Johannesburg – Martin Freyer and Michael Pretorius of Team Kia Namibia secured yet another stage victory in a time of 3 hrs, 14 min and 54 sec in stage 2 of the FNB Wines2Whales (W2W) Mountain Bike (MTB) Adventure on Saturday.
“Originally our only strategy was to enjoy the route, but last night we decided that our goal today would be to reach the single track first,” said Pretorius.
“This enabled us to enjoy our speed and have more fun. W2W definitely features the best single track and amazing scenery. The vibe is really great. When you cross the finish line you can’t help but smile. Although we’ll want to be in front of the bunch tomorrow, we will be riding to enjoy the route.” Anton Koller and Gregor Krall of Team Rehidrat 2 came in second, while Robert Cragg and Ray Thorpe of Team Craft Racing finished third.
Theresa Ralph and Hamish Knowles of Team Galileo Risk claimed gold in the mixed team category in a time of 3.33:18 seconds.
“Today was just beautiful. The Paul Cluver Bike Park was a lot of fun and safe at all times,” said Ralph.
“It’s great that the middle stage is a bit shorter, so we won’t be too tired going into Stage Three. Hamish and I seem to have found our grove. Tomorrow we’ll just carry on, ride within our zone and see how it goes.”
Karin Van Niekerk and Mark Mahoney of Team Cycology came in second, while Robert Kitching and Collette Bastard of Team Recycles Racing finished third.
Lolita and Simone van Aardt of Team Tailormade Properties/Craft Racing continued their winning streak, crossing the finish line first in a time of 03.54:37 seconds. “Today was really nice. The stage wasn’t as tough as Stage One. I really enjoyed the flowing single track,” said Simone.
Phelia Burger and Erica Green of Team Reeds/Wines2Whales came in second, while Michelle Van Aswegen and Emma Pienaar of Team Crackerjacks finished third.
– ANA