Stage of the FNB Wines2Whales (W2W) Mountain Bike (MTB) Adventure was met with high spirits on Sunday, 28 October 2017 with mountain bikers preparing to say goodbye to the winelands as they head out on a magnificent 71km journey from Oak Valley Wine Estate to the Onrus Caravan Park.<\/p>\n
Team Sukkel Sukkel\u2019s Francois Theron and Fritz Pienaar obliterated the field completing Stage Three in 03 hours 03 minutes 27 seconds, securing their second stage victory for the weekend. They also claimed the overall victory for all three days in an impressive combined time of 09 hours 56 minutes 59 seconds over 210km. \u201cOur legs came together today,\u201d says Theron. \u201cIt was a great finish after three days of racing. We didn\u2019t really train, but the trails made up for it. The FNB W2W MTB Adventure was a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrancois\u2019 legs were around the whole weekend. Mine only came today,\u201d laughs Pienaar. \u201cStage Three is the real play day for me. The single track is great. It\u2019s the perfect end to the weekend. The FNB W2W MTB Adventure was amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Team Dream Real Digital\u2019s Waldo Zevenster and Carl Toua secured the second spot on the podium after three days of racing, with Team Stoneys\u2019 Vernon Visser and Tim Ellerbeck coming in third.<\/p>\n
Team Like Mother Like Daughter\u2019s Lolita Van Aardt and Simone Rhoda Van Aardt secured victory in the women\u2019s race completing three days of racing in a combined time of 12 hours 20 minutes 43 seconds. \u201cI\u2019m not in the greatest shape this year,\u201d laughs Lolita. \u201cSimone killed me. She\u2019s super strong. Wines2Whales is a great event for families. There are fathers riding with sons, while brothers and sisters also team up. It is great for the whole family. The stages aren\u2019t too long. I would suggest that you train though. It really does make the event more enjoyable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Team Oakley Group Girls\u2019 Janine Muller and Mari du Toit secured the second spot on the podium, with Team Wines2Whales\u2019 Erica Green and Reinette Geldenhuis finishing third.<\/p>\n
Team Rotsvas\u2019 Anton and Adrienne Moolman claimed victory in the mixed team category completing all three stages in a deserving combined time of 10 hours 40 minutes 12 seconds. \u201cToday was nice and fast,\u201d says Adrienne. \u201cWe took advantage of the technical sections. Wines2Whales is really nice. It\u2019s good riding and the chill zones are great.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is definitely one of the best events in the country,\u201d says Anton. \u201cI\u2019ll recommend it to all riders.\u201d<\/p>\n
Theresa Ralph and Hamish Knowles of Team Galileo Risk claimed the second spot on the podium after three days of racing, while Team Boys & Bikes\u2019 Petrus and Yzette Oelofse finished third.<\/p>\n
\u201cMountain Biking is a growing sport in South Africa with an increasingly diverse appeal and we are delighted to provide this incredible platform. We would like to congratulate the winners of the Adventure stage and all the participants who came out this year,\u201d said Mike Vacy-Lyle, CEO FNB Business.
\nNext Up: FNB Wines2Whales MTB Ride<\/p>\n
Starting in the Winelands of Somerset West, riders will follow the tyre tracks of the Adventure riders, crossing through (and over) 13 wineries, 26 private farms, six mountains, historic roads and mountain passes, nature conservation areas (including the Kogelberg Biosphere) before finishing within sight of the famous whales of Hermanus!<\/p>\n
Stage One:<\/strong> Monday, 30 October 2017<\/p>\n Start Venue:<\/strong> Lourensford Wine Estate (Somerset West) Stage Two:<\/strong> Tuesday, 31 October 2017<\/p>\n Start Venue:<\/strong> Oak Valley Wine Estate (Elgin-Grabouw) Stage Three:<\/strong> Wednesday, 01 November 2017<\/p>\n Start Venue:<\/strong> Oak Valley Wine Estate (Elgin-Grabouw) 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
\nFinish Venue:<\/strong> Oak Valley Wine Estate (Elgin-Grabouw)
\nDistance:<\/strong> 68km
\nAscent:<\/strong> 1650m
\nStart Time:<\/strong> 07:00<\/p>\n
\nFinish Venue:<\/strong> Oak Valley Wine Estate (Elgin-Grabouw)
\nDistance:<\/strong> 71km
\nAscent:<\/strong> 1350m
\nStart Time:<\/strong> 07:00<\/p>\n
\nFinish Venue:<\/strong> Onrus Caravan Park
\nDistance:<\/strong> 71km
\nAscent:<\/strong> 1200m
\nStart Time:<\/strong> 07:00<\/p>\n
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