Knox – who heads the MTN National Mountain Bike Marathon Series after five of the eight rounds – and his Namibian partner will be up against Old Mutual joBerg2c winners and pre-race favourites Kevin Evans and David George of Nedbank 360Life.

Both teams are on good form following the MTN series race at Mabalingwe on Saturday, which saw Knox finish runner-up to George with Evans placing fourth.

“Obviously they’ve got good form at the moment and, barring a disaster, will be the outright favourites,” said Knox, who will be riding in the colours of Ormin-Craft.

The 25-year-old was gifted a win alongside Adrien Niyonshuti last year when the 360Life riders overshot a turn on the final day.

“We won last year but that was last year. Everyone starts afresh on equal footing so anything can happen.”

Last year’s runners-up Neil MacDonald and Waylon Woolcock of RE:CM – who  won two stages of the recent Old Mutual joBerg2c en route to finishing second overall – won’t be on the starting line following a heavy crash at Mabalingwe by the former, which left him with a broken collarbone and fractured wrist.

Those who count themselves among the favourites will however face another set of challengers in the form of former South African cross-country champion Brandon Stewart, who exchanges regular partner Jacques Rossouw for last year’s national road champion Darren Lill. The duo will be pairing up as FedGroup-Itec Connect-Bonitas.

Knox said he and 40-year-old former African champion Heymans, who quit professional cycling a year ago, would still be riding competitively but were realistically aiming for a top-five finish.

As former winners, the Sabie resident said he and his Windhoek-based partner looked forward to sharing their accumulated knowledge with the social riders at the event.

“We’re going to have a good time with everyone and give back to the event in any way that we can.”

Knox said he was very happy to be riding with the former Olympian. “He’s got a lot more years of experience and a better understanding of racing than I do.”

He said the consistency of his own performances in the countrywide MTN series thus far boded well ahead of the race.

“In the last three MTN races, I’ve been second twice and won once, so three podiums out of the last three starts is pretty cool for me.”

In the women’s race, two-time Old Mutual joBerg2c winners Ischen Stopforth and Catherine Williamson of bizhub-FCF will team up for their first crack at the title.

They will face stiff competition from Theresa Ralph and Karien van Jaarsveld who will be teaming up for Dischem Britehouse MTN. “It’s going to be quite a race!” said Stopforth.

Contego 28E’s reigning champions Erik and Ariane Kleinhans will be aiming for a trifecta of wins in the mixed category of major stage races following runaway victories at the Absa Cape Epic and Old Mutual joBerg2c.

Visit www.sani2c.co.za or www.boeprivateclients.co.za for more info. For race updates, like sani2c on Facebook or follow sani2c_scoop on Twitter.

Ben Melt, who has raced for the Mazda Merida, Mazda Drifter, MTN, and Specialized SA teams, and also a former winner of the event has high hopes for the 3 day race. “We hope to achieve podium finishes on each stage, and also the overall ranking at the end of the race.” Says Goustra.

The race kicks off in Underberg on Thursday and winds itself through the Natal Midlands, crosses the famous Umkomaas Valley, before making its way to Scottburgh in Durban on day 3.

The pairing is certainly a dynamic duo, with Groustra specialising in the shorter and more technical Cross Country discipline, and Ben Melt excelling in marathons, they definitely have all their bases covered.

“I think this will be a good race for us as Sani2c is unique in the fact that it is still a marathon event, but takes on the characteristics of an XC race with all its technical singletrack, and tights turns, and steep climbs. I think we have all our bases covered.” Said Groustra, who is currently riding for Team RSA Web and who has had podium finishes in this race before.

The two decided to team up only one month before the event, with Ben Melt’s partner Marc Bassigthwaight being in Europe for his Olympic campaign, and Groustra lacking in mountain bike team mates this year. They will have some tough competition to face though, with 360Life’s Kevin Evans and David George hot off their Joburg2c victory, the Max Know and Mannie Heymans pairing, Team RECM’s Waylon Woolcock and Neil Mc Donald, Fedgroup Itec  Connect’s Brandon Stewart and Jaques Rossouw, and a host of other top contender to deal with.

Besides being the first ever UCI Women’s road cycling tour in South Africa, the 5-day tour that runs from 23rd to 27th May is also the last opportunity for nations to increase their national rankings before the UCI’s May 31st deadline for the qualification of London Olympic Games places.

