Clear skies greeted just over 1320 excited mountain bikers at the picturesque Lourensford Wine Estate this morning for the start of Stage One of the FNB Wines2Whales (W2W) Mountain Bike (MTB) Adventure.<\/p>\n
Celebrating its 9th<\/sup> anniversary this year, Stage One of the Western Cape\u2019s premier three day MTB stage race saw riders having to complete a 64km route that featured a 1650m ascent before crossing the finish line at Oak Valley Wine Estate (Elgin-Grabouw), their home for the weekend.<\/p>\n Team Sukkel Sukkel\u2019s Francois Theron and Fritz Pienaar put down the hammer in the men\u2019s race crossing the finish line first in a time of 03 hours 36 minutes 08 seconds.\u00a0 \u201cStage One was a nice journey from point to point.\u00a0 Our plan was to go as fast as we could to get to the single track first,\u201d says Theron.\u00a0 Waldo Zevenster and Carl Toua of Team Dream Real Digital came in second, while Christo Toua Toua and Gareth Harrington of Team Epic Grid rounded off the podium.<\/p>\n Lolita Van Aardt and Simone Rhoda Van Aardt of Team Like Mother Like Daughter were the ladies to beat claiming gold in 04 hours 35 minutes 28 seconds.\u00a0 \u201cThe course was fantastic,\u201d says Lolita.\u00a0 \u201cIt was really windy today, but the water points were fantastic and the stage was great.\u00a0 This is the third year that Simone and I ride together.\u00a0 We like the atmosphere and the stages are nice and short.\u00a0 The first stage is always tough.\u00a0 We\u2019re really looking forward to Play Day.\u201d\u00a0 Janine Muller and Mari du Toit of Team Oakley Group Girls came in second, while Erica Green and Reinette Geldenhuis of Team Wines2Whales finished third.<\/p>\n Team Rotsvas\u2019 Anton and Adrienne Moolman were dominant in the Mixed Team race crossing the finish line in 03 hours 52 minutes 15 seconds.\u00a0 \u201cThe fan did not stop blowing today,\u201d laughs Anton.\u00a0 \u201cThe trails were nice.\u00a0 We loved the scenery, flowers, atmosphere and Race Village.\u00a0 The event is just perfectly organized.\u00a0 We\u2019re really looking forward to tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0 Petrus and Yzette Oelofse of Team Boys & Bikes came in second, while Hamish Knowles and Theresa Ralph of Team Galileo Risk finished third.<\/p>\n EVENT INFORMATION<\/u><\/strong>:\u00a0 <\/strong>FNB Wines2Whales MTB Adventure<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Stage Two<\/u><\/strong>:\u00a0 Saturday, 28 October 2017<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Start Venue:\u00a0 <\/strong>Oak Valley Wine Estate (Elgin-Grabouw)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Finish Venue:\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Oak Valley Wine Estate (Elgin-Grabouw)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Distance:<\/strong> 71km<\/p>\n Ascent:<\/strong> 1350m<\/p>\n Start Time:<\/strong>\u00a0 07:00<\/p>\n EXCITING PRIZE<\/strong> – This year one lucky rider (per event) will take home a magnificent 2018 Specialized Epic Comp Carbon mountain bike to the value of R59\u00a0000.<\/p>\n Facebook:\u00a0<\/strong> Wines2Whales<\/a><\/p>\n Twitter:\u00a0<\/strong> @w2wmtb<\/p>\n For more information on the FNB Wines2Whales MTB events contact Chris on 083 760 3158, e-mail race@wines2whales.co.za<\/a>, adventure@wines2whales.co.za<\/a> or ride@wines2whales.co.za<\/a> or visit www.wines2whales.co.za<\/a>\u00a0 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 \u2018Adventure\u2019, \u2018Ride\u2019 and \u2018Race\u2019) \u2013 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\u2019s premier three-day mountain bike stage race. ABOUT CAPE EPIC (PTY) Ltd and ABSA CAPE EPIC<\/strong><\/p>\n The\u00a0Absa Cape Epic\u00ae<\/sup>\u00a0is the world\u2019s 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. \u00a0The 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 cat\u00e9gorie 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.<\/p>\n In 2017, Cape Epic was acquired by the IRONMAN group, part of Wanda Sports, to anchor a global portfolio of off-road events and\u00a0to spearhead the development and expansion of a worldwide series of premium mountain-bike races.<\/p>\n For more information on the FNB Wines2Whales\u00ae<\/sup>, visit www.wines2whales.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n For more information on the Absa Cape Epic\u00ae<\/sup>, visit www.cape-epic.com<\/a><\/p>\n For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com<\/a><\/p>\n ISSUED BY:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Newsport Media<\/a><\/p>\n
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