Johannesburg - The terrain of the Old Mutual joBerg2cchanged on Monday’s fourth stage from predominantly rolling district roads to “real” mountain biking, and suddenly the race burst into life with Johann Rabie and Hendrik Kruger establishing the first significant lead in the event.
On their ride rode from Sterkfontein Dam to Winterton on Monday, the riders left the Free State and dropped over the escarpment into KZN and immediately the race lost the look of a road race with bunch sprints at the finish, and became a mountain biking event with gaps between most of the leading teams.
Gawie Combrinck and Nico Bell, just one second off the lead at the start of stage four, saw their hopes of an overall victory take a blow when a small crash and a puncture left them chasing for most of the day.
The Team Telkom duo of Rabie and Kruger took full advantage and powered their way to more than a three minute lead which gives them a significant cushion over the remaining five stages to Scottburgh on the KZN coast.
The mixed category also saw a bit of a shuffle in the more technical stage with former junior world championship medallist Candice Neethling and partner Darren Lill winning the stage, but remaining third overall.
However there was a change to the lead with Monday’s second placed mixed team, Amy McDougal and Grant Usher, establishing enough of an advantage over Catherine Williamson and Johan Labuschagne to move into a tenuous three minute lead overall.
STAGE RESULTS
Men
1 Johann Rabie and Hendrik Kruger (Team Telkom) 3.03.14
2 Nico Bell and Gawie Combrinck (NAD Pro MTB) 3.06.55
3 Pieter Seyffert and Hanco Kachelhoffer (Altech Karan Beef Pro Cycling) 3.12.13
4 Andrew Hill and Tyronne White (Thule PYGA TIB Insurance) 3.12.23
5 Daniel Carleton and Mitchell Ginsberg (Asow Racing) 3.25.17
Mixed
1 Darren Lill and Candice Neethling (Dorma USN Purefit) 3.24.15
2 Amy Mcdougall and Grant Usher (Valencia Lanham-Love) 3.25.16
3 Sonya Looney and Yuki Ikeda (FreakShow Defeet Topeak Ergon) 3.30.59
4 Johan Labuschagne and Catherine Williamson (The Bicycle Company Mitas) 3.35.34
Solo
1 Calvin Beneke 3.21.05
2 Charles Mcfall 3.21.05
3 John Ntuli 3.25.14
OVERALL
Men
1 Johann Rabie and Hendrik Kruger (Telkom) 15.05.07
2 Nico Bell and Gawie Combrinck (NAD Pro Mtb) 15.08.49
3 Andrew Hill Tyronne White (Thule PYGA TIB Insurance) 15.23.45
4 Pieter Seyffert and Hanco Kachelhoffer (Altech Karan Beef Pro Cycling) 15.27.07
5 Greg Anderson and Deon Kruger (Cyclelab Masters – 1st masters) 15.58.02
Mixed
1 Amy Mcdougall and Grant Usher (Valencia Lanham-Love) 16.01.12
2 Johan Labuschagne and Catherine Williamson (The Bicycle Company Mitas) 16.04.31
3 Darren Lill and Candice Neethling (Dorma USN Purefit) 16.17.30
4 Sonya Looney and Yuki Ikeda (FreakShow Defeet Topeak Ergon) 16.24.24
Solo Men
1 Calvin Beneke 15.36.14
2 Charles Mcfall 15.42.56
3 Marko Frzop 15.57.44
The Star