Currently, South Africa is the 17th ranked nation with 241,5 points. As it stands today, Brazil are sitting in the 13th place ‘hot seat’ with 287 points, leaving the South African women with about 46 points to make the grade.

Be rest assured that the nations trailing SA in the rankings will be out in full force to bump us out of contention, so the competition in less than 2 weeks will be tough and at its best.

“The top five teams on the UCI Women’s Elite road cycling national rankings can send 4 riders to the Olympics,” says Barry Austin, Cycling South Africa’s national road manager and Olympic code manager. “Teams 6 to 13 can send 3 riders and teams 14 to 23 can send two.

“The Tour de Free State will see battles for the top 13, as in South Africa’s case as we are striving to qualify 3 riders for the Olympics, as well as fierce competition for the final five places, with the likes of Sweden and Russia vying for those points to send 4 riders instead of three.

“So the impact is great, but also fair as we have to deserve our slots, but having the race on home ground will be a major benefit,” adds Austin.

Although there will be a major focus on the women’s UCI Elite racing, the Open Elite races will be open for participation to men’s professional teams and to amateur road racing teams.

For the UCI and Open Elite races, participants can register through Cycling South Africa’s website at the following link: http://csams.cyclingsa.com/enter-an-event.aspx

In addition, community races of 10km will be staged to provide communities the opportunity to raise money for local charities and schools by cyclists obtaining sponsors for the amount of kilometres they complete. Interested parties and schools can get the forms from info@tourdefreestate.com .

The Tour de Free State is an ambitious initiative, aiming to unlock and demonstrate the Free State tourism potential through cycling to national and international audiences.

Please visit www.tourdefreestate.com for any further information.

Tour de Free State Race Schedule – 23-27 May 2012

Day 1: 23 May
UCI race – Willem Pretorius Nature Reserve (Winburg), Virginia, Theunissen, ends Brandfort
Community race – Brandfort

Day 2: 24 May
UCI race – Jagersfontein, ends Bloemfontein

Day 3: 25 May
Elite open – Clarens
Community race – Ficksburg

Day 4: 26 May
UCI & Elite open – Clarens, Bethlehem, Fouriesburg, ends Clarens
Community race – Clarens

Day 5: 27 May
UCI & Elite open – Clarens, Phuthaditjhaba, ends Clarens

The Sky team brings you the second edition of the Lesotho Sky, a new team stage event taking place over six days through breath-taking landscapes of the Maluti Mountain Range in Lesotho. It is a must-do for adventure junkies and riders who seek a unique experience. The race comprises an average of 75km per day, leading riders through breath-taking scenery, endless mountains and remote villages of the Kingdom in the Sky. This makes the Lesotho Sky a very achievable goal while remaining an unbelievable adventure.

The Lesotho Sky 2011 hosted 22 riders (11 teams) from 5 different nations of which 5 teams were from Lesotho. Kim Philips and Mark Adams (Team MarK’im Veterans) finished overall in 1st position (total time 25h16min45sec) closely followed by local team Tumisang Taabe and Katleho Lifahlo (Alliance Lesotho, 25h40min15sec).

The route is made up of rural roads, cattle track, a small amount of tar and some mindblowing mad single track! With enthusiastic reviews from last years riders and articles in Bicycling, Do-It-Now Magazine, Mountain Biking UK and more (see here for details) the Lesotho Sky is ready to make more headlines this year.

Race organisers, Christian Schmidt and Darol Howes have many years of experience of riding in Lesotho and have put together a new route for 2012 – with a special focus on single track. The total riding distance for 2012 will be 450km with 11,500m of vertical ascent. The objective of the Lesotho Sky is to enjoy riding in Lesotho’s pristine and untouched environment. The entries are limited to 60 riders (30 teams) this year, allowing riders to escape the masses and appreciate a place of tranquillity and wild beauty.

Check out some footage from last year by clicking below. There are few entries left for 2012 – make sure that you are one of the special ones to be part of this spectacular event! For more information and entries visit www.lesothosky.com

Team entries cost R16,000 (camping/lodged) or R20,000 (fully lodged) and both include 8 nights accommodation and 3 meals per day. Mechanical and medical support are up to international event standards and also the sponsors Maluti Mountain Brewery (subsidiary of SAB Brewery) and Alliance Insurance will make sure you have an unforgettable time – be sure not to miss out on this special event!

www.lesothosky.com

Contact the Race Director
Christian Schmidt
Call +27 725 459 032
Call +266 5855 9399
christian@lesothosky.com

In a demonstration of what organiser Glen Haw calls “the power of mountain biking”, the sani2c, presented by BoE Private Clients, is building a lasting legacy in the form of a 3.5km dual-purpose cycling lane and pedestrian sidewalk along the R612 between Hlutankungu and Jolivet in the Highflats region.

