacques made a late come back during the last half of the season and is going to be a very exciting rider again in 2012 and the balance of the season.
Till the next one!!

Kind regards
Brandon Stewart

Posted by brandon on 2011.10.10

SECURITY AND ALTERNATIVE POWER...

Itec Connect is able to offer you peace of mind when it comes to both the security and alternative power supply needs of your business. We are the security distribution partner for Powell Tronics and ADI, from which the majority of our products are sourced. We have several technical teams deployed supporting these products. Our approach to this market segment is a holistic one, through which we support product requirements across the board including access control products, card based or biometric readers, time and attendance software systems, CCTV, public address to fully Integrated high end systems.

When it comes to keeping your business ticking over during unforeseen power outages, GX Connect is your solution provider of choice. GX Connect is a collaboration between Itec Connect and the GX Technologies, two market leaders that have found synergy in their respective abilities to source, manufacture, install and support a range of alternative power solutions and security solutions. Strategically, it makes sense to deliver AC and DC products, together with Security and other group products through a dedicated vehicle for this purpose.

Itec Connect and the Gx Technologies Group have many substantial installations, where more and more the one-stop-shop principle, with a single point of contact across multiple technologies, is finding tremendous favour with the South African market.

Itec Connect is well entrenched within the corporate sector where most of its clients have national coverage and require on-going service and maintenance at disparate and sometimes very remote locations. It is with this in mind that we are well prepared for the installation and on-going maintenance of security and alternative power products on a national basis; through our network of technical partners in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Kimberley, Durban and Bloemfontein.


Our Security Solutions include:
•CCTV (IP & Analogue)
•Access Control (Biometrics & Card Based)
•Intruder Detector
•Fire Detection
•Booms & Turnstiles
•Public Address systems
•Metal Detectors
•Time & Attendance

Posted by brandon on 2011.09.13

ITEC Connect signs agreement with Motlekar

TEC Connect Group signs an agreement with Motlekar Holdings (Pty) Ltd.

?ITEC Connect Group has recently signed an agreement with Motlekar Holdings (Pty) Ltd to form ITEC Motlekar (Pty) Ltd. Motlekar Holdings is a 100 percent Black-Owned private equity investment and advosory house founded by businessman, Faizal Motlekar.

ITEC Connect Group, believes in an innovative business strategy with a strong focus on relationships with customers, business partners and staff. We continue to build upon the success of the last ten years through our multi-brand or "best-of-breed" model by working with business partners like Lexmark, Samsung, Mitel and Vodacom. All under the ITEC Connect group umbrella.

In today's challenging business environment the need to differentiate your brand is essential to survival as well as growth. ITEC Connect Group has successfully achieved this with ITEC's strong mulit-brand strategy at distributor level which, together with the determination, committment, skills and experience of the team has resulted in ITEC being the fastest growing South African business in our industry for the last 4 years. A consistent 20% growth year on year has positioned us third in South Africa's office automation market share.


Successful distribution of our products is meaningless without a solid infrastructure, a national footprint and support channels to back and maintain the service levels committed to by ITEC Connect Group. By implementing a state of the art ERP system which drives the business at a national level we can ensure our clients get quality, nationwide service from one contact point.


We continue to lead the market by focusing on brand alignment, client service and partner relationships. Combining SA's fastest growing office automation brand with blue chip global brands gives us a winning combination

Posted by brandon on 2011.09.13

Sthil Unkomaas Classic

Hi All

Yesterday was another race that took place in Kwa-zulu Natal in the Umkomaas valley in the similar sort of area as the 2nd day of Sani2c and with such great riding, Great television coverage for all the sponsors and nice prize money, i was lured to the event. Only in its 2nd year the event has huge potential and still needing to up their game a little on the marking on the route and looking after all the riders after the event. The enthusiasm is was there which is great to see.

I had a really hard training week with a couple really big days on the bike for my last big block of training for the upcoming ultra marathons. So needless to say was expecting very tired legs.

The race profile looked really tuff and seemed to me like it would be very similar to a day in the Alps but just a lot smaller! The route consisted of two climbs the 2nd one about 8km in length and two big fast technical single track descents. On the first climb i managed to ride away and then wanted to take it easy on the first decent to ensure no mechanical issues and then really give it a good go on the long district road climb which i knew would really sort the race out. After the first decent i had almost completely lost my advantage i had gained on the first climb to Andrew War but then as we started the 2 climb i knew he had put in a big effort to chase me, So i gave it everything i had and my gap seemed to increase all the time. I took the KOM (king of the mountain) and then rode the downhill fast and smooth putting my Momsen through its paces and still been shocked by the handling capabilities of this bike.

