joBerg2c race organisers build N3 of single track

The nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race will create the “N3 of single track” with the help of toll route concessionaire N3TC. Photo: Kelvin Trautman

Organisers of the Old Mutual joBerg2c have announced a groundbreaking partnership with the N3 Toll Concession (N3TC), which will see them creating the “N3 of single track” over the next three years.

The nine-day mountain bike race, which starts on April 27, runs virtually parallel to the toll route from Heidelberg to the KwaZulu-Natal midlands before continuing on to finish on the coast at Scottburgh.

According to event spokesman Craig Wapnick, the sponsorship will allow organisers to continue improving the 910-kilometre route by building more and more trail and maintaining existing sections.

“This partnership further entrenches our emphasis on the route. We aim to provide the ultimate South African stage race with single track trails almost all the way.”

Wapnick said the joint venture fulfilled both the organisers and sponsors’ social responsibility objectives by creating jobs along the route.

“We’ve committed to using every bit of the sponsorship for employing local labour throughout the year.”

N3TC PR and communications manager Andrea Visser said the off-road race was the perfect fit for the brand.

“N3TC is exceptionally excited about being part of the joBerg2c. It is the ideal partnership as it benefits the mountain bikers and local communities.”

According to Visser, the race was chosen as one of five legacy projects that will form the focus of the company’s corporate social investment contributions.

“It fully supports our commitment to job creation, skills development and tourism growth, which are all key economic contributors to community development.”

She said the event was also ideally placed to support the marketing objectives of the N3 Gateway project, a tourism initiative by N3TC aimed at stimulating economic development along the route.

Visser said the long-term sustainability was a key factor in N3TC’s decision-making and the company looked forward to building a relationship with the Old Mutual joBerg2c and its participants.

“We want to enable the organisers to provide an excellent route but also allow weekend mountain biking enthusiasts to ride sections in the future, once the development is completed.”

N3TC, which has been involved in mountain biking since 2007, supports various sporting events such as the FedGroup Berg & Bush mountain bike race, N3TC Karkloof Adventure Quest, Global Trader Drak Canoe Challenge and Midmar Mile open-water swim.

“Our belief in supporting these events is based on the principle that the participants use the N3 toll route to access the events and it is our way of giving back to the community and our customers.”

 Visit www.oldmutual.co.za or www.joberg2c.co.za for more information. Alternatively, find the race on Facebook or Twitter (joberg2c_journo).

Cycle Lab Toyota’s Ben and Daniel impress at first Cape Epic

Ben Mwanje (right) and Daniel Alikisente of Team Cycle Lab Toyota, pictured here after winning the Bridgestone Route 69 stage race, completed their first ABSA Cape Epic on Sunday. Photo: Action Photo

Ben Mwanje and Daniel Alikisente of Team Cycle Lab Toyota completed their first ABSA Cape Epic on Sunday. They were the first black African team to finish the race, but due to their age (older than 26) and nationality (they’re Ugandan), they did not qualify for classification in the new Exxaro Development Team competition.

Racing for the JAG Foundation, a charity initiative that uses sport to improve the lives of children from underprivileged South African communities, Mwanje and Alikisente finished the eight-day race in 57th position overall and 43rd in the Men’s category in a total time 41 hours 42 minutes 13 seconds.

Interestingly, the pair’s best stage finish was on the rainy, muddy Stage 5, where they finished 37th in the Men and 49th overall.

“That was actually our hardest day,” explained Mwanje. “It was so cold and we just wanted to get to the finish to get warm. A lot of other people had problems that day, but we just kept going. I think that’s why we had a higher finish than normal. It was very uncomfortable.”

The pair had to deal with a cut tyre on Stages 4 and 6, but they were able to make the necessary repairs and minimise time loss. But on the final stage Mwanje’s rear derailleur shifter jammed shortly after the start, forcing him to complete virtually the entire stage with only his front gearshift options.

“It was quite tough to ride with just couple of gears, but we had no choice. We had to finish and when we did finish it was an amazing feeling. It was a very tough race, but very, very nice to finish,” smiled Mwanje.

“We would like to go back and do this race again. We now know what is needed and we can prepare properly. Mostly it is our training where we can improve, our equipment was good. Thank you to GT for the bicycles and to Cycle Lab Toyota club for all the back up and support before and after the race.”

The pair has no intention of slowing down now. They’re using this week for recovery and will be back in race mode again soon.

“Now we have a very good base. We will do some speed work and hope to be strong and faster at the next race, which will seem quite short after riding the Epic!” said Alikisente.

“For Ben and Daniel to finish in the top 10% of the race (604 teams started the event) on their first attempt is quite impressive,” said Cycle Lab Toyota Club’s Andrew McLean. “They both work full time at our Cycle Lab Fourways branch and don’t have the same privileges as most of the riders in the Cape Epic do. It shows great commitment and appreciation from them.”