The three-day race, which takes place next week, and the nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c, which finished on May 5, both traverse this high-traffic stretch of road on the penultimate day of each event.

With four pedestrians, including two children, killed last year alone, the shoulder of the road is particularly treacherous during the dense mists that often shroud the area.

The development project is the result of a unique partnership between sani2c, its route sponsor Caterpillar and the provincial department of transport and is driven by concerned local contractor Charlie Shewan.

“Before we started this project, there were tree branches overhanging the yellow line, so in some places the kids were actually walking in the roadway. You can’t believe how close they came to the tyres of the trucks going by.”

Shewan, who owns Cotts Earthmovers, said the first phase of earthworks and bulkworks had already been completed after getting the go-ahead from authorities just before Easter.

“We’ve moved about six or seven thousand cubic metres of earth to make room for a pathway.”

He said the next phase would involve creating a 150mm high kerb and channel with a two-metre wide in-situ concrete track and guardrail.

“The Department of Transport has promised to supply the materials. We want to try and have it ready by the next sani2c. The entire project is three years.”

Shewan, who lives in the nearby Ixopo area, said the private sector-driven project would also create temporary jobs by employing local labour.

He said the response from the community had been overwhelmingly positive. “They are so grateful. The sidewalk makes the road safe for the cyclists and for the community – it’s a huge win-win and the locals are very happy about it.”

According to Haw, this project exemplified the spirit of the sani2c, which has a strong community-development focus at the heart of its business model.

“That’s how we roll,” he said. “We get an awesome route and a good reputation with the community – everybody benefits.”

Haw said the project had been a long time coming after more than a year of negotiating with various parties. “I was beginning to lose hope that this project would become a reality.

“Were it not for Charlie’s persistence and help with gaining permission, I think I would have run out of energy. It is for this reason that we have named it Charlie’s Catwalk.”

The sani2c is the world’s biggest fully serviced mountain bike race and will see three groups of 1 300 riders each tackle a testing route from Underberg to Scottburgh.

The annual mountain bike challenge is divided into a Trail (May 15 to 17), Adventure (May 16 to 18) and Race (May 17 to 19) and the riders will use the newly graded route as they head towards the finish line at Jolivet Farm on stage two.

Visit www.sani2c.co.za or www.boeprivateclients.co.za for more info. For race updates, follow sani2c_scoop on Twitter or like sani2c on Facebook.

The Nedbank 360Life duo, who won the African leader jersey at the recent Absa Cape Epic, conquered both their rivals and the nine-day, 910km journey from Heidelberg in Gauteng to the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.

Their overall time of 32 hours 27 minutes and 39 seconds put them 17 minutes clear of defending champions Neil MacDonald and Waylon Woolcock of RE:CM, who recorded a total time of 32:44:43.

The final day’s racing over 71km ended in a dramatic sprint across the beach, with RE:CM cementing their runner-up spot in the overall standings with a second stage win in 2:27:59. Nedbank 360Life trailed in seven seconds later.

Itec Connect-Vodacom’s David Morison and Louis Bresler Knipe finished two minutes off the pace in 2:30:06 to take third on the day and the final step on the podium overall in 33:27:09.

The shortest of the nine stages commenced at a furious pace as the teams left Jolivet Farm in the Highflats region.

MacDonald and Woolcock rode hard upfront to force an early break on the single track, which the riders hit after 5km.
Only Evans and George, Morison and Knipe, and the Transact pair of Paul Cordes and Arno du Toit, were able to join them.

“Once the break was there, it was just a matter of consolidating to the end,” said Evans.

The hills towards the first waterpoint, after 33km, split the front group and the two top teams in this year’s race, RE:CM and Nedbank 360Life, were able to open up a gap of 1:20 on Itec-Connect Vodacom and Transact.

MacDonald and Woolcock continued to drive the pace up Heart Rate Hill, with Evans and George sitting on comfortably.

At the top, just 15km from Scottburgh, the fate of Knipe and Morison and Cordes and Du Toit was effectively sealed.