I crossed the finish line in a time of 1:40:39 to claim another nice victory for my sponsors Itec Connect-Kathea
Special mention also to my wife Bridgette who has been training really hard and is looking in super shape and finished 2nd overall in the ladies race.

Once again thanks to all for the continued support

Till next time

Posted by brandon on 2011.09.5

Illovo Eston Mtb Race

Below is my race report from the weekend!

Sunday morning the 7th August, 2011 was the Illovo Eston marathon one of the biggest and most competitive one day races in the country. There was huge pressure on me for this race as it’s a huge local race and one that I have been wanting to win for years! The race is a 60km marathon that takes place near Tala game reserve and has everything to test the riders to the limit. Long climbs , steep climbs and technical downhill’s. A solid downpour of rain the day before the race was going to make the course a little muddy in some sections but also settle the dryness of the winter dust!

With riders like Burry Stander, Max Knox, Philip Buys, James Reid and all the Garmin pro team where all on the start line to fight for the coveted victory of this prestigious event! The race for the king of the Mountain comes at 3 km into the race which makes for a very nervous and tense start! I attacked early and made a huge effort to take the first prize of the day which I managed to win. This gave me great confidence for the remainder of the race. After the next big climb there were some big attacks from riders trying to get a gap on the bunch but shortly it was Burry Stander and I that were away and had a gap on the rest of the field, I felt really good on the climbs and was quite happy to work with Burry and ensure that the move stayed away. After a long tricky single track decent it was Philip Buys of Team Garmin who join us and it was a ding dong battle for the rest of the race! With 10km to go the attacks started and in the final 8km Burry clipped a rock in a fast corner and went down snapping his handlebar. Philip and I carried on with our pace and despite one or two attacks to get rid of Philip before the finish line, he managed to hang onto my back wheel. Much to my surprise with 2 km to go Philip cramped and had to come to a complete stop which allowed me to a solo victory to the finish.

My first proper race on my Momsen machine and this was a true testament that this is a world class racing machine!

This was a huge victory for me and for my new Team Itec connect-Kathea also supported by Lexmark!

Just a big thanks to Itec Connect for believing in me and for all the support.

To all my fans thanks for giving me the motivation to keep fighting!

Kind regards
Brandon Stewart
Team Itec Connect-Kathea

Posted by brandon on 2011.08.7

John Dorys Golovane mtb Race

Hi Guys

This past weekend was the the John Dorys race held at the infamous Holla Trails in Ballito! The race had some good prize money and attracted some of the top names in the country with RE-CM coming down from Joburg and Rourke Croeser u-23 SA champion returning from racing in europe!

The start was fast and furious from the word go and could feel straight away that I had good legs and was going to be in for a good day! After about 15km into the race it opened onto a big district road climb and Rourke attacked I just followed him as I knew that we would really work well together in the later part of the race! We kept the pace fast and managed to stay away till the line, we had a fast sprint finish and managed to take the win by half a wheel!

Was really good to win my first race for Itec Connect-Kathea, the race attracted over 1000 riders so it was an awesome race to win with a huge number of spectators at the finish!!!!

First race of the season that I was fully fueled by Biogen

Posted by brandon on 2011.07.13

Kynsna Oster Festivile Mointain Bike Race

The race went ok this weekend we started in Kynsna on Saturday morning is possibly some of the worst conditions possible! The temperature on the start line was well into the single figures, combine with wind and rain, didn't make for pleasant conditions and was going to be a tuff and muddy race as the rain had been falling for the past two days!

The race started at 8 sharp and headed up the first big climb of the day towards Simola golf course and down into the valley with the second big climb of the day!Kevin put in an attack to try split the field and with the cold temperatures my legs kinda felt like blocks of lead, My chain jammed on the climb and had to get it sorted out by jumping off my bike to sort it out, and lost contact with the final group of 5 riders! From then on it was always going to be a fight with all the big teams with riders represented up front! I kept with 1 min of the leaders together with the RE-CM guys the whole race, and finally in the final 20km pulled back the time difference to about 25sec...
But to no avail the group now of 5 riders up front and 3 with me was going to be the race selection!

