It was all smiles on Saturday, 28 October 2017 as riders toed the line at Oak Valley Wine Estate (Elgin-Grabouw) to take on Stage Two aka “Play Day” of the FNB Wines2Whales (W2W) Mountain Bike (MTB) Adventure.
The only stage to start and finish at the same venue, Stage Two pitted ridders against a fun 71km route that featured a 1350m ascent. Iconic sections on route included: single tracks and bridges with names such as Waterfall, Vissie’s Magic, JK’s Edge, Sounds of Silence, Rietvlei, Witklippies 1 & 2, Raka, Swing, Ark, Cobra, Mamba, Boomslang, Pofadder, Jakkels, River Run and the much loved PERI-KROMCO Playpark to mention just a few.
Waldo Zevenster and Carl Toua of Team Dream Real Digital claimed their first stage victory in a time of 03 hours 16 minutes 01 second. “Today’s stage suited us, except for the single tracks. Fritz Pienaar and Francois Theron (Team Sukkel Sukkel) are just too fast on the single track,” says Zevenster. “We pushed on the climbs though. The route was fun and the single track was nice to ride. Carl’s a champion. He carved the lines and I just followed. We’re here to have a jol, but it’s always fun to race. We’ll try to make up time on Stage Three.” Fritz Pienaar and Francois Theron of Team Sukkel Sukkel came in second, while Vernon Visser and Tim Ellerbeck of Team Stoney’s finished third.
Team Rotsvas’ Anton and Adrienne Moolman claimed their second stage victory for the weekend crossing the finish line in 03 hours 29 minutes 50 seconds. “There was no wind today. The trails were smooth and flowing. It was a fun day,” says Adrienne. “Well done to the route builders. You can see that a lot of effort has gone into these routes. The word “exhilarating” sums this stage up best.” Theresa Ralph and Hamish Knowles of Team Galileo Risk came in second, while Jane Seggie and David Stonestreet of Team Rule No 5 B finished third.
Janine Muller and Mari du Toit of Team Oakley Group Girls beat mother and daughter duo Lolita Van Aardt and Simone Rhoda Van Aardt to the finish line in 03 hours 55 minutes 24 seconds. “There was a nice tussle between us and the second team,” says Muller. “We gave our all and had a great day out. W2W was our first stage race about four years ago. It’s nice to be back to experience these trails.” Lolita Van Aardt and Simone Rhoda Van Aardt of Team Like Mother Like Daughter came in second, while Erica Green and Reinette Geldenhuis of Team Wines2Whales finished third.
EVENT INFORMATION: FNB Wines2Whales MTB Adventure
Stage Three: Sunday, 29 October 2017
Start Venue: Oak Valley Wine Estate (Elgin-Grabouw)
Finish Venue: Onrus Caravan Park
Distance: 71km
Ascent: 1200m
Start Time: 07:00
EXCITING PRIZE: This year one lucky rider (per event) will take home a magnificent 2018 Specialized Epic Comp Carbon mountain bike to the value of R59 000.
Facebook: Wines2Whales
Twitter: @w2wmtb
For more information on the FNB Wines2Whales MTB events contact Chris on 083 760 3158, e-mail [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected] or visit www.wines2whales.co.za
ABOUT FNB WINES2WHALES
Recently acquired by Cape Epic (PTY) Ltd, FNB Wines2Whales is a three-day mountain bike stage race held in the Western Cape, South Africa. Founded in 2009, the annual event hosts four thousand riders competing in two-person teams over 70-80km per day. The race format consists of three consecutive, separate, but identical events over ten days (named ‘Adventure’, ‘Ride’ and ‘Race’) – allowing riders to choose the appropriate option that suits their level of competitiveness. With entries selling out each year, FNB Wines2Whales is regarded as South Africa’s premier three-day mountain bike stage race.
ABOUT CAPE EPIC (PTY) Ltd and ABSA CAPE EPIC
The Absa Cape Epic® is the world’s premier mountain bike stage race. The route changes every year, leading aspiring amateur and professional mountain bikers from around the world through roughly 650km of unspoilt scenery and 15,000m of accumulated climbing, over some of the most magnificent mountain passes in Western Cape in South Africa. The Absa Cape Epic is the most televised mountain bike stage race in the world and the only eight-day mountain bike stage race classed as hors catégorie by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). This official UCI status makes it a highlight on the professional racer’s calendar. The Absa Cape Epic also attracts aspiring amateur riders wanting to test themselves against the best. It is a full-service race, meaning that everything is taken care of from the start – all riders need to think about is riding.
In 2017, Cape Epic was acquired by the IRONMAN group, part of Wanda Sports, to anchor a global portfolio of off-road events and to spearhead the development and expansion of a worldwide series of premium mountain-bike races.
For more information on the FNB Wines2Whales®, visit www.wines2whales.co.za
For more information on the Absa Cape Epic®, visit www.cape-epic.com
For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com
ISSUED BY: Newsport Media
ON BEHALF OF: Wines2Whales