Erik Kleinhans and Jennie Stenerhag showed their mountain biking prowess at the picturesque Arabella Hotel & Spa in Kleinmond on Sunday, 24 April 2016 claiming gold in the men’s and women’s 50km Cell C Arabella MTB Challenge in a combined finishing time of 04 hours 01 minute 36 seconds and 04 hours 40 minutes 36 seconds respectively.
Photo Credit: Tobias Ginsberg
According to Kleinhans, his plan for stage two was to stay with the front riders. “Stefan Senekal went out strong at round about the 20km mark. I made a mistake and had to make up on time. The young guys went hard up the hills, I just hung on. I got away on the flat terrain. On the Highlands Road the elastic snapped and I managed to keep my lead to the finish. The route was great with really fun single track. This year the racing was definitely more serious, but the Cell C Arabella MTB Challenge is more than just about racing. I will always come back to this event.” Kleinhans claimed his second stage victory. Adriaan Louw was the runner up on the weekend, while Dylan Rebello secured the final spot on the podium.
Jennie Stenerhag also secured her second stage victory on the day. “Today’s stage was tough,” says Stenerhag. “There was a lot of sand and a lot of ups and downs. I went out hard from the start, keeping the pace for the first hour. On the long open stretches I could see Carmen Buchacher in the distance. I had to work hard to beat her. The Cell C Arabella MTB Challenge was a really good test after my operation. I am really happy to be able to push as hard as I did, winning was a bonus. I’d definitely like to be back next year.” Carmen Buchacher was the runner up on the weekend, while Katherine Lennard secured the final spot on the podium.
Photo Credit: Tobias Ginsberg
“A big thank you to everyone who participated in our event and congratulations to all finishers of both the mountain biking and trail running categories,” says Doug Mattheus, Cell C Executive Head of Marketing. “We were blessed with wonderful weather and all the best that the Cape could offer in terms of natural beauty. At Cell C, we feel privileged that entrants allowed us to talk to them in their leisure time. We look forward to supporting both their sporting pursuits and business needs with a host of innovative communications products and services.”
Cell C Arabella Challenge Results
Men’s GC
- Erik Kleinhans 04:01:36
- Adriaan Louw 04:02:01
- Dylan Rebello 04:02:51
- Stephan Senekal 04:09:37
- Justin Tuck 04:11:03
- Renay Groustra 04:16:10
- Luke Evans 04:19:20
- Nico Pfitzenmaier 04:20:32
- Izak Hanekom 04:23:57
- Craig Gerber 04:24:05
Women’s GC
- Jennie Stenerhag 04:40:36
- Katherine Lennard 04:49:45
- Carmen Buchacher 04:52:13
- Ila Stow 05:05:45
- Diana Carolin 05:11:50
- Marianne Bergli 05:19:25
- Jeanie De Villiers 05:20:02
- Amy Burton 05:29:33
- Robynne Klee 05:33:25
- Michelle Lombardi 05:35:54