On the final climb of the day my hard efforts had paid the price and when the two last attacks of the day went, all I could do was watch! I fought hard all the way to the finish, and pasted David George on the final climb of the day and ended up 7th for the day, just short of the podium so was a little disappointed but still felt good and looking forward to the rest of the races coming up!! Now that all the team issues have been sorted out and finalized can focus more on the objectives at hand and focus on the riding and training!

My next race will be the John Dorys Govoglane classic to be held at hollow trails in Balito up the north coast!

Posted by brandon on 2011.07.4

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR - NEW 2011 SPONSOR

ITEC CONNECT THROWS SUPPORT BEHIND STEWART

ITEC Connect, a leader in office automation, production printing and telecommunications, has thrown its support behind Brandon Stewart, one of South Africa’s most successful mountain bike marathon and stage racers, with a sponsorship for the remainder of 2011.

With an uncertain future at his previous team, Stewart voluntarily left at the end of April in the hope that he’d be able to secure a new sponsorship and continue racing professionally. He was a podium contender in the recent Fairbairn Capital Old Mutual joBerg2c and Subaru Sani2c stage races in the colours of FedGroup Berg and Bush along with former teammate and South African road cycling champion, Darren Lill.

And it was here where Gavin Meyer, Managing Director of ITEC Connect and a passionate mountain biker, first encountered Stewart.

“I was sitting next to Brandon at lunch on one of the days at joBerg2c and overheard him mentioning that he was on a quest to find a sponsor. He and Darren performed really well in both events and it really was bad luck that prevented them winning joBerg2c,” recalls Meyer.

“Besides the fact that a lot of senior staff at ITEC Connect are passionate mountain bikers, we saw sponsorship of Brandon as a good opportunity to test the rider/team sponsorship waters. ITEC Connect has a somewhat ‘below the radar’ involvement with joBerg2c, Sani2c and Berg and Bush with a mobile communications centre. Sponsoring a top racer like Brandon will help us expand the ITEC Connect brand awareness beyond the boundaries of those events.”

“I’m very grateful for and excited about the ITEC Connect sponsorship. It’s given me a fresh boost of enthusiasm and ends a frustrating last few months,” said Stewart. “I’ve still got a lot of racing years left in me and I look forward to helping expand the ITEC Connect brand awareness where ever I race or train.”

For Meyer, Stewart’s determination to finish the final stage of Sani2c, was a key deciding factor.
“Brandon broke his front wheel eight kays into the final stage. Most pro’s would have just withdrawn from the race, but he actually ran back to the start – in his riding shoes, which are nothing like running shoes –and borrowed another bike so that he and his partner could finish. That showed a lot about his character and earned him a lot of respect,” said Meyer.

Over the past few years, Stewart has become a stage race specialist and is the only South African to have won stages at the ABSA Cape Epic in South Africa, the TransAlp in Europe and the BC Bike Race in Canada. He’s also won numerous marathons and was the 2008 Elite men’s South African champion in the cross-country discipline.

Twenty-nine-year-old Stewart will be riding a 2012 model Momsen SL 929, a carbon-fibre hardtail from Momsen Bikes, a new South African bike brand.

“From Day 1, Momsen Bikes set out to get involved in the local mountain bike racing scene. With this opportunity to partner with ITEC Connect and Brandon, we are able to enter the scene at the very highest level,” said Victor Momsen, owner of Momsen Bikes.
 
“We are now able to show the local market that our bikes are not only supplied with some of the finest and best performance-to-price components available, but also able to be raced at the front of the pack!”

Stewart’s first race for ITEC Connect is Saturday’s mountain bike race at the 2011 Weekend Argus Pick n Pay Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour. He’ll be up against most of South Africa’s top racers at the popular 75km race.

Posted by brandon on 2011.07.1

Sani2c Race report

Pre Race meet up: We all arrived at our wonderful accommodation on wednesday afternoon the day of race registration, we collected all our Itec race kit and off the bike apparel which was absolutely fantastic!

Day1: Was always bound to be a fast and aggressive day of racing, with a distance of 80km and not much climbing and with some of the best single track in the world it was going to be an experience to remember. The main 4 contenders of the race were all pretty much stuck together till the final km where the final sprint action took place, unfortunately we came up slightly short in the sprint and miss a podium spot by less than 1 meter, which meant we were by no means out the race at all but just off the steps at that evenings prize giving!