“It played out pretty much as we thought,” said Evans.

“RE:CM wanted to win one more stage, so we had a free ride and just got to sit on. It was actually nice because it’s an easier way to end the tour.”

Neil MacDonald (left) and Waylon Woolcock of RE:CM won the 71km final stage of the nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race, which finished in Scottburgh on Saturday. Photo: Coetzee Gouws/Full Stop Communications

Evans said the event had exceeded his every expectation and that they had thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the 550-odd riders in the community-run race villages.

“They said it’s all about the riders and certainly the trails are testament to that. It’s one of the top races I’ve done; definitely in this country.

He said the two standout stages had been day four, when the riders dropped down the escarpment from Sterkfontein Dam into KwaZulu-Natal, and the penultimate stage through the Umkomaas River Valley.

“I’m sure it will become an important race for our team from now on.”

The Nedbank 360Life rider said he and George had gotten a lot out of the event but had also been proud to give something back.

They donated a wheelchair per stage win to the Cycling for Mobility initiative and an additional 14 from the proceeds of the auction of their African leader jersey.

Evans said they were now looking forward to their next big goal, the BOE sani2c, which traces the last three days of the Old Mutual joBerg2c.

“We’re spoilt to be able to come back and do this twice in the space of two weeks. We’ve checked out the tracks and I think we know where we’re going to make the racing.”

Ischen Stopforth and Catherine Williamson of bizhub-FCF took line honours in 2:57:17 to seal an almost uncontested victory in the women’s race in 38:33:27.

Ischen Stopforth and Catherine Williamson of bizhub-FCF took line honours in 2:57:17 to seal an almost uncontested victory in the women’s race in 38:33:27.

Contego 28E’s powerhouse couple, Erik and Ariane Kleinhans, also added the mixed category medal to their recent Epic title, completing the nine days of riding in 36:08:58.

Ariane Kleinhans (pictured) and husband Erik of Contego 28E triumphed in the mixed category of the nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race that finished in Scottburgh on Saturday. Photo: Coetzee Gouws/Full Stop Communications

Follow the race on Facebook or Twitter (joberg2c_journo). Alternatively, visit www.oldmutual.co.za or www.joberg2c.co.za.

RESULTS

Stage Nine

Men: 1. Waylon Woolcock & Neil MacDonald (RE:CM) 2:27:59; 2. Kevin Evans & David George
(Nedbank 360Life) 2:28:06; 3. David Morison & Louis Bresler Knipe (Itec Connect-Vodacom)
2:30:06; 4. Paul Cordes & Arno du Toit (Transact) 2:31:40; 5. Somson Gichuru & Davidson
Kamau (Old Mutual Simba) 2:36:16; 6. Grant Usher & Nic White (Transact Single Speeders)
2:37:27; 7. Brett Dickson & Julius Cobbett (Road Cover) 2:37:58; 8. Shaun Mackenzie & Simon
Zahnd (My Gas) 2:38:06; 9.Phillimon Sebona & William Mokgopo (Exxaro Development 1)
2:42:39; 10. Chris Brand & Paul Furbank (USN Cycle Lab Masters) 2:44:09

Women: 1. Ischen Stopforth & Catherine Williamson (bizhub-fcf) 2:57:17; 2. Sarah van Heerden
& Jackie Church (Itec Connect-Vodacom Ladies) 3:02:22; 3. Michelle van der Westhuizen & Jo
Mackenzie (Cycling for Mobility 2) 4:11:49

Mixed: 1. Erik Kleinhans & Ariane Kleinhans (Contego 28E) 2:46:11; 2. Johan Labuschagne &
Yolande de Villiers (Cycle Lab KTM) 2:49:40; 3. Carel Bosman & Leana de Jager (PeptroPro-
bizhub) 2:56:05

Overall

Men: 1.Kevin Evans & David George (Nedbank 360Life) 32:27:39; 2. Waylon Woolcock & Neil
MacDonald (RE:CM) 32:44:43; 3. David Morison & Louis Bresler Knipe (Itec Connect-Vodacom)
33:27:09; 4. Paul Cordes & Arno du Toit (Transact) 34:28:31; 5. Somson Gichuru & Davidson
Kamau (Old Mutual Simba) 34:38:41; 6. Shaun Mackenzie & Simon Zahnd (My Gas) 34:50:39;
7. Brett Dickson & Julius Cobbett (Road Cover) 35:09:27; 8. Grant Usher & Nic White (Transact
Single Speeders) 35:15:38; 9. Rob Dormehl & Jason Meaton (Seattle Coffee Co) 35:27:09; 10.
Justin Porteous & Darryn Purtell (Itec Connect-Vodacom 2) 36:57:18