Mwanje and Alikisente’s 2012 ABSA Cape Epic race progress:
Prologue: 63rd Men, 80th Overall
Stage 1: 52nd Men, 71st Overall
Stage 2: 66th Men, 89th Overall
Stage 3: 58th Men, 82nd Overall
Stage 4: 56th Men, 74th Overall
Stage 5: 37th Men, 49th Overall
Stage 6: 63rd Men, 82nd Overall
Stage 7: 67th Men, 89th Overall
Final: 43rd Men, 57th Overall

Stander, Sauser toast Cape Epic victory with another stage win!

Christoph Sauser of 36One-Songo-Specialized and Burry Stander of 36One-Songo-Specialized celebrate after winning the 2012 Absa Cape Epic. Photo credit: SPORTZPICS

Sunday’s final stage of the 2012 ABSA Cape Epic wasn’t the procession it was expected to be as defending champions and overall leaders, Burry Stander and Christoph Sauser, attacked their rivals on the 64km leg from Oak Valley to Lourensford to win a sixth stage and claim their second successive overall win as teammates.

The 36One-Songo-Specialized pair broke clear of the lead group just before the Telkom Hot Spot, won the R10000 cash prize for being first across the prime and then continued to power away up the steep climb that followed. They then carried a relentless pace to the finish, where Stander, on the final approach, grabbed a South African flag, which he carried proudly across the finish line.

Second place went to the Topeak Ergon duo of Alban Lakata (AUT) and Robert Mennen (GER) who pipped Songo-Specialized’s Max Knox (RSA) and Kohei Yamamoto (JPN) in the sprint for second place, just less than a minute down on Stander and Sauser.

It was Stander and Sauser’s sixth stage win in eight days this year and it confirmed their dominance at the ninth edition of the world’s most prestigious mountain bike stage race. It was Sauser’s third victory in the event, his other coming in 2006 with compatriot Silvio Bundi. Stander is the only South African to have won the overall Cape Epic title. His total of 20 career stage wins is second only to Sauser, who has 26.

South African Nedbank 360Life teammates, Kevin Evans and David George were fifth on the final stage, but secured second place on the General Classification, the highest ever placing by a South African team in the event. They also won the ABSA African Team competition. Hannes Genze (GER) and Andreas Kugler (SUI) of Team Multivan Merida, were third overall.

Unlike many of their rivals, Stander and Sauser had an incident-free eight days, virtually unheard of in a race that covers such rugged terrain and in such varied weather conditions as this year’s edition, which included intense heat, gale force winds and driving rain.

“We simply rode on the front for about 80% of the entire race and stayed out of trouble,” said Stander. “When you ride on the front you can pick your line and avoid possible problems. When you follow someone else, you can’t anticipate what’s coming. I felt so much more in control riding on the front more this year.

“We worked hard for this stage and the overall. We will never say no to the opportunity of winning a stage. Twenty-seven minutes is a big victory margin, but not only thanks to us. Our whole team and our equipment played a role. We learnt our lessons in previous years. The ABSA Cape Epic is a story. Everyday is a chapter and that makes it so amazing. Now we know the Yellow Jersey is ours. Until now it felt like we were borrowing it. Nothing compares to it,” added Stander.

The only other South Africans to win a category were the Team Contego 28E pairing of Erik and Ariane Kleinhans. The married couple won the Mixed category title overall, and collected seven stage wins in the process. They were by far the most dominant Mixed team in the race with an eventual winning margin of 02 hours 07 minutes over runners up Udo Boelts (GER) and Milena Landtwing (SUI) of Team Centurion Vaude. Boelts won the Master’s division last year and is a former top 10 finisher at the Tour de France.

Former World and Olympic champion and 2005 Cape Epic winner, Bart Brentjens (NED) and his compatriot Jan Weevers of the World Bicycle Relief team won the Telkom Masters (over 40) category. They were followed by two all-South African teams – Delaney Impey and Adrian Enthoven (JAG Craft) and Scott McKenzie and Warren Squires (Complete Cyclist) in second and third respectively.

The women’s division was dominated by the Wheels4Life team of Sally Bigham (GBR) and Esther Suss (SUI), winning seven stages and the overall title. South African Theresa Ralph and her Norwegian partner Nina Gassler were second, while another South African, Karien van Jaarsveld and her Swiss teammate, Jane Nuessli of Team MTN Qhubeka, were third.

A total of  604 two-rider teams started the 781km, eight-day race, with 481 teams finishing and 93 solo riders completing the event after their partners withdrew.