Day2: Wanting to gain some revenge on this day from bad luck previously, we wanted to ride aggressively and with confidence, as we descended down into the umkomaas valley there were still many teams in contention. The technical river crossing section started and we put in an attack putting all the other teams under pressure and forcing them to chase us, we were firstly joined by Kevin Evans and David George (360 life) and the Max Knox and Adrien Nionshuti (MTN- Do it Now) the final race group had been formed and now it was a matter of making sure we could win the race overall! Then a small mishap happened a sharp rock cut my rear tire, forcing us to stop and losing valuable minutes. We got everything sorted out and began to chase for the race lead, at on stage we bought the race leaders to within sight and were still in 3rd place on the road! After a frantic chase the body had just spent to much energy and began to lose power, all we could do was watch the guys ahead of us disappear and in the final 3km team Re-CM passed us and managed to put 45 seconds into us by the finish line! This meant we were 4th again for the day and very disappointed and devastated to say the least! We still had one more day left and in mountain biking its never over till its over and were going to fight right to the end!

Day 3: With nothing to lose but to fight for that final podium spot it was going to be an all or nothing attitude for us! Darren and I were both feeling really good and set a furious pace right from the beginning. We had managed to ride away from our competitors about 10km into the race until both Darren and I hit a tree across the road because of the early morning sun rising, we were completely blinded and didn't even see it! The impact of hitting the tree completely broke my front wheel in half and the harsh reality had just hit home that our Sani2c was over and there was now nothing we could do! In the spirt of the event and the philosophy of our sponsors we were not going to quit no matter what! I walked 10km back to the start while Darren rode back and tried to organize a new wheel or even a bike! We managed to find a small bike from a lady who was a spectator, set the bike up the best way we could and proceeded to ride the rest of the 75km to the finish! It was in one sense a very disappointing day but an emotional one at he same time! At least we were not injured and could finish the event and show respect to all the participants out there who do it for the own goals and objectives, whether its winning, finishing or just doing your best! We did our best and fought hard!

After all was said and done we had a fantastic experience and thanks so much to Itec Connect for an amazing experience and can only see the relationship going from strenght to strength!

BIG thanks to all the fans and support!!!! I am going to have a four leaf clover tattoo somewhere for some good luck because lady luck is not in my corner at the moment!!

Time for a much needed rest now and will come back fighting in a big way!!! Will enjoy my 30th birthday party this coming weekend... Hahaha no won't be racing sub-vet yet... Feel like I am getting a little old!!!! My motivation is still high!!

Brandon Stewart

Posted by brandon on 2011.05.24

FRESH START

Brandon Stewart, one of South Africa’s most successful professional mountain bike racers, begins a new phase of his career on Friday when he starts the nine-day Fairbairn Capital Old Mutual joBerg2c stage race.Stewart’s final race for the DCM team was the UCI World Cup, which took place in Pietermaritzburg last weekend. He spent three years with the DCM outfit, but has elected to leave the team in order to grow his career further.His first step will be to try and win the joBerg2c with his former DCM teammate and South African road cycling champion, Darren Lill, as the FedGroup Berg and Bush team.Over the past few years, Stewart has become a stage race specialist and is the only South African to have won stages at the ABSA Cape Epic in South Africa, the TransAlp in Europe and the BC Bike Race in Canada.“I’ve actually always enjoyed cross-country racing, and achieved one of my career goals when I won the Elite men’s South African cross-country title in 2008. But my strengths definitely seem to be lie more marathons and stage races,” said Stewart.“I’ve had a very successful three years with DCM and appreciate all the support and opportunities I was given there. I’m now 29 and still have a good few years of professional racing left and I believe a new environment will help me achieve my remaining potential.”Stewart hasn’t finalised any new sponsorships yet, but says that he has had discussions with some potential new sponsors.“It’s a bit of a risk just leaving one team without having finalised a new team, but I’m confident I will secure sponsors soon. Mountain bike racing gets exceptional media coverage in South Africa, especially on television and it’s the ideal platform for companies looking to introduce their brand, products or services to the mountain biking and cycling communities,” explained Stewart.Stewart is one of a handful of riders to have completed all eight ABSA Cape Epics so far, making him one of the most experienced mountain bike stage racers in the world. He says he’ll be using that experience in his first attempt at the joBerg2c.“Darren won the Tour de Boland road stage race a few weeks ago and is a superb allround cyclist with years of international road stage racing experience. However, his mountain bike racing experience is very limited so I’m going to mentor him on the more tricky terrain at joBerg2c.“Ideally, we’d want to try and challenge for the lead early on when the terrain isn’t quite so rough and try and limit our losses where necessary later on. But this is mountain biking, one of the most unpredictable of sports, so we’ll just take each day at a time and make sure we’re in the mix at the front and ensure that FedGroup financial services, our sponsor for the event, gets optimal exposure.”Brandon Stewart career highlights•    South African Elite men’s cross-country champion 2008•    Three-time overall winner (with Max Knox) Sabie Experience stage race•    Two-time stage winner (with Shan Wilson) Cape Epic stage race•    Two-time winner of African leader jersey (2007 and 2010) Cape Epic stage race•    Stage winner and third overall (with Kevin Evans) TransAlpe stage race 2007•    Two-time stage winner and second overall (with Max Knox) BC Bike Race stage race 2010•    Multiple stage wins and overall winner (with various partners) Sani2c stage race•    Multiple stage wins and two-time overall winner (with Max Knox) Isuzu 3 Towers stage race•    Multiple KwaZulu-Natal and national marathon victories