Women: 1. Ischen Stopforth & Catherine Williamson (bizhub-fcf) 38:33:27; 2. Sarah van Heerden
& Jackie Church (Itec Connect-Vodacom Ladies) 40:34:31; 3. Michelle van der Westhuizen & Jo
Mackenzie (Cycling for Mobility 2) 54:38:04

Mixed: 1. Erik Kleinhans & Ariane Kleinhans (Contego 28E) 36:08:58; 2. Johan Labuschagne &
Yolande de Villiers (Cycle Lab KTM) 37:12:12; 3. Carel Bosman & Leana de Jager (PeptroPro-
bizhub) 39:15:23

“He was a talented cyclist and a good guy who battled depression for years,” said George. “We wanted to celebrate his life with a win.”

The Nedbank 360Life riders consolidated their overall lead, which now stands at 17 minutes, on the 99km eighth stage from McKenzie Club near Ixopo to Jolivet Farm in the Highflats region of KwaZulu-Natal.

They clinched the Umkomaas River Valley leg, which traces the second day of the well-known BOE sani2c route, in a time of 3:48:07 to finish more than eight minutes clear of RE:CM’s Neil MacDonald and Waylon Woolcock, who crossed the line in 3:56:30.

David George of Nedbank 360Life descends into the Umkomaas Valley after the second waterpoint on day eight of the Old Mutual joBerg2c on Friday. The 99km stage took riders from McKenzie Club near Ixopo to Jolivet in the Highflats region of KwaZulu-Natal. George and team-mate Kevin Evans won the stage to extend their overall lead. The nine-day, 910km event finishes on Saturday. Photo: Coetzee Gouws/Full Stop Communications

Itec Connect-Vodacom’s David Morison and Louis Bresler Knipe put in another big effort to take third in 4:00:37.

The stage eight podium finishers lead the overall standings in the same order.

George said the top teams had started the day at a flying pace on a 7km stretch of district road before heading into the first technical section.

”We tried to get into the single track first but then Kevin dropped his chain, so he was stuck a couple of places back and I had to wait for him.”

With the problem solved, the two made up time to catch and pass frontrunners MacDonald and Woolcock on the descent into the valley. “Neil was alright but I could see Waylon was battling a bit behind him.

“Obviously as soon as Kev and I got past, we gassed it down the rest of the descent towards the floating bridge.

“I think we had gained enough time by the first waterpoint (at around 40km) to demotivate the chase.”

Having lost his partner due to illness, solo rider Brandon Stewart of FedGroup- Itec Connect sat on as the Nedbank 360Life duo opened up a two-minute gap on the chasing group that included Woolcock and MacDonald, Morison and Knipe and the Transact pair of Paul Cordes and Arno du Toit.

By the time the leaders stopped to refuel at the second waterpoint after 62km, they were seven minutes ahead of RE:CM’s defending champs. Morison and Knipe were a further 90 seconds adrift with Cordes and Du Toit also losing
ground.

Nedbank 360Life maintained their lead through waterpoint three and continued to push the pace through the Sappi plantations to take line honours at Jolivet.

George said they had achieved much more than they had expected to in their first outing at the event, which included pledging a wheelchair per stage win to the Cycling for Mobility initiative.

“With prize-money on each stage, we obviously would like to seal overall victory with another win.”

However, he acknowledged that anything could happen on the closing leg towards Scottburgh. “It’s never a done deal but our margin for error is obviously a lot better now.”

According to MacDonald, he and Woolcock had done their utmost but the leaders had shown they were strongest on the day. “I think the Epic’s taking its toll on us now but we’re still happy with our second overall and stage victory.”

Erik Kleinhans celebrated his 30th birthday with a seventh consecutive stage win in the mixed category alongside wife Ariane. The Contego 28E pair stopped the clock on 4:27:39, almost 10 minutes in front of nearest rivals Johan
Labuschagne and Yolande de Villiers of Cycle Lab KTM.

Rampant bizhub-FCF riders Ischen Stopforth and Catherine Williamson remained in complete control of the women’s race as they took the win in 4:46:07, once again ahead of Sarah van Heerden and Jackie Church of Itec Connect-Vodacom.

