Specialized’s Sam Gaze won the Cape Town Cycle Tour MTB Challenge at Uitspan Farm just outside Wellington in the Western Cape today.
Swedish professional mountain biker Jennie Stenerhag won the women’s event at the Cape Town Cycle Tour MTB Challenge just outside Wellington in the Western Cape today. Photo: Ewald Sadie
Gaze, who hails from New Zealand, beat teammate and American Howard Grotts in 2:11:50 in the 60km men’s race. Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon-Circus) finished third.
A group of ten riders set the pace early in the race. Florian Vogel, Van der Poel and Grotts were the first riders to break-away.
Gaze said he was left out of the tussle early on. He caught up at 20km to the finish with the leading bunch, which consisted of Van der Poel, Gert Heyns and Grotts.
“Once I joined the leading bunch I knew where we had to be strong.”
Gaze and Grotts broke-away on a steep climb in Kanonkop and opened up a solid gap to the chasing Van der Poel.
The duo stayed together until the finish where Gaze took the victory ahead of Grottz.
The women’s event was won by defending champion Jennie Stenerhag of Sweden in 2:37:57.
The CBC-Åbro rider, who led from start to finish, was followed home by South Africa’s Katie Lennard and the Netherlands’ Lotte Koopmans.
Ryan Kellerman (1:40:02) won the 40km men’s race ahead of Johan van Zyl and Kevin Long.
Sabrina Enaux (1:55:04) led the women home, followed by Lehane Oosthuizen and Julia Marx.
The 20km men’s event saw Hendre de Villiers take victory in 52:20. Tyrone Renwick and Philip van Schalkwyk rounded out the podium.
Anna Marx (1:01:02) claimed the honours in the women’s race to beat Rozelle Vermeulen and Edna Ytier.
Provisional results can be viewed below.
60km
Men
1. Sam Gaze 2:11:50
2. Howard Grotts 2:11:58
3. Mathieu van der Poel 2:12:35
4. Gert Heyns 2:13:28
5. Arno du Toit 2:14:29
Women
1. Jennie Stenerhag 2:37:56
2. Katie Lennard 2:44:36
3. Lotte Koopmans 2:50:49
4. Yolandi du Toit 2:52:00
5. Asa Erlandsson 2:54:35
40km
Men
1. Ryan Kellerman 1:40:01
2. Johan van Zyl 1:42:19
3. Kevin Long 1:43:06
4. Willem van der Walt 1:44:34
5. Albert Muller 1:45:05
Women
1. Sabrina Enaux 1:55:03
2. Lehane Oosthuizen 1:57:06
3. Julia Marx 2:09:13
4. Nienke Mostert 2:16:52
5. Nikki Biesheuvel 2:16:52
20km
Men
1. Hendre de Villiers 52:19
2. Tyrone Renwick 54:47
3. Philip van Schalkwyk 55:22
Women
1. Anna Marx 1:01:01
2. Rozelle Vermeulen 1:07:57
3. Edna Ytier 1:08:11
