Cape Town - Despite the leading teams in both the major categories of the Old Mutual joBerg2C losing stage victories to their major opposition, Gawie Combrinck and Nico Bell in the overall race and Briton Catherine Williamson and Johan Labuschagne in the mixed race held onto their category leads after the seventh stage on Thursday.
The 82km ride from Underberg to Donnybrook saw little change in terms of the major race standings but there was a glimpse that the race may not yet be decided despite just two stages remaining.
Overall race leaders Combrinck and Rabie of Team NAD twice managed to get small gaps on their opposition, Johan Rabie and HB Kruger, but in the end the final sprint was won by the Team Telkom duo, leaving Combrinck’s and Rabie’s five minute intact.
The mixed is building to an exciting climax with Candice Neethling and Darren Lill driving the pace all day and halving the lead of Williamson and Labuschagne. Neethling and Lill grabbed their second big stage win in two days with Grant Usher and Amy McDougal second, but the big news was the seven minutes and 42 seconds advantage the stage winners had over the category leaders, and with the gap now standing at 7:40, the mixed title is still very much up for grabs.
Friday’s 99km stage is a distinct race of three sections. The first 38km is one of the best sections of mountain biking in the country with riders dropping down a steep single track descent into the Umkomaas Valley. This is followed by a long, gruelling and at times gnarly 27km climb out of the same valley which will give teams the opportunity of making up or losing some serious time. The final 30km is fast and flowing and teams will struggle to get make up time here.
With Friday’s stage a fast and open ride into Scottburgh the race could well be decided on the climb out of the Umkomaas Valley.
Stage Results
Men
1 Johann Rabie and Hendrik Kruger (Team Telkom) 3.03.06
2 Nico Bell and Gawie Combrinck (NAD Pro MTB) 3.03.07
3 Andrew Hill and Tyronne White (Thule PYGA TIB Insurance) 3.07.57
4 Pieter Seyffert and Hanco Kachelhoffer (Altech Karan Beef Pro Cycling) 3.17.06
5 Dalaet Julien and Ischard Frederic (Vojomag Velochannel) 3.17.30
Mixed
1 Darren Lill and Candice Neethling (Dorma USN Purefit) 3.14.26
2 Amy Mcdougall and Grant Usher (Valencia Lanham-Love) 3.21.28
3 Johan Labuschagne and Catherine Williamson (The Bicycle Company Mitas) 3.22.06
4 Sonya Looney and Yuki Ikeda (FreakShow Defeet Topeak Ergon) 3.29.34
5 Peter Vesel and Ivonne Kraft (MDM Team) 3.42.46
Solo
1 Calvin Beneke 3.07.59
2 John Ntuli 3.12.46
3 Brennan Anderson 3.14.15
4 Raf de Bakker 3.14.28
5 Charles Mcfall 3.14.29
Women
1 Samantha Sanders and Anriette Schoeman (Valencia) 5.01.51.
Solo Women
1 Patsy Hime 3.29.00
OVERALL
Men
1 Nico Bell and Gawie Combrinck (NAD Pro MTB) 25.56.21
2 Johann Rabie and Hendrik Kruger (Telkom) 26.01.07
3 Andrew Hill Tyronne White (Thule PYGA TIB Insurance) 26.41.13
4 Pieter Seyffert and Hanco Kachelhoffer (Altech Karan Beef Pro Cycling) 27.02.24
5 Greg Anderson and Deon Kruger (Cyclelab Masters - 1st masters) 28.12.29
Mixed
1 Johan Labuschagne and Catherine Williamson (The Bicycle Company Mitas) 27.54.42
2 Darren Lill and Candice Neethling (Dorma USN Purefit) 28.02.24
3 Amy Mcdougall and Grant Usher (Valencia Lanham-Love) 28.10.07
4 Sonya Looney and Yuki Ikeda (FreakShow Defeet Topeak Ergon) 29.00.39
5 Peter Vesel and Ivonne Kraft (MDM Team) 30.04.40
Solo Men
1 Calvin Beneke 26.53.57
2 Charles Mcfall 27.09.40
3 Raf de Bakker 27.43.50
4 John Ntuli 27.47.35
5 Brennan Anderson 27.49.36
Women
1 Samantha Sanders and Anriette Schoeman (Valencia) 31.20.47
Solo Women
1 Patsy Hime 31.56.15
The Star