Catherine Williamson left with Ischen Stopforth: Overall women’s leaders Catherine Williamson (left) and Ischen Stopforth of bizhub-FCF on their way to winning the eighth stage of the Old Mutual joBerg2c on Friday. The 99km stage took riders from McKenzie Club near Ixopo to Jolivet in the Highflats region of KwaZulu-Natal. The nine-day, 910km event finishes on Saturday. Photo: Coetzee Gouws/Full Stop Communications

Having built up comfortable margins on the general standings, the respective category leaders are also expected to claim the overall honours when the 910km race wraps up with a swift 75km stage to Scottburgh on Saturday.

For race updates follow on Facebook or Twitter (joberg2c_journo). Alternatively, visit www.oldmutual.co.za or www.joberg2c.co.za.

STAGE EIGHT:

Men

1. Kevin Evans & David George (Nedbank 360Life): 3:48:07
2. Neil MacDonald & Waylon Woolcock (RE:CM): 3:56:30
3. David Morison & Louis Bresler Knipe (Itec Connect-Vodacom): 4:00:37

Women

1. Ischen Stopforth & Catherine Williamson (bizhub-FCF): 4:46:07
2. Sarah van Heerden & Jackie Church (Itec Connect-Vodacom): 5:13;22

Mixed

1. Erik Kleinhans & Ariane Kleinhans (Contego 28E): 4:27:39
2. Johan Labuschagne & Yolande de Villiers (Cycle Lab KTM): 4:36:59
3. Carel Bosman & Leana de Jager (PeptoPro-bizhub): 4:57:14

OVERALL:

Men

1. Kevin Evans & David George (Nedbank 360Life): 29:59:33
2. Neil MacDonald & Waylon Woolcock (RE:CM): 30:16:44
3. David Morison & Louis Bresler Knipe (Itec Connect-Vodacom): 30:57:03

Women

1. Ischen Stopforth & Catherine Williamson (bizhub-FCF): 35:36:10
2. Sarah van Heerden & Jackie Church (Itec Connect-Vodacom): 37:32:09

Mixed

1. Erik Kleinhans & Ariane Kleinhans (Contego 28E): 33:22:47
2. Johan Labuschagne & Yolande de Villiers (Cycle Lab KTM): 34:22:32
3. Carel Bosman & Leana de Jager (PeptoPro-bizhub): 36:19:18

Today has to be one the best days of mountain biking in the world. Where can you ride manicured downhill single track for 35km with spectacular views? There was a great vibe in the race village this morning with everybody super pumped to ride down into the Umkomaas valley. Today was also the last real test (100km, 2200m climbing) before tomorrow’s 75km ride into Scottborough. And to top things off, it was nice and warm this morning at MacKenzie Club. What an amazing 8 days it has been.

Spectacular sunrise at MacKenzie club this morning

Today’s stage started with 7km of district road before entering the ‘keep left pass right’ single tracks that leads you towards the Umko valley. From here you descend the most magnificent trails including Yankee Doodle, Nick’s Pass, Sosiba’s section, School single track, Mchunu’s Pride and Tamika’s Detour.

I managed a good start and timed my entry into the descent with perfection, having a comfortable gap in front and behind of me. After about a third of the down I caught up to the mixed team of Erik and Ariane Kleinhans. I must admit, Ariane has got some proper skill on her bike, it was great to ride with them. I managed to ride with them until the 65km mark when my knees started to get very achy on all the climbing out the valley. My knees started getting really sore two days ago and when I woke up this morning the left one was pretty swollen. When the pain started to get too much I backed off and soft pedaled to the finish.  The ending into Jolivet was on the all new Charlie’s Cat Walk  which is now a safe and chilled ending to an awesome day. I drifted back from 12^th at the 65 km mark to 25^th for the stage (4hr 38min), 2^nd solo rider in and 25th on GC. Besides the knees pain it was a superb day on the trails.

Kevin Evans at water point 1 - courtesy @joberg2c_journo

Tonight’s overnight stop is at Jolivet, the same stop as Sani2c day2. More amazing catering and accommodation.

At the sharp end of the race it was Dave George and Kevin Evans from Team 360Life who extended their lead over Waylon Woolcock and Neil Mcdonald from Team RE-CM by 7 minutes. Their winning time was 3hr 49 min.