Posted by brandon on 2011.04.28

FairBurn Capital Joberg2C

Hi Guys

Hope all is going well your side! Everything has been really good this side as I have recovered nicely from the epic and looking forward to the next big goal for 2011 which is Fairburn Capital Joberg2C! I will also be riding the world cup this weekend which takes place for the second time in my home town Pietermaritzburg. I don't hold much hope for a super result here as it will be my first lap race of 2011 and starting in like 100th position makes it almost impossible to do anything and the fact that the guys are not that slow either.... Hahaha but will none the less be out there so for my local fans to give a shout!!!! Don't be scared to give me a little push either!!!!hehehe

But below is a bit more on Joberg2C

In what promises to be a formidable partnership, Lill will be riding alongside former national cross-country champion Brandon Stewart (29).

“It has always been in the back of our minds to do something like joBerg2c,” said Lill. “We’ll go in with high objectives – to win – because if you shoot lower, you won’t perform.”

The 28-year-old, who spent four years competing in America, returned to the local scene this year after Pegasus, his intended Australian outfit, was refused a pro-team licence by the International Cycling Union (UCI) in December.

Lill quickly validated new sponsor DCM’s faith in him by claiming the national champion’s jersey in his first race for the team in February. He was also the only South African to win a stage in the inaugural Cell C Tour of South Africa two weeks later.

“I trained really hard. It was a great way to start the season after the disappointment with the whole Pegasus thing.”

The Capetonian, who is renowned as a strong climber, said many of the road championship courses did not suit him as the distances were too short and favoured sprinters.

“In my opinion, there’s not enough racing on the road, while the mountain biking side is really taking off and offering more in terms of tours,” said Lill.

“I think the joBerg2c will be a tester ­– part of me thinks it’s time for a bit of a change, if only for a season.”

In terms of local road racing, he said he had few objectives left to achieve and that mountain biking was looking increasingly attractive.

“I’ve heard the course has lots of great single track. It’s not overly technical, so it could be a good transition race.”

According to Lill, mountain biking was becoming a viable professional option as the smaller teams were “less admin” for team owners. “Races like the joBerg2c are becoming solid events with good media exposure for sponsors.”

He said he was looking forward to “a new and exciting challenge” and that the time spent riding long road tours overseas could give him the edge.

“Between Brandon and myself, we bring a lot of combined experience to the table – we complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”

Lill said he would have to follow Stewart’s lead in learning how to manage himself on a mountain bike, while his own touring experience would be useful in helping his team-mate pace himself over the 900-kilometre course between Heidelberg in Gauteng and Scottburgh in KwaZulu-Natal.

“Either way, we’re going to enjoy it.”

Lill said he and Pietermaritzburg-based Stewart would take the race “one step at a time” and, if all went well, would then decide whether to tackle the three-day Subaru sani2c through southern KwaZulu-Natal on May 19.

Lill will talk more about the upcoming race and his career on DStv’s Supercycling show on Tuesday evening.

Till next time
Chow for now!!!

