PYGA Euro Steel 1\u2019s Matthys Beukes and Philip Buys claimed their second stage victory and the overall Champions Title after Stage Three of the FNB Wines2Whales (W2W) MTB Race at Onrus Caravan Park on Sunday, 05 November 2017.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not often that things work out according to plan,\u201d says Beukes.\u00a0 \u201cGoing into the stage, we knew that we would have to do something at the 40km mark.\u00a0 We sat on the wheels a bit up the drag, and then increased our pace.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a great year.\u00a0 We couldn\u2019t be happier about our win.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my first W2W win,\u201d admits Buys.\u00a0 \u201cEverything worked out well over the three days.\u00a0 W2W is a great race to end the season off with.\u201d<\/p>\n
PYGA Euro Steel 1 completed Stage Three in an impressive time of 02 hours 30 minutes 08 seconds.\u00a0 They claimed the overall victory (after three days of racing) in a combined time of 07 hours 59 minutes 48 seconds over the 210km distance (three stages combined).<\/p>\n
Team Investec-Songo.info\u2019s Konny Looser and Christoph Sauser claimed the second spot on the podium, while Team NAD Pro MTB\u2019s Gawie Combrinck and Nico Bell finished third.<\/p>\n
\u201cI expected this to be the result,\u201d admits Sauser.\u00a0 \u201cI had to dig deep the first two days, and just didn\u2019t have the base.\u00a0 The best team definitely won.\u00a0 They deserve it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI enjoyed the weekend\u2019s racing,\u201d says Looser.\u00a0 \u201cThere was a big fight on route today.\u00a0 It\u2019s been super exciting.\u00a0 It\u2019s always nice riding with Christoph.\u00a0\u00a0 Team PYGA were clever in their riding strategy.\u00a0 They definitely deserve the win.\u00a0 W2W has been great.\u00a0 The route was awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always nice fishing at the sea,\u201d says Bell.\u00a0 \u201cW2W is a really enjoyable race.\u00a0 Now we plan to reset and hopefully have a good year in 2018.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the women\u2019s race Stage Three was claimed by Team Dormakaba\u2019s Candice Lill and Vera Adrian.<\/p>\n
Team Meerendal CBC\u2019s Jennie Stenerhag and Adelheid Morath pipped Team Valencia Ladies\u2019 Samantha Sanders and Amy Mcdougall to the finish claiming the 2nd<\/sup> and 3rd<\/sup> spots on the podium respectively for the stage.<\/p>\n Team Meerendal CBC\u2019s remarkable efforts over the three days however secured them the coveted title of 2017 FNB W2W MTB Champions in the women\u2019s race.\u00a0 Team Meerendal CBC completed three days of racing in a deserving combined time of 09 hours 15 minutes 52 seconds.<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels great to end the year off with a win,\u201d says Stenerhag.\u00a0 \u201cAlthough we had a good lead going into Stage Three, we knew that with mountain biking anything can happen.\u00a0 We did what we could today, but I didn\u2019t have anything left on the climbs.\u00a0 I\u2019ve taken part in W2W six times.\u00a0 I love the trails.\u00a0 This is definitely the best event that I\u2019ve ever taken part in.\u00a0 The Prize Money has also done a lot for women\u2019s racing.\u00a0 W2W is an awesome way to end the season.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cW2W is a great event,\u201d says Morath.\u00a0 \u201cI really enjoyed it and am happy to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n Team Dormakaba\u2019s Candice Lill and Vera Adrian claimed second place, with Team Valencia Ladies\u2019 Samantha Sanders and Amy Mcdougall rounding off the podium after three days of racing.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a really good start,\u201d says Lill.\u00a0 \u201cWe knew that it was important to get to the front to reach the single track first.\u00a0 Once in the single track we pushed the pace.\u00a0 We had a positive race and are happy with today.\u00a0 It was a fantastic way to close off our partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe worked on our master plan last night,\u201d laughs Adrian.\u00a0 \u201cIt worked perfectly today.\u00a0 We stayed in front.\u00a0 I was able to ride my pace and we gave it our all on the climbs.\u00a0 W2W is a partner race.\u00a0 We definitely rode as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur plan was to do our best,\u201d says Sanders.\u00a0 \u201cYou can only go as hard as the body allows.\u00a0 \u00a0Our effort was good enough for third place.\u00a0 The event has been awesome.\u00a0 W2W really is incredible.\u00a0 The trails are immaculate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI need to work on my sprinting skill,\u201d laughs Mcdougall.\u00a0 \u201cThere was a lot of pain, but W2W was a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a hat-trick stage victory for husband and wife duo Martin and Jeannie Dreyer of Team Merchants.\u00a0 They firmly secured the title of Mixed Team Champions in a combined time of 09 hours 57 minutes 21 seconds.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m chuffed that we were able to claim three stage victories,\u201d says Jeannie.\u00a0 \u201cWe definitely don\u2019t train the intensity for this type of race.\u00a0 I guess it just shows that our heads are in it.\u00a0 W2W is a magic, gem of an event.\u00a0 It\u2019s slick, neat and clean.\u00a0 There\u2019s no suffering or discomfort.\u00a0 It\u2019s a real treat.\u201d<\/p>\n Team SAICA\u2019s Ila and Darryn Stow claimed the second spot on the podium after three days of racing, while Team Coach1\/Globe Flight\u2019s Ian Martin and Louise Ferreira finished third.<\/p>\n The second and last destination stage of the FNB W2W MTB Race, Stage Three started at the Oak Valley Wine Estate (Elgin-Grabouw) and finished at the Onrus Caravan Park.\u00a0 The route boasted with 71km of spectacular-mountain biking and featured a 1200m ascent.\u00a0 Iconic sections on route included passing the Houw Hoek Inn, <\/strong>the oldest hotel in South Africa, meandering through the quaint town of Botriver past the Botriver School, experiencing the magnificent Wildekrans and Hermanus Trails, Gaf-se-Bos, the Fruitways-Onrus Beach Crossing and the PERI-Onrus river crossing to name just a few.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are delighted to see local and international participants continuing to appreciate what South Africa has to offer, through this incredible event. We would like to congratulate every single cyclist that took part this year, most specifically, the champions of the three stages who have earned their titles in what has been a challenging FNB W2W MTB Race. We are proud to be associated with this event and are looking forward to being a part of its growth year on year,\u201d said Mike Vacy-Lyle, CEO FNB Business.<\/p>\n PRIZE PURSE:<\/strong>\u00a0 The 2017 FNB W2W MTB Race boasted with an impressive Prize Purse of R417 000.\u00a0 For a complete Prize Purse Breakdown CLICK HERE<\/a><\/p>\n EXCITING PRIZE:<\/strong>\u00a0 This year one lucky rider (per event) took home a magnificent 2018 Specialized Epic Comp Carbon mountain bike to the value of R59 000.<\/p>\n Facebook:\u00a0<\/strong> Wines2Whales<\/a><\/p>\n Twitter:\u00a0<\/strong> @w2wmtb<\/a><\/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 Newsport Media<\/a><\/p>\n
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