Leading final General Classification results:
MEN
1 Burry Stander (RSA) / Christoph Sauser (SUI) 36One-Songo-Specialized 31hrs 46min 50sec
2 Kevin Evans (RSA) / David George (RSA) Nedbank 360Life @ 27:22
3 Hannes Genze (GER) / Andreas Kugler (SUI) Multivan Merida @ 31:07
4 Thomas Dietsche (FRA) / Tim Boehme (GER) Bulls 2 @ 31:57
4 Alban Lakata (AUT) / Robert Mennen (GER) Topeak Ergon @ 32:32

WOMEN
1 Esther Suss (SUI) / Sally Bigham (GBR) Wheels4Life 38:34.11
2 Theresa Ralph (RSA) / Nina Gassler (NOR) Biogen Britehouse @ 49:26
3 Karien van Jaarsveld (RSA) / Jane Nuessli (SUI) MTN Qhubeka @ 1:35.03

MASTER
1 Bart Brentjens (NED) / Jan Weevers (NED) World Bicycle Relief @ 35:35.58
2 Adrian Enthoven (RSA) / Delaney Impey (RSA) JAG Craft @ 1:38.52
3 Warren Squires (RSA) / Scott McKenzie (RSA) Complete Cyclist  @ 3:52.28

MIXED
1 Erik Kleinhans (RSA) / Ariane Kleinhans (RSA) Contego 28E 34:26.29
2 Udo Boelts (GER) / Milena Landtwing (SUI) Centurion Vaude @ 1:53.19
3 Klaas van Moortel (BEL) / Inne Gantois (BEL) BAIL Peak Performance Brugge @ 2:47.29

For all results, click here!

Evans, George fight back with Cape Epic stage win

South Africans Kevin Evans and David George of Team Nedbank 360Life shrugged off the bad luck they’ve endured over the past week to claim a dominant victory on Stage 6 of the 2012 ABSA Cape Epic at Oak Valley on Saturday.

The sentimental favourites also continued their yo-yo-like status on the overall classification by moving from fifth back up to second with one day remaining. Overnight leaders and defending champions, Burry Stander (RSA) and Chistoph Sauser (SUI) 36One-Songo-Specialized finished the stage in second place six minutes 44 seconds down, while Alban Lakata (AUT) and Robert Mennin (GER) rounded out the podium places 8:55 behind the winners.

With over 2000 metres of vertical ascent to conquer, George and Evans went on the attack at the base of the first major climb. Stander and Sauser initally left it up to the other teams to defend the minor podium places being threatened by Nedbank 360Life, but later Stander and Sauser decided to break clear themselves and pursue Evans and George.

“In order to win the stage and get back up to second on General Classification, we knew we had to put on the pressure as early as possible. We have a lot of frustration built up from the last few days, but today we used it as our motivation. We had everything to gain,” said George. “The support of the crowds was incredible. We feel honoured to have such support.”

George and Evans experienced delays due to cut tyres on Stages 1 and 5, losing significant time and the possibility of challenging Sauser and Stander for the overall win. On Saturday they charged straight through both water points on their way to victory.

“The first water point was quite early on at the top of the first big climb. We had a good rhythm and enough supplements in our bottles so decided to just keep going,” explained Evans. “I thought the second water point was 10km from the finish, so didn’t want to stop there. But it turns out it was about 20km from the finish! That was a hard, but rewarding effort today.”

Evans and George extended their lead in the ABSA African Team competition, while Stander and Sauser still hold a substantial lead of 25 minutes 57 seconds over Evans and George in the General Classification, making Sunday’s short final stage virtually a victory procession.

In the Mixed category, South African couple Erik and Arianne Kleinhans, continued to dominate, winning their sixth stage and extending their overall lead. The Women’s race saw Esther Suss (SUI) and Sally Bigham (GBR) return to the top step of the podium after a near disastrous Stage 5. They also extended their General Classification lead in the process.

The Telkom Masters division bid farewell to an injured Nico Pfitzenmaier following a crash on Stage 5. The German, riding with South African Robert Sim on the Robert Daniel Momsen team, won four stages and held a commanding lead in the popular category. The Dutch pair of Bart Brentjens Jan Weevers claimed the Stage 6 win and opened up their lead overall.

Sunday’s Stage 7 is the final stage and takes the remaining 483 teams over a relatively short leg from Oak Valley to Lourensford Estate with 1350m of ascent.

Leading results after Stage 6:
General Classification
MEN
1 Burry Stander (RSA) / Christoph Sauser (SUI) 36One-Songo-Specialized 29hrs 11min 39sec
2 Kevin Evans (RSA) / David George (RSA) Nedbank 360Life @ 25:57
3 Hannes Genze (GER) / Andreas Kugler (SUI) Multivan Merida @ 28:47
4 Thomas Dietsche (FRA) / Tim Boehme (GER) Bulls 2 @ 30:46
4 Alban Lakata (AUT) / Robert Mennen (GER) Topeak Ergon @ 31:35

WOMEN
1 Esther Suss (SUI) / Sally Bigham (GBR) Wheels4Life 35:19.59
2 Theresa Ralph (RSA) / Nina Gassler (NOR) Biogen Britehouse @ 47:01
3 Karien van Jaarsveld (RSA) / Jane Nuessli (SUI) MTN Qhubeka @ 1:27.14

MASTER
1 Bart Brentjens (NED) / Jan Weevers (NED) World Bicycle Relief @ 32:46.34
2 Adrian Enthoven (RSA) / Delaney Impey (RSA) JAG Craft @ 1:17.41
3 Warren Squires (RSA) / Scott McKenzie (RSA) Complete Cyclist  @ 3:22.39

