Cape Town – Following in the tyre tracks of the FNB Wines2Whales MTB Adventure, 1300 mountain bikers (650 teams of two) gathered at the picturesque Lourensford Wine Estate (Somerset West) on Monday, 02 November 2015 to share in the excitement by taking part in the FNB W2W MTB Ride.
Stage One saw riders having to complete a 72km route that featured a 1620m ascent before crossing the finish line at Oak Valley Wine Estate (Elgin-Grabouw), their home for the next two days. Stage highlights included the new Wedderwill and Knorhoek single tracks. The A-2-Z Trail in the Grabouw Forest left lasting memories. Sections X and Y, however, did not form part of this year’s route.
Team Bianchi/Westvaal’s JC Jooste and Tyler Day set a blistering pace crossing the finish line in an impressive time of 03 hours 38 minutes 48 seconds. “This is my first W2W,” said Jooste. “Our sponsors told us that this is the best mountain bike event in SA. Thanks to them we were able to enter. Our goal was to get up the first hill with the guys from FLM9, after which we’d just see how we feel and take it from there. On the 35km mark Tyler put down the hammer, and we made our break. Stage one was hard, and because we didn’t know the terrain we had to focus all the time. Tomorrow we’ll ride defensively, have fun and hopefully absorb some scenery.” Michael Potton and Theuns Goosen of Team FLM 9 came in second, while Heiko Redecker and Graeme Kuys of Team FLM 8 finished third.
Warrick Kernes and Nicolette Griffioen of Team Merida claimed victory in the mixed team category in a deserving time of 04 hours 12 minutes 54 seconds. “Due to an injury my original riding partner had to withdraw. I was able to take over his entry,” said Griffioen. “I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was hoping for nice single track. The climbs were tough, but I loved the technical sections. Hopefully our lead is big enough so that we can just enjoy the rest of the race.” Francois Malan and Jeanie De Villiers of Team Citricom 2 came in second, while Casper Badenhorst and Nadine Nunes of Team NSquared finished third.
Barbara Mulcahy and Sally Petersen of Team Karoo Sister Power completed the 72km route in 05:06:23. Michele Du Toit and Beverley Wood of Team Fast in Frannies came in second, while Michelle Zulch and Riana Howlett of Team S-Works finished third.
Stage Two: Tuesday, 03 November 2015
A single track haven and affectionately dubbed ‘Play Day’ the Stage Two route will feature the exhilarating Paul Cluver Bike Park and single tracks as well as the Kromco Play Park.
| Start & Finish Venue: | Oak Valley Wine Estate (Elgin-Grabouw) |
| Distance: | 67km |
| Ascent: | 1366m |
WIN with FNB W2W MTB and Specialized: Mountain bike enthusiasts taking part in the 2015 FNB W2W MTB Events (Adventure, Ride and Race) will stand an equal chance to take home either a stunning Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp 6 Fattie for men or a Specialized Rhyme FSR Comp 6 Fattie for women.
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For more information on the FNB Wines2Whales MTB events contact 083 760 3158, e-mail race@wines2whales.co.za, adventure@wines2whales.co.za or ride@wines2whales.co.za or visit www.wines2whales.co.za
About FNB Wines2Whales:
FNB Business and FNB Private Wealth have made a joint commitment to sponsor the annual Wines2Whales Mountain Bike Events.
FNB’s ongoing strategy is to support local and community events that show the potential to grow. This sponsorship affirms our dedication to providing an experience that is beyond expectation, through a sport that continues to grow in popularity as one of the key activities in the South African sporting calendar. The annual FNB Wines2Whales Mountain Bike Events are aligned to our belief that adventure is the heart of innovation and this is one of many platforms on which we seek to make a lasting connection with new and existing clients.
Contact
FNB Business- If your business is going far, we can help you get there.
Email: zak.sivalingum@fnb.co.za
FNB Private Wealth – We help you grow, manage, protect and enjoy your wealth.
Email: nsolomon@fnbprivateclients.co.za
FNB Wines2Whales MTB Ride
Stage One: Monday, 02 November 2015
Top 5 Results:
Men 1 JC Jooste and Tyler Day / Bianchi Westvaal 03:38:48, 2 Michael Potton and Theuns Goosen / FLM9 03:42:06, 3 Heiko Redecker and Graeme Kuys / FLM8 03:54:13, 4 Gerard Dirks and Frikkie Hartog / Cape Eye 04:02:06, 5 Alistair Haigh-Smith and Simon Little / AWN-CCN Racing 04:07:31
Women 1 Barbara Mulcahy and Sally Petersen / Karoo Sister Power 05:06:23, 2 Michele Du Toit and Beverley Wood / Fast in Frannies 05:07:28, 3 Michelle Zulch and Riana Howlett / Team S-Works 05:27:40
Mixed 1 Warrick Kernes and Nicolette Griffioen / Team Merida 04:12:54, 2 Francois Malan and Jeanie De Villiers / Citricom2 04:19:21, 3 Casper Badenhorst and Nadine Nunes / NSquared, 04:24:58, 4 Aaron Borrill and Jenna Borrill / Federal Clearing 04:26:09, 5 Petrus Oelofse and Yzette Oelofse / Boys and Bikes 04:28:55