Posted by brandon on 2011.04.19

2011 Absa Cape Epic

Hi Guys

Its been a while since i last update the site and now we are heading towards a big part of the 2011 season. This weekend will see the Sa Marathon championships been held at Inanda dam the course is gonna be fast hard and dangerous!

Once the race is done it will see a new SA champion crowned for 2011!

Next week wednesday i will travel to joburg to collect my new Cannondale 29ner for the Epic and the rest of the 2011 season, it will be my first time on a 29ner so really looking forward to the pleasure of riding this bike! I will be riding the Epic with Shan Wilson so it will be back to my roots!!!!! hahaha We will be in DCM tops with Toyota cyclelab shorts so be sure to look out for us. Shan is in super shape at the moment and has lost 10kgs for the race so lets see what can come of it!

I will be updating each day on my site and giving a description of how, what, when and how things went down including feelings and emotions! I will fly to Cape Town on Thursday where we will see the TT course for the first day of racing! That is when the butterflies will set in and the action will be just around the corner.....

But till the next time watch this space and hope its filled with loads of good and exciting news....

later

Posted by brandon on 2011.03.19

DRUG FREE SPORT

Institute For Drug-Free Sport Warns Athletes Against the Use of SupplementsCape Town, 3rd February, 2011 - The South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport is warning athletes against the risks associated with using supplements because many of them contain banned substances.The sports supplement market is not regulated therefore manufacturers are not bound to list all ingredients on the product label, explains Khalid Galant, CEO of the Institute for Drug-Free Sport.“It is just not worth athletes taking the risk of facing a ban should they consume so called nutritional supplements that contain banned substances and test positive,” he says.He cites the example of 24 year old boxing sensation Jared Lovett who was found guilty of doping charges and tested positive for a banned steroid for the second time in October 2010, which he claimed was as a result of taking a supplement. He now  faces a 16 year ban while still carrying out his 2 year suspension for his first offence.Galant says that very few of the supplements effects can be backed up scientifically and athletes can achieve their performance levels by obtaining a good diet from a sports nutritionist rather than taking supplements.Galant says he is very pleased with SA Rugby’s (SARU) recent decision to stop the supply and endorsement of supplement products, following the recent case involving Springbok hooker Chilliboy Ralepelle and wing Bjorn Basson who tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine on the team’s UK tour last November after taking a supplement provided by the Springbok management before the Test against Ireland in Dublin. He says he hopes that other sporting bodies do the same to help minimize the risk of their athletes testing positive.Galant says Drug-Free Sport increased the number of doping tests in 2010 and intend upping the number of tests further for 2011. He reports that doping statistics are up by a staggering 60% for the period 1st March 2010 to end of January 2011 with 32 positive results for the period compared to 19 the previous year. “These 2010 to 2011 figures could still increase as the full year only ends at the end of April 2011 and we have not even completed the full year yet,” he says.Most alarming is that some athletes that are testing positive are as young as 16 as the result of taking supplements containing banned substances. Galant says that it is important that parents know the risks their teenagers face when taking supplements and that they not get swept up in the untested marketing claims of some of these substances.

Posted by brandon on 2011.02.14

UPDATE OF FINAL PART OF 2010

Hi Guys

All has been going well my side and it was a really buy end to the season but something was a very positive and major discovery.. Since last year December I have been battling with some stomach problems. Just really bad stomach cramps and a lack of energy while racing..But as a typical cyclist I thought it was just me or the training and kept pushing myself wondering what the limiting factors were.. But it was nothing that major to start off with and was never a huge reason for concern. As time went on the problem seemed to get worse and the week before Hill 2 hill, it kinda spiralled out of control. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with a serious bacterial infection that attacks the stomach lining and the small intestine which would explain all the related problems i had been having. After a strong course of numerous antibiotics for 10 days and a 6 month treatment plan i was on the road to recovery.
The last few races been Crater Cruise, Micheal House, Izuzu 3 towers, DCM Cape Pioneer and Mondi Addo race, all went really well and i felt like a completely different rider which was great and has given me greater motivation for the 2011 season. I will also once again be with DCM for the 2011 race season with some very exciting plans and races, so really looking forward to whats coming.
I have had a good break with still two more weeks left before i start riding the bike again and then it will be time to start really preparing for 2011 race season. We also have some new sponsors on board for 2011.

Posted by brandon on 2010.11.16