MIXED
1 Erik Kleinhans (RSA) / Ariane Kleinhans (RSA) Contego 28E 34:26.29
2 Udo Boelts (GER) / Milena Landtwing (SUI) Centurion Vaude @ 1:53.19
3 Klaas van Moortel (BEL) / Inne Gantois (BEL) BAIL Peak Performance Brugge @ 2:47.29

For full General Classification and Stage 6 results, photos, videos and more race information, visit www.cape-epic.com

Stander, Sauser confirm allround ability to win another Cape Epic stage

Burry Stander (RSA) and Christoph Sauser (SUI) of the 36One-Songo-Specialized team showed just what complete mountain bike racers they are when they overcame wet, cold and muddy conditions to win Stage 5 of the 2012 ABSA Cape Epic on Friday.

It was their fifth stage win in six days, but it will go down as one of their most memorable. Intermittent rain followed heavy overnight rain to create a muddy, slippery 119km stage from Caledon to Oak Valley. With the wind-chill, the temperature over the high ground was in single digits Celsius, aggravating the conditions further and making for one of the toughest Cape Epic stages ever.

Two thirds of the 500-team strong field that started the stage took more than eight hours to finish, while at the front, Stander and Sauser outsprinted the Team Bulls 2 team of Tim Boehme (GER) and Thomas Dietsche (FRA) to secure the victory in a time of 05 hours 06 minutes 45 seconds.

A few of the top teams lost a lot of time on the stage, some to mechanical problems and others to the conditions. Big losers on the day were South Africans David George and Kevin Evans who slipped from second to fifth overall, after Evans had to deal with a cut tyre. The Nedbank 360Life pair has been the only team able to match Stander and Sauser with any consistency, but have conceded a total of 31 minutes as a result of mechanical incidents.

“I prefer the heat! I took my rain jacket off with 35km to go when the sun came out. Big mistake! Soon I got so cold and was struggling,” said Stander afterwards. “When Christoph upped the pace, I wasn’t too impressed and had some choice words for him in my mind! I was starting to feel better though and only the Bulls stayed with us. It was nice to ride with them because they pushed us.”

A broken gear shifter hindered the dominant women’s Wheels4Life pairing of Esther Suss (SUI) and Sally Bigham (GBR), forcing them to stop for repairs to Bigham’s bike. Team MTN Qhubeka’s Karien van Jaarsveld (RSA) and Jane Nuessli (NOR) seized the opportunity and claimed their first stage win of the 2012 event. However. Suss and Bigham still maintain their overall lead with two stages remaining.

South Africans Erik and Ariane Kleinhans (Contego 28E) continued their domination of the Mixed category with their fifth stage victory in six days. They have a massive lead of one hour and 43 minutes over their nearest rivals, Udo Boelts (GER) and Milena Landtwing (SUI) of Team Centurion Vaude.

There was a shake up in the Masters division after overnight leaders Nico Pfitzenmaier (GER) and Robert Sim (RSA) lost a significant amount of time when Pfitzenmaier crashed and injured his leg. They limped to the finish in sixth place, losing 1 hour 12 minutes to stage winners Bart Brentjens (NED) and Jan Weevers (NED) of Team World Bicycle Relief. The Dutch pair became the new leaders, 18 minutes up on Sim and Pfitzenmaier.

At  85km, Saturday’s Stage 6 is relatively short, but includes 2200 metres of vertical ascent and incorporates the race’s highest climb, the Groenlandberg, which peaks at 1100m above sea level.

Leading results after Stage 5:
General Classification
MEN
1 Burry Stander (RSA) / Christoph Sauser (SUI) 36One-Songo-Specialized 25hrs 26min 48sec
2 Hannes Genze (GER) / Andreas Kugler (SUI) Multivan Merida @ 26:32
3 Thomas Dietsche (FRA) / Tim Boehme (GER) Bulls 2 @ 28:07
4 Alban Lakata (AUT) / Robert Mennen (GER) Topeak Ergon 29:23
2 Kevin Evans (RSA) / David George (RSA) Nedbank 360Life @ 32:41

WOMEN
1 Esther Suss (SUI) / Sally Bigham (GBR) Wheels4Life 30:44.14
2 Theresa Ralph (RSA) / Nina Gassler (NOR) Biogen Britehouse @ 38:48
3 Karien van Jaarsveld (RSA) / Jane Nuessli (SUI) MTN Qhubeka @ 1:13.09

MASTER
1 Bart Brentjens (NED) / Jan Weevers (NED) @ 28:39.11
2 Robert Sim (RSA) / Nico Pfitzenmaier (GER) Robert Daniel Momsen @ 18:01
2 Adrian Enthoven (RSA) / Delaney Impey (RSA) JAG Craft @ 42:32

MIXED
1 Erik Kleinhans (RSA) / Ariane Kleinhans (RSA) Contego 28E 29:49.46
2 Udo Boelts (GER) / Milena Landtwing (SUI) Centurion Vaude @ 1:43.48
3 Klaas van Moortel (BEL) / Inne Gantois (BEL) BAIL Peak Performance Brugge @ 2:32.07

For full General Classification and Stage 5 results, photos, videos and more race information, visit www.cape-epic.com

Stander, Sauser tighten Cape Epic grip with another stage win

South African Burry Stander and his Swiss teammate, Christoph Sauser (36One-Songo-Specialized) tightened their grip on the 2012 ABSA Cape Epic on Thursday when they won the 105km Stage 4 and extended their overall lead.

