Jennie Stenerhag put in some good preparation for the 2018 Cape Epic when she won the Race2Nowhere one-day mountain-bike challenge, which started and finished at the McGregor Winery yesterday.
Almost half of the 112km route will form stage one of the Cape Epic in March, and Stenerhag felt she gained valuable insight for the eight-stage race.
“I enjoyed the route,” she said today. “There weren’t many riders, so I was on my own for most of the way.
“That gave me a good opportunity to observe the route and anticipate what’s coming my way in the Epic.
“It was tough, but nice. I kept up a hard tempo, but rode at a steady pace,” said Stenerhag, who had been unsure of her form heading into the race.
Wines2Whales and Cape Epic champ, Jennie Stenerhag, is unsure of her form leading into Race2Nowhere tomorrow. Photo: Supplied
The Swedish-born cyclist, who now lives in Stellenbosch, said she had not been quite ready for the event, but the nature of the ride suited her.
“I rode in my own rhythm most of the time. It wasn’t very competitive because there weren’t any girls around me.
“My normal competition was not there. Ariane (Lüthi) did the shorter course and that gave me the opportunity to focus on the trail,” said Stenerhag, who beat second-place Louise Ferreira by over 20 minutes.
The Cape Brewing Company rider said the weather conditions, rather than the actual course, had been the most challenging part of the ride for her.
“The wind was very strong, especially on the sections where I was on my own.
“At times I even wondered if I was on the correct route, because I didn’t see any other riders.
“I thought the first two climbs were going to be worse than they were. On the profile they looked brutal but they were not so bad.
“Thankfully it wasn’t as hot [in McGregor] as it was on Friday. It even drizzled a bit and that made it easier. There was a lot to see, and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” she added.
Charl-Pierre Esterhuyse won the men’s category, with Stenerhag’s boyfriend, Craig Gerber, finishing second.
