Fighting Spirit Earns Canyon Topeak & dormakaba Tankwa Trek Stage Wins
Canyon Topeak Factory Racing and dormakaba fought their way to very different but equally courageous stage victories on the opening stage of the 2018 Momentum Health Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen, on Friday the 9th of February. The 83 kilometre long opening stage took in 1 900 metres of climbing and encircled the beautiful Witzenberg Valley; along the technical singletracks built by local mountain bikers Hannes and Sakkie Hanekom.
Both the men’s and the women’s races got off to frenetic starts with the cross-country specialists, Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini of Cannondale Factory Racing 1 and their support team of Maxime Marotte and Marcel Guerrini setting the pace. Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes of PYGA Euro Steel and the Centurion Vaude by Goldwurst Power combination, of Nicola Rohrbach and Daniel Geismayr, were also instrumental in ensuring the kilometres ticked down at a rapid rate.
Stage 1 Results: UCI Men
1. Canyon Topeak, Alban Lakata & Kristian Hynek (3:14:55)
2. Cannondale 1, Manuel Fumic & Henrique Avancini (3:14:56 | + 00:01)
3. Cannondale 2, Maxime Marotte & Marcel Guerrini (3:15:01 | + 00:06)
4. PYGA Euro Steel, Philip Buys & Matthys Beukes (3:17:19 | + 02:24)
5. NAD Pro MTB, Nico Bell & Matt Beers (3:19:07 | +04:12)
Stage 1 Results: UCI Women
1. dormakaba, Candice Lill & Helen Grobert (3:49:18)
2. Ascendis Health, Robyn de Groot & Sabine Spitz (3:50:43 | + 01:25)
3. Meerendal CBC, Jennie Stenerhag & Esther Süss (3:50:48 | + 01:30)
4. Team joBerg2c, Amy McDogall & Bianca Haw (3:58:51 | + 09:33)
5. Silverback Volvo OMX, Yolande de Villiers & Mariske Strauss (3:59:44 | +10:26)
Spur Specialized Strike and dormakaba Extend on Stage Two of the Tankwa Trek
The Queen Stage of the Momentum Health Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen, saw dormakaba extend their general classification lead while Spur Specialized struck on the Mautivator descent – which is named after the stage director Mauritz ‘Mauti’ Walters. The day was drama filled throughout; with crashes, injuries and mechanicals all shaping the stage outcome.
The 87 kilometre long second stage featured 2 200 meters of climbing. The short, 15 kilometre, run-in to the day’s first significant obstacle – the DUTOIT Drop, a 3 kilometre singletrack descent which drops from the Koue Bokkeveld plateau to the Ceres Valley – ensured that both the men’s and women’s races got off to fast starts. Cannondale Factory Racing’s Manuel Fumic was the first victim of the day, as he decided to withdraw in the first 5 kilometres with an injured back. The women’s race was then marred by a horror crash by Esther Süss. The defending champion hit a rut in the road as the leading women approached the DUTOIT Drop and crashed at high speed. The quick reactions of her Swiss compatriot, Ariane Lüthi, saw the medical team alerted and the Meerendal CBC rider was taken to hospital for stitches. Fortunately the doctor’s report is positive and despite the apparent initial severity of her wound Süss should be back on the bike within a week.
Stage 2 Results: UCI Men
1. Spur Specialized, Alan Hatherly & Simon Andreassen (3:41:29)
2. Canyon Topeak, Alban Lakata & Kristian Hynek (3:42:05 | +00:36)
3. NAD Pro MTB, Nico Bell & Matt Beers (3:43:21 | +01:52)
4. PYGA Euro Steel, Philip Buys & Matthys Beukes (3:43:22 | +01:53)
5. Cannondale 2, Maxime Marotte & Marcel Guerrini (3:44:23 | +02:54)
UCI Men’s General Classification after Stage 2
1. Canyon Topeak, Alban Lakata & Kristian Hynek (6:57:00)
2. Cannondale 2, Maxime Marotte & Marcel Guerrini (6:59:24 | +02:24)
3. PYGA Euro Steel, Philip Buys & Matthys Beukes (7:00:41 | +03:41)
4. Spur Specialized, Alan Hatherly & Simon Andreassen (7:01:41 | +04:41)
5. NAD Pro MTB, Nico Bell & Matt Beers (7:02:29 | +05:29)
Stage 2 Results: UCI Women
1. dormakaba, Candice Lill & Helen Grobert (4:20:17)
2. Ascendis Health, Robyn de Groot & Sabine Spitz (4:23:08 | +02:51)
3. Silverback Volvo OMX, Yolande de Villiers & Mariske Strauss (4:26:28 | +06:11)
4. Team joBerg2c, Amy McDogall & Bianca Haw (4:31:14 | +10:57)
5. dormakaba 2, Samantha Sanders & Carmen Buchacher ( 4:44:30 | +24:13)
UCI Women’s General Classification after Stage 2
1. dormakaba, Candice Lill & Helen Grobert (8:09:35)
2. Ascendis Health, Robyn de Groot & Sabine Spitz (8:13:51 | +04:16)
3. Silverback Volvo OMX, Yolande de Villiers & Mariske Strauss (8:26:12 | +16:37)
4. Team joBerg2c, Amy McDogall & Bianca Haw (8:30:05 | +20:30)
5. dormakaba 2, Samantha Sanders & Carmen Buchacher (8:53:53 | +44:18)
Canyon Topeak and dormakaba Wrap-Up Tankwa Trek Titles
The third and final stage of the Momentum Health Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen, was won by Nicola Rohrbach and Daniel Geismayr (Centurion Vaude by Goldwurst Power), and Yolande de Villiers and Mariske Strauss (Silverback Volvo OMX); but despite a tense moment for the leading women neither the pink or yellow jerseys changed hands. No mountain biking fan can argue that dormakaba’s Candice Lill and Helen Grobert, and Canyon Topeak Factory Racing’s Alban Lakata and Kristian Hynek were deserved winners of the 2018 edition of the race.