The dust-coated teammates cruised across the finish line with broad grins in a time of four hours 42 minutes 49 seconds, securing their fourth stage win of this edition of the race and extending their overall lead to a massive 25 minutes over their nearest rivals.

And their new nearest rivals are the all-South African Nedbank 360Life pair of David George and Kevin Evans, who made the most of the strong winds towards the latter part of the stage to put time into all of their rivals, barring Sauser and Stander.

After the third and final water point, with 23km remaining, six teams led the race, including 36One-Songo-Specialized, Nedbank 360Life, FedGroup-ITEC Connect’s Brandon Stewart and Jacques Rossouw, Multivan Merida’s Hannes Genze and Andreas Kugler, Versluys Craft’s Kevin van Hoovels and Sebastien Carabin and Team Bulls 2’s Tim Boehme and Thomas Dietsche. With Stockli Pro’s Urs Huber and Konny Looser and Topeak Ergon’s Alban Lakata and Robert Mennin – second and third respectively at the start of the stage – losing ground behind them, the six teams set a fierce pace into the final section, mostly along exposed district gravel roads.

But a howling northwesterly wind began to take its toll from the front and side and Evans and George used the opportunity to increase the pace, in the process, ridding themselves of all but Stander and Sauser and steadily leapfrogging their way up the General Classification.

A section of singletrack close to the finish saw Sauser and Stander dart ahead of Evans and George, who’d been doing the bulk of the work in the final 15km. They built up enough of a cushion in the last couple of kilometres to sit up savour the crowd’s appreciation of their impressive performance.

Forty-three seconds later a satisfied-looking Evans and George dashed over the finish line, with Genze and Kugler (Multivan Merida) claiming the final podium place a further two minutes down. The time gaps were large and the General Classification shake up was significant. Evans and George moved from seventh to second and Genze and Kugler elevated themselves from sixth to third, 27 seconds behind Evans and George. Stander and Sauser increased their lead slightly and have a massive 25 minutes 01 second cushion over Evans and George with three stages remaining.

“I’m feeling really good. It’s definitely the most comfortable I’ve felt at a Cape Epic,” said Stander afterwards. “I had to dig deep for a few kilometres today when I took a bad line through a river and lost the front group, but otherwise it’s been a very controlled race for me.

“I believe it’s the improved focus on my preparation, particularly my supplementary training – I’ve been doing regular weights training in the gym – and the fine tuning of my nutrition and supplementation.”

“It’s good to move up to second, but it’s not first,” smiled Evans. “The wind was a headwind for about the final 20km and we knew it could be a factor so rode as hard as possible to gain time on the others who had dropped off our bunch. Three days left. We’ll keep plugging away, but there is some satisfaction in moving up to second place today.”

Evans and George lost 24 minutes on Stage 1 when George tore his rear tyre. The pair have been on a time recovery mission ever since, but have been unable to crack the dominant defending champions, Sauser and Stander.

In the Master’s category, South African Robert Sim and German teammate Nico Pfitzenmaier (Robert Daniel Momsen) continued to stamp their authority with another convincing stage win, pushing themselves further into the overall lead, while in the women’s competition, Briton Sally Bigham and Swiss Esther Suss (Wheels4Life) won their fifth consecutive stage and increased their lead.

It was another successful stage for South African couple Erik and Ariane Kleinhans, who claimed the win in the Mixed division, more than 20 minutes faster than the next team home. They now lead the Mixed category overall by more than an hour-and-a-half.

Friday’s Stage 5 is a 119km journey from Caledon to Oak Valley. It contains a high percentage of singletrack and climbs a total of 2 350 metres. The eight-day race finishes on Sunday.

Leading results after Stage 4:
General Classification
MEN
1 Burry Stander (RSA) / Christoph Sauser (SUI) 36One-Songo-Specialized 20hrs 20min 03sec
2 Kevin Evans (RSA) / David George (RSA) Nedbank 360Life @ 25:01
3 Hannes Genze (GER) / Andreas Kugler (SUI) Multivan Merida @ 25:28
4 Thomas Dietsche (FRA) / Tim Boehme (GER) Bulls 2 @ 28:06
5 Alban Lakata (AUT) / Robert Mennen (GER) Topeak Ergon 28:14

WOMEN
1 Esther Suss (SUI) / Sally Bigham (GBR) Wheels4Life 24:01.03
2 Theresa Ralph (RSA) / Nina Gassler (NOR) Biogen Britehouse @ 41:06
3 Karien van Jaarsveld (RSA) / Jane Nuessli (SUI) MTN Qhubeka @ 1:41.09

