Canyon-Topeak’s Alban Lakata and Kristián Hynek won the first stage of the Tankwa Trek, which took riders on an 83km challenge through the Witzenberg Valley today.
The pair finished the race in 3:14:55, beating Team Cannondale-Factory Racing’s Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini and Maxime Marotte and Marcel Guerrini in second and third respectively.
Team dormakaba SA’s Candice Lill and Helen Grobert won the women’s category in 3:49:18, finishing ahead of Team Ascendis Health’s Robyn de Groot and Sabine Spitz. Team Meerandal-Cape Brewing Co’s Esther Süss and Jennie Stenerhag rounded out the podium.
Alban Lakata and Kristián Hynek and Candice Lill and Helen Grobert won the men’s and women’s race respectively on the first stage of the Tankwa Trek today. Photo: Zoon Cronje
PYGA Euro Steel’s Matthys Beukes and Philip Buys led at the 50km mark ahead of Fumic and Avancini and Team Spur’s Alan Hatherly and Simon Andreassen.
Fumic and Avancini went to the front in the last 10km, with Lakata and Hynek and Marotte and Guerrini closely following. Lakata and Hynek then managed to win in a sprint to the finish by one second.
In the women’s race, at the same 50km point, Süss and Stenerhag were leading, with Lill and Grobert and De Groot and Spitz chasing.
Lill and Grobert managed to get more ascendency as the stage grew on to win by almost a minute and a half.
View more results below.
Stage one
Elite men
1. Alban Lakata & Kristián Hynek (Canyon-Topeak) 3:14:55
2. Manuel Fumic & Henrique Avancini (Cannondale-FR) 3:14:56
3. Maxime Marotte & Marcel Guerrini (Cannondale-FR) 3:15:01
4. Matthys Beukes & Philip Buys (PYGA Euro Steel) 3:17:19
5. Nico Bell & Matt Beers (NAD Pro) 3:19:07
6. Frans Claes & Markus Bauer (Claes-Bauer) 3:30:41
7. Alan Hatherly & Simon Andreassen (Spur Specialized) 3:20:12
8. Nicola Rohrbach & Daniel Geismayr (Centurion Vaude) 3:21:53
9. Gawie Combrinck & Wessel Botha (NAD Pro) 3:21:53
10. Erik Kleinhans & Jeremiah Bishop (Canyon-Topeak) 3:29:11
Elite women
1. Candice Lill & Helen Grobert (Team dormakaba SA) 3:49:18
2. Robyn de Groot & Sabine Spitz (Team Ascendis Health) 3:50:43
3. Esther Süss & Jennie Stenerhag (Team Meerandal-CBC) 3:50:48
4. Amy McDougall & Bianca Haw (Team joBerg2c) 3:58:51
5. Yolande de Villiers & Mariske Straus (Silverback Volvo-OMX) 3:59:44
Open men
1. Justin Hornsby & Rorie Wilson (R and J) 3:50:36
2. Hannes Hanekom & Izak Hanekom (Izak Hanekom) 3:56:32
3. James Lennard & Craig Denbury (Team Gear Change) 3:58:04
4. Izak Pretorius & Tom Wetton (Team dormakaba SSA) 4:00:55
5. Gert Korblet & Herbert Korblet (Team Sportvoedingwebshop) 4:03:40
Mixed teams
1. Nicol Carstens & Sarah Hill 4:05:37
2. Kobus Barnard & Fienie Barnard 4:08:39
3. Louise Ferreira & Hennie Blaauw 4:19:13
4. Nadia Visser & Chris Cronje 4:20:52
5. Marleen Lourens & Bradley Hemphill 4:25:25
Solo men
1. Benjamin Joerges 3:34:27
2. Nico Pfitzenmaier 3:45:48
3. Owen Green 3:46:06
4. Alan Gordon 3:48:25
5. Lawrence von Gunten 3:49:13