Tonight is the last night of camping, its going to be quite strange going back to normal life. I could get very used to this multistage mountain bike lifestyle.

Day 9 brings an end to this years Joberg2C.  The stage is 75km with only 540m of climbing.  I can smell the beer….

Click to enlarge

On Thursday, Evans and George notched up their fourth stage victory as they outsprinted Woolcock and MacDonald after 86km of racing between Hazeldene Farm near Underberg and McKenzie Club in the Ixopo region of KwaZulu-Natal.

The Nedbank 360Life outfit completed the stage in 2:53:19, five seconds ahead of RE:CM, who had moved into second place in the general classification the previous day.

The Itec Connect-Vodacom pairing of David Morison and Louis Bresler Knipe were also in the mix but slipped off the pace to finish 14 seconds adrift.

“I suppose we all knew that it would come down to a sprint up that nasty climb to the finish,” said Evans.

“Neil was probably the strongest but went a little too early and Waylon came over him too hard while he was trying to recover, which gave us the win.”

A big lead bunch reached the start of the Oak Lane dual single track after 20km, where the top three teams split off the front.

“Dave and I were half-wheeling each other on the tracks,” said Evans. “Then we came out and it was the usual hard pull out of there.

“When we looked back it was just the two other teams and us.”

RE:CM and Nedbank 360Life dropped Itec Connect-Vodacom shortly afterwards and built up a lead of around 40 seconds by the time they reached the floating bridge after 31km.

Overall leaders Kevin Evans and David George of Nedbank 360Life win their fourth stage of the 2012 Old Mutual joBerg2c after 86km of racing between Hazeldene Farm near Underberg and McKenzie Club in the Ixopo region on Thursday. Photo: Coetzee Gouws/Full Stop Communications

Morison and Knipe then took full advantage of the leaders’ refuelling stop at the first waterpoint after 38km to make up lost ground. They opted not to stop and were briefly able to latch onto the two leading teams before being detached for a second time.

They fell back by 30 seconds but rallied gamely to close the gap again by the final waterpoint.

“Louis and Dave rode really well to catch us after about 60km and then it was just the three teams to sprint it out. It was very close in the end.”

Evans, a four-time BOE sani2c winner, said he felt at home on the last three days of the Old Mutual joBerg2c, which traced the popular three-stager’s route.

“Tomorrow suits us and we’ve won sani2c on that stage before but getting there with 800km in the legs is a different story.

“We keep thinking it’s only six-and-a-half hours of racing left but anything can happen so we won’t take anything for granted just yet.”

He said their strategy would be to race conservatively and consolidate their almost nine-minute lead. “I’d really like one of those little tractor trophies for my mantelpiece.

“I think we would also like to donate one more wheelchair but the RE:CM guys are strong and if it comes down to a flat sprint tomorrow I think we’re going to battle a little.”

In the women’s race, bizhub-FCF’s Ischen Stopforth and her British partner Catherine Williamson once again swept to victory, in 3:24:01, ahead of the Itec Connect-Vodacom team of Sarah van Heerden and Jackie Church, who were nine minutes behind.

Old Mutual joBerg2c overall leaders Ischen Stopforth (left) and British partner Catherine Williamson, representing bizhub-FCF, en route to victory in the 86km seventh stage between Hazeldene Farm near Underberg and McKenzie Club in the Ixopo region. Photo: Coetzee Gouws/Full Stop Communications

Williamson said they were still determined to ride aggressively even though they were not under serious pressure given their seemingly unassailable lead of around 83 minutes.

“I think the main thing is just to get safely through the next two days. Tomorrow’s a really enjoyable stage and you want to get a good position in the single track.”

Taking their sixth straight win in as many racing stages, mixed category leaders Erik and Ariane Kleinhans of Contego 28E sailed home in 3:10:33, just less than a minute ahead of Johan Labuschagne and Yolande de Villiers of Cycle Lab KTM.

Day seven saw no change among the overall leaders in the three main categories.

Friday’s penultimate stage covers 96km from McKenzie Club to Jolivet Farm in the Highflats region, a ride famous for its unique crossing of the Umkomaas River on a semi-suspended floating bridge.

The third edition of the Old Mutual joBerg2c finishes at Scottburgh on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast on Saturday.

Follow race updates on Facebook or Twitter (joberg2c_journo). Alternatively, visit www.oldmutual.co.za or www.joberg2c.co.za.