Matt Beers will be pulling out all the stops to make his mark on the mountain bike for his newly signed team NAD Pro at the three-stage Tankwa Trek, which begins in the Witzenberg Valley tomorrow.
Beers, who won the overall Mpumalanga Tour title in NAD Pro colours a month ago, will team up with Nico Bell for the 259km stage race.
Matt Beers, pictured here, will look to make his mark for NAD Pro at the Tankwa Trek this weekend. Photo: Supplied
The pair would be targeting a podium spot, Beers said, but he was also well aware of the challenges awaiting them.
“We’re competing in a really stacked and competitive field of riders,” he said. “I don’t really know what the expectations are, but we can only do the best we can.
“This will be very good preparation for the Cape Epic, so we want to get some ascendency and finish on the podium. We have our work cut out for us.”
Beers said he and Bell would form a decisive combination for NAD Pro for the duration of the race. “It will be good to ride with him; we are both really similar in terms of strength and he has a lot of experience on his side.
“Gawie [Combrinck] and Wessel [Botha] will ride as the back-up team. It will be one of Wessel’s first stage races, so he’s quite new to this type of racing.”
The two teams would provide support for one another, added Beers, but the nature of that support would depend on which team was “better placed”.
“If Nico and I have a disastrous day, then Gawie and Wessel will help us, and vice versa. Our roles may change throughout the weekend depending on circumstance and which riders feel stronger,” he added.
Bell, having raced in the Tankwa Trek two years ago, said over and above the very competitive field the conditions could be “unforgiving”.
“The route is a real tester for your body and equipment,” he said. “There is a lot of climbing and that is where most of the riders will separate, especially on the second day (2 000-metres of ascent).
“It will probably also be extremely hot and there won’t be much room to breathe. We will be racing flat-out the whole day.
“We have a huge international field to add to our troubles, so it definitely won’t be a walk in the park. Even if you’re the fittest rider out there, you will still feel the pain of the race,” he added.