MASTER
1 Robert Sim (RSA) / Nico Pfitzenmaier (GER) Robert Daniel Momsen 22:20.19
2 Adrian Enthoven (RSA) / Delaney Impey (RSA) JAG Craft @ 45:58
3 Bart Brentjens (NED) / Jan Weevers (NED) @ 54:14

MIXED
1 Erik Kleinhans (RSA) / Ariane Kleinhans (RSA) Contego 28E 23:30.29
2 Udo Boelts (GER) / Milena Landtwing (SUI) Centurion Vaude @ 1:40.41
3 Pieter Venter (RSA) / Leana de Jager (RSA) Attix5 @ 2:08.01

For full General Classification and Stage 4 results, photos, videos and more race information, visit www.cape-epic.com

joBerg2c reaches new frontiers

Kenyan riders Davidson Kamau (left) and David Kinjah will be leading the African contingent at the Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race from Heidelberg to Scottburgh on April 27. Photo: Kelvin Trautman

While some companies have decreased their investment in sports sponsorship, Old Mutual is finding it an effective tool to reach new frontiers.

The financial services provider has invited cyclists from emerging markets such as Kenya, Swaziland and Namibia to be part of the annual Old Mutual joBerg2c, the country’s longest paired mountain bike stage race, which takes place from April 27 to May 5 this year.

“Inviting riders from those markets where we have customers presents us with an excellent opportunity to broaden our reach and create a positive experience for them,” said Joy Khaole, head of sponsorships at Old Mutual.

“By sharing events we aim to do great things for the growth and cohesion of these markets.”

Kenyan riders David Kinjah and Davidson Kamau have been particularly strong contenders since the race’s inception in 2010, finishing second in the inaugural event and placing fifth overall last year.

Over the past three years, the event has grown an enthusiastic following and this year 300 teams will take on the challenging 910km route from Heidelberg in Gauteng to Scottburgh in KwaZulu-Natal.

Khaole said some of the well-known names taking part this year included racing driver Gugu Zulu, Survivor SA: Maldives runner-up Letshego Moshoeu and former Protea cricketer Nicky Boje, who will all be riding in a celebrity relay.

The race is one of several sports sponsorships under the Old Mutual banner. These include the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, Old Mutual Mangaung Cup, Old Mutual Om Die Dam Marathon and Old Mutual Buffalo Marathon.

“Our growing focus on sport gives us a great mainstream platform from which to encourage physical wellbeing and drive a healthy spirit of adventure, camaraderie and competition among participants from all over Africa,” Khaole added.

The other African countries in which Old Mutual does business are Nigeria, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. Further afield, Old Mutual Emerging Markets also operates in Mexico, Colombia, India and China.

For more information, visit www.oldmutual.co.za or www.joberg2c.co.za.

Stander, Sauser win Queen Cape Epic stage

South African Burry Stander and his Swiss teammate Christoph Sauser of the 36One-Songo-Specialized team appear set to successfully defend their ABSA Cape Epic title after winning Stage 3 on Wednesday, the 2012 edition’s queen stage over 143km from Robertson to Caledon.

Stander and Sauser were hardly troubled in the race’s longest stage and rode away from breakaway companions Kevin Evans and David George (Nedbank 360Life) at the end of the stage to claim their third stage victory of the 2012 edition.

Hot, dry conditions over some tough terrain, greeted the 550 teams of two remaining in the event and included 2900 metres of vertical ascent.

Clocking a time of 05 hours 31 minutes 04 seconds, Sauser and Stander extended their overall lead to just over 18 minutes over their nearest rivals with four stages remaining. They matched every move made by Evans and George, who were on a mission to reclaim time they lost due to a damaged tyre on Stage 1.

After the 90km point when Evans and George attacked, it was a two-team race between 36One-Songo-Specialzed and Nedbank 360Life. As leaders, Stander and Sauser weren’t under any obligation to set the pace, forcing George and Evans to do most of the work. Evans and George finished the stage in second place, three seconds down on Stander and Sauser, but more than eight-and-a-half minutes ahead of the third-placed Multivan Merida pair of Hannes Genze (GER) and Andreas Kugler (SUI).

The South African pair moved up to seventh place overall and into the lead in the African Team competition.

“I was relieved when Christoph went on the attack for the finish, because when it comes to sprinting, he’s not really that good at it. So I had only to beat one of the two 360Life riders for the stage win,” Stander told the media afterwards.

“I know there are some people who will wonder why we didn’t give the stage win away, but the Cape Epic is not the place to give gifts. We deserved the win today. We love winning stages and we’re always at the start line with victory in mind.

“I was really nervous about this stage at the start this morning because I’m focussing on the Olympic Games and there it’s cross-country racing that is less than two hours. I haven’t been training for long races like this, but I’m more than happy with the way it’s going at the moment.”  

