Gert Heyns and Arno du Toit drew first blood when they crossed the line ahead of the pack on the opening stage of the Liberty Winelands Encounter in the Cape Winelands today.
Presented by STANLIB, the riders covered a route of 49km from Zorgvliet Wine Estate just outside Stellenbosch to Le Franschhoek Hotel in Franschhoek.
Riding for DSV Pro Cycling, the race leaders crossed the line in 1:52:16, just under two minutes ahead of ASG-NAD’s HB Kruger and Matt Beers.
Stage winner Arno du Toit (right) is on the wheel of Matt Beers on the 49km opening stage of the Liberty Winelands Encounter, