Second stage victory for Groustra and Pfitzenmaier at FNB W2W MTB RACE

Renay Groustra and Nico Pfitzemaier of Team RSA Web/Bridge claimed their second stage win at the FNB Wines2Whales (W2W) Mountain Bike (MTB) Race at Oak Valley Sport Field (Elgin) on Saturday, 09 November 2013 after completing the 69km Stage Two in a mind blowing time of 02 hours 41 minutes 35 seconds.

“Today was amazing and played into our hands,” said Groustra. “We dropped a chain in the first single track. Darren Lill and Andrew Hill took the lead, but then Darren also dropped a chain at the Paul Cluver Amphi Theatre. We kept a steady tempo, as they did when we dropped a chain. We struggled up the climbs and decided to push where we are strongest, the single track. We just kept it steady, with me grabbing food for Nico at the water points. The amazing suspension bridges at Paul Cluver just blew my mind. Stage Three could be rather treacherous and rocky. There’s no reason for us to push the pace, so we’ll just sit on the wheels”. Johann Rabie and Hanco Kachelhoffer of Team EAI Reeds Nuwater came in second, while Darren Lill and Andrew Hill of Team Cannondale Blend finished third.

Jennie Stenerhage in action on the day. Photo Credit ~ Cherie Vale / NEWSPORT MEDIA

Yolande De Villiers and Jennie Stenerhage of Team ISUZU 1 once again took the lead in the women’s race completing Stage Two’s 69km route in a deserving time of 03hours11minutes17seconds. “Today was fantastic,” said De Villiers. “The single track is unbelievable with beautiful trails. The vibe between riders at the water points and on route has been awesome. Although it’s always nice to race the FNB W2W, it’s also a fun event. Tomorrow we’ll focus on being consistent as anything can happen. Winning Stage Three will be the cherry on the cake”. Ashleigh Moffatt and Candice Neethling of Team BMC Velolife came in second, while Hanlie Booyens and Sharon Laws of Team Food Lover’s Market 5 finished third.

Paul Cordes and Yolande Speedy of Team asg MTB Academy were the first mixed team to cross the finish line on Saturday, 09 November 2013, completing the 69km Stage Two of the FNB Wines2Whales MTB Race in a time of 03hours09minutes38seconds. Seen here: Yolande Speedy and Paul Cordes in action on the day. Photo Credit ~ Jetline Action photo

Paul Cordes and Yolande Speedy of Team asg MTB Academy were the first mixed team to cross the finish line on the day, completing the 69km stage in a time of 03hours09minutes38seconds. “Today’s start was not as rude, there wasn’t a big hill to go up,” laughs Cordes. “The route was very different from stage one. It was flatter, which meant we had to work a lot. The route builders did a good job with the bridges at Paul Cluver. They’ve managed to build something quite specialized. Going into Stage Three we’ll pretty much do the same as with the first two stages, ride for fun”. Sarita Swart and Nizaam Esa of Team Asrin Cycling came in second, while Sunet Geldenhuys and Vaughn Roux of Team The Surgical Institute finished third.

Stage Two saw riders having to complete a 69km route that started and finished at Oak Valley Sport Field (Elgin). Riders were treated to a route that consisted of 90% single track that combined a spectacular network of trails from Oak Valley, Paul Cluver, Thandi and Lebanon.

Renay Groustra in action on the day. Photo Credit ~ Cherie Vale / NEWSPORT MEDIA

The following teams are in the lead going into Stage Three on Sunday, 10 November 2013:

Men: Renay Groustra and Nico Pfitzenmaier of Team RSA Web/Bridge, followed by Darren Lill and Andrew Hill of Team Cannondale Blend in second place and Hanco Kachelhoffer and Johann Rabie in third.

Women: Yolande De Villiers and Jennie Stenerhage of Team ISUZU 1, followed by Ashleigh Moffatt and Candice Neethling in second place and Hanlie Booyens and Sharon Laws in third.

Mixed: Paul Cordes and Yolande Speedy of Team asg MTB Academy, followed by Niel Du Pisani and Tandi Kitching of Team BroSis in second place and Sunet Geldenhuys and Vaughn Roux of Team The Surgical Institute in third.

NEXT UP: Stage Three / Sunday, 10 November 2013

77km / 1450m Elevation Gain

The Official Food Supplier of the FNB W2W MTB events, Food Lover’s Market is known for placing great emphasis on value, quality and an exceptional retail experience. At the FNB W2W MTB events Food Lover’s Market will be meeting all the essential food requirements of the riders over the three day period both on route and in the race village.

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For more information on the FNB Wines2Whales MTB events contact 076 118 0874, e-mail entries@wines2whales.co.za or visit www.wines2whales.co.za

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