South African couple Erik and Ariane Kleinhans secured their third consecutive stage win to extend their overall lead in the Mixed category, while another South African, Robert Sim and his German partner, Nico Pfitzenmaier (Robert Daniel Momsen), extended their lead in the Master’s category, after winning the stage by more than seven minutes. In the women’s race, it was a fourth consecutive victory for Esther Suss (SUI) and Sally Bigham (GBR) of Team Wheels4Life.

Thursday’s Stage 4 is over 105km with 2600m of ascent. Starting and finishing in Caledon, the terrain is particularly rugged and is expected to be as much of a challenge as Stage 3.

Leading results after Stage 3:
General Classification
MEN
1 Burry Stander (RSA) / Christoph Sauser (SUI) 36One-Songo-Specialized 15hr37min33sec
2 Urs Huber (SUI) / Konny Looser (SUI) Stockli-Pro 15:56.08
3 Alban Lakata (AUT) / Robert Mennin (GER) Topeak Ergon Racing 15:56.36
4 Karl Platt (GER) / Stefan Sahm (GER) Bulls 1 15:59.27
5 Thomas Dietsche (FRA) / Tim Boehme (GER) Bulls 2 16:00.20

WOMEN
1 Esther Suss (SUI) / Sally Bigham (GBR) Wheels4Life 18:10.51
2 Theresa Ralph (RSA) / Nina Gassler (NOR) Biogen Britehouse 18:45.38
3 Karien van Jaarsveld (RSA) / Jane Nuessli (SUI) 19:19.14

MASTER
1 Robert Sim (RSA) / Nico Pfitzenmaier (GER) Robert Daniel Momsen 16:58.02
2 Adrian Enthoven (RSA) / Delaney Impey (RSA) JAG Craft 17:21.46
3 Bart Brentjens (NED) / Jan Weevers (NED) 17:43.09

MIXED
1 Erik Kleinhans (RSA) / Ariane Kleinhans (RSA) Contego 28E 17:50.05
2 Udo Boelts (GER) / Milena Landtwing (SUI) Centurion Vaude 18:19.53
3 Pieter Venter (RSA) / Leana de Jager (RSA) Attix5 19:20.00

For full General Classification and Stage 3 results, photos, videos and more race information, visit www.cape-epic.com

George, Evans, claw their way back into Epic contention

Evans and George are riding SCOTT Spark 29 RC bikes. Photo: Gary Perkin

A dream start turned into the worst nightmare for Nedbank 360Life’s David George and Kevin Evans as the 2012 ABSA Cape Epic got underway this week. But on Wednesday’s monster Stage 3 the pair clawed their way back into podium contention after losing 24 minutes due to a damaged tyre on Stage 1.

Shortened slightly from 147km to 143km, the stage from Robertson to Caledon took the riders competing in the world’s highest profile mountain bike stage race over some harsh terrain and up a total of 2900 metres of vertical ascent in dry, hot conditions.

As expected on such a long stage, early breaks ensued with first Renay Goustra (RSA) and Rene Hasselbacher (GER) of Team Asrin RSA Web dashing off the front, only to be caught and passed by FedGroup-ITEC Connect’s Brandon Stewart and Jacques Rossouw and the Milka Superior team of Chris Jongewaard (AUS) and Jeroen Boloen (NED), who attacked at the first water point.

But with a Plan B in place to take back as much time as possible through aggressive racing from the front, Evans and George were soon in control of the chase, passing the breakaway riders, attacking each climb and more shedding rivals steadily in the process. But they weren’t able to shake off defending champions and race leaders, Burry Stander (RSA) and Christoph Sauser (SUI) of 36One-Songo-Specialized.

And at the end, Stander and Sauser, who as race leaders weren’t obliged to do any work in the break, had the fresher legs and grabbed the victory in 05 hours 31 minutes 04 seconds. George and Evans rolled across the finish line three seconds later, satisfied at having pulled back time on most of their rivals.

While Stander and Sauser started the race as favourites, Evans and George became the sentimental favourites after the documentary An Epic Tale released just prior to the 2012 Cape Epic, flighted on South African cinema and television. The film depicts their tale of rotten luck in their failed efforts to win the 2011 Cape Epic and Marathon World Championships titles.

But the 2012 Cape Epic presented a new chapter in their victory quest. A sequel. On the opening day’s 27km prologue time trial on Sunday, Evans and George stunned everyone, including themselves, by finishing the short, technical stage in second place, just 13 seconds down on Sauser and Stander, both former Cross-country World Champions and specialists on short, tight courses.

Their result confirmed that George, a former professional road racer, had improved his technical skills remarkably over the past year and that the pair had peaked perfectly in their quest to win the coveted title. It also unsettled their rivals. Optimism was at its peak in the Nedbank 360Life camp against a backdrop of the host nation that was bristling with anticipation. Could this be their year? Could they become the first South African team to win the Cape Epic?

The answer came the following day. After setting a rapid pace that only Stander and Sauser were able to match on the climbs in the opening part of Stage 1, including securing the R10 000 cash prize on offer at the Telkom King of the Mountains hot spot, the pair bumped into their nemesis, Bad Luck. A hole had torn in George’s rear tyre just before the second water point.