Stage 3 of the Tankwa Trek featured a rolling start which saw the entire field take to the district roads which separated the race village, Kaleo, from the superb Houdenbek singletracks. Once the Centurion Vaude by Goldwurst Power combination of Rohrbach and Geismayr reached the famed trails they virtually immediately went on the offensive.
Stage 3 Results: UCI Men
1. Centurion Vaude Goldwurst Power, Nicola Rohrbach & Daniel Geismayr (2:54:50)
2. PYGA Euro Steel, Philip Buys & Matthys Beukes (2:59:37 | +03:04)
3. Canyon Topeak, Alban Lakata & Kristian Hynek (2:59:40 | +03:07)
4. NAD Pro MTB, Nico Bell & Matt Beers (2:59:42 | +03:09)
5. Cannondale 2, Maxime Marotte & Marcel Guerrini (2:59:47 | +03:14)
UCI Men’s General Classification after Stage 3
1. Canyon Topeak, Alban Lakata & Kristian Hynek (9:56:40)
2. Cannondale 2, Maxime Marotte & Marcel Guerrini (9:59:11 | +02:31)
3. PYGA Euro Steel, Philip Buys & Matthys Beukes (10:00:18 | +03:38)
4. NAD Pro MTB 1, Nico Bell & Matt Beers (10:02:11 | +05:31)
5. NAD Pro MTB 2, Gawie Combrinck & Wessel Botha (10:14:04 | +17:24)
Stage 3 Results: UCI Women
1. Silverback Volvo OMX, Yolande de Villiers & Mariske Strauss (3:20:59)
2. Ascendis Health, Robyn de Groot & Sabine Spitz (3:22:44 | +01:45)
3. dormakaba, Candice Lill & Helen Grobert (3:23:11 | +02:12)
4. dormakaba 2, Samantha Saunders & Carmen Buchacher (3:30:26 | +09:27)
5. Team joBerg2c, Amy McDogall & Bianca Haw (3:31:28 | +10:29)
UCI Women’s General Classification after Stage 3
1. dormakaba, Candice Lill & Helen Grobert (11:32:46)
2. Ascendis Health, Robyn de Groot & Sabine Spitz (11:36:35 | +03:49)
3. Silverback Volvo OMX, Yolande de Villiers & Mariske Strauss (11:47:11 | +14:25)
4. Team joBerg2c, Amy McDogall & Bianca Haw (12:01:33 | +28:47)
5. dormakaba 2, Samantha Saunders & Carmen Buchacher (12:24:19 | +51:33)
Photo Captions & Credits:
1. It takes a team to win a stage race. The Canyon Topeak Factory Racing team, from left to right: Erik Kleinhans, Kristian Hynek, Alban Lakata & Jeremiah Bishop. Photo by Zoon Cronje.
2. Nicola Rohrbach and Daniel Geismayr, of Centurion Vaude by Goldwurst Power, set themselves up for stage victory by summiting the Merino Monster first. But two punctures put pay to those hopes on Stage 2. Photo by Zoon Cronje.
3. Henrique Avancini, of Cannondale Factory Racing 1, was arguably the rider of the day; spending large periods of time on the front of the lead group and even crossing the finish line first. Photo by Zoon Cronje.
4. The leading women, including Yolande de Villiers, Sabine Spitz and Robyn de Groot make their way down the DUTOIT Drop, which was ravaged by a fire on the Tuesday before the race. Photo by Zoon Cronje.
5. The men’s general classification podium. From left to right: Matthys Beukes, Philip Buys, Alban Lakata, Kristian Hynek, Marcel Guerrini and Maxime Marotte. Photo by Zoon Cronje.
6. The women’s general classification podium. From left to right: Sabine Spitz, Robyn de Groot, Helen Grobert, Candice Lill, Yolande de Villiers and Mariske Strauss. Photo by Zoon Cronje.
7. Sarah Hill raced to victory in the mixed classification with Nicol Castens for Giant Liv South Africa. Photo by Zoon Cronje.
8. Stage winners Daniel Geismayr (left) & Nicola Rohrbach (right) celebrate their success on the final day of the Momentum Health Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen. Photo by Zoon Cronje.
9. Yolande de Villers (left) and Mariske Strauss (right) celebrate their stage victory on the final stage of the 2018 Momentum Health Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen Photo by Zoon Cronje.
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