The Men’s category of Stage 2 of this year’s Absa Cape Epic was won in a sprint finish by the Bulls 1 team of Karl Platt and Stefan Sahm. They were closely followed by Hannes Genze and Andreas Kugler of Multivan Merida Biking, with winners of the previous two days Burry Stander and Christoph Sauser of Team 36ONE-Songo-Specialized in third place.
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial Road Cycling Championships, held in Durban and Westville at the weekend, has been hailed by participants as arguably the best ever Provincial or National championship they have ever ridden.
On Saturday the 21st January, the Time Trial was held on a circuit around the Durban Country Club. The course measured up to world standards that allowed the riders to really push their ability and at 8.5 kilometres, the circuit attracted high speeds.
By winning the second stage of the DCM Pioneer Trek yesterday (Tuesday, 18 October), Max Knox (Ghost) and Christoph Sauser (Songo.info) proved that you can’t keep a good team down. Kevin Evans and David George from Team 360 Life held onto the leaders jersey after a dominant stage 1 victory.
The winning time for the stage (from Calitzdorp to Riversdale) was 5 hours 23 minutes and 25 seconds.
It will not be surprising if the name of the MTN Ride Crater Cruise is changed next year.
The reason for the change will be that Kevin Evans (360Life) is not prepared to accept defeat in what is considered to be the South African equivalent of the Paris-Roubaix.
After the MTN Diemersfontein ultra-marathon this weekend (27-28 August), Kevin Evans and David George from the Nedbank 360Life team can lay claim to the brand new title of ‘Chess masters of South African mountain biking’.
Evans won the race over 105km in 4 hours 32 minutes and 12 seconds.
The battle for the overall supremacy in MTN’s National ultra marathon series will start in earnest tomorrow morning when all of the “top dogs” line up at the start for the MTN Gravel Travel event just outside Wellington at Diemersfontein wine farm.
If David George (360Life) wins he will have ensured that he will also take the overall honors as he will have a near unassailable lead. He already won the MTN Attakwas and MTN Tulbagh and was second at the MTN Barberton.
“Never again.”
This is what Kevin Evans (360Life) said last year after he had finished the first stage of the DCM Cape Pioneer Trek.
But, as the saying goes ‘never say never’. Much can change in a short period of time and that is exactly what happened.
Max Knox and Adrien Niyonshuti’s luck changed course when an error by the overnight leaders handed them overall victory in the Subaru sani2c in Scottburgh on Saturday.