A standard repair job with a purpose-made rubber plug failed as the tear was too large and a series of alternative solutions followed as they limped to the next technical zone. In the process, George and Evans lost the lead pack, they lost their second place, they lost time – lots of it – and they lost their best shot yet at winning the race they so badly want to win. But they didn’t lose hope.

“It’s part of the sport. It was a bad luck incident and had nothing to do with our choice of tyres. It can happen to any team at any time,” said George. “We came to this race 100% prepared and hungry for the win. We also came in with amazing support from our sponsors and the South African public, which has been very inspiring.

“A bad day on the bike is a bad day on the bike. So many others have it much worse, which is why we have donated the two R10 000 cash prizes we’ve won so far from the King of the Mountains hot spots to the JAG Foundation, a charity that uses sport to uplift the lives of kids in poor communities in South Africa.”

After slipping to 15th place after their disastrous Stage 1, George and Evans have climbed up to seventh overall and into the lead in the African Team competition. With four stages remaining, they’re just under six minutes behind third-placed Alban Lakata (AUT) and Robert Mennen (GER) of the Topeak Ergon team and just over six minutes behind second placed Swiss pair, Urs Huber and Konny Looser of Team Stockli Pro. But they’re still 24 minutes behind leaders Sauser and Stander.

“We’re racing every day as hard as we can. And we’ll continue for the rest of the race. There are still four tough days left. If we don’t have any bad luck, we believe we can move up into second place. The win is unlikely though. It would take some bad luck to strike Burry and Christoph to make that possible and we don’t want to wish bad luck on anyone. Especially not in this race!”

Germans claim stage win, Stander, Sauser retain Epic lead

Stage 2 of the ABSA Cape Epic delivered a thrilling sprint finish among the top teams with victory going to Germany’s three-time champions, Stefan Sahm and Karl Platt (Team Bulls 1) in Robertson on Tuesday.

The Multivan Merida team of Hannes Genze (GER) and Andreas Kugler (SUI) were second with overnight leaders and defending champions, Burry Stander (RSA) and Christoph Sauser (SUI) of 36One-Songo-Specialized taking third place. The all-South African pair of David George and Kevin Evans (Nedbank 360Life) put their bad luck Stage 1 behind them and were fourth, on the wheels of Stander and Sauser.

Overcast skies made for a cooler day than Monday’s Stage 1, which saw much of the field endure temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius. The 119km course was also more forgiving, which kept the front teams together for most of the race. A group of 22 teams were at the head of the race when it reached the second water point at 69km covered.

The pace began to intensify after that as Evans and George, who lost 24 minutes to Sauser and Stander on Stage 1 due to tyre problems, turned up the heat. Their acceleration up some of the climbs cut the group down to 10 and the increased pace in the final few 15km saw that splinter somewhat on the run in to Robertson.

In the final kilometre, six teams sped towards the finish. The positions are decided by the second team rider over the finish line and Sahm surged clear of the pack in the last few hundred metres, leaving it up to Platt to finish ahead of the second rider of their rival teams. The experienced Platt achieved that, giving the race’s most successful team their first stage win since 2009 in a time of 04 hours 21 minutes, 13 seconds.

“Physically, the stage was a bit easier than yesterday, but mentally it was draining,” said Stander. “With 40 riders in the pack for the first half of the race, it wasn’t ever possible to relax. One small mistake and that can be the end of our race. We had to stay near the front and out of trouble, but it’s not that easy when everyone else wants to do the same.

“With a few steep climbs in the second half we were able to string it out a bit. The sprint was chaotic, but we always try and go for the win in those situations – it seems safer than sitting back and possibly getting caught up in some drama.”

Going into Stage 3, Stander and Sauser hold a commanding 09min 27sec lead over the Swiss Stockli Pro team of Urs Huber and Konny Looser with Topeak Ergon’s Alban Lakata (AUT) and Robert Mennen (GER) in third at 09min 50sec. The leading African team is MTN Qhubeka’s Adrien Niyonshuti (RWA) and Jacques Janse van Rensburg in eighth overall.

Evans and George moved up to ninth position overall, but are still 24 minutes down on Sauser and Stander. They’re aiming for the African leader’s jersey and will be hoping for an outside chance of reaching the overall podium when the race finishes on Sunday.

Other South Africans that recorded stage wins on Tuesday were Erik and Ariane Kleinhans (Contego 28E) who claimed victory in the Mixed category and extended their overall lead, while Robert Sim and his German teammate Nico Pfitzenmaier (Robert Daniel Momsen) captured the honours in the Master’s division and gained time over their nearest rivals in the General Classification.

Swiss Esther Suss and Briton Sally Bigham (Wheels4Life) secured their third successive stage win and moved into a dominant overall lead in the women’s category.

For months, many have feared Wednesday’s Stage 3. At 147km it is the longest stage in Cape Epic history. The riders will start in Robertson and finish in Caledon and will climb 2900 vertical metres in the process. The cut-off time is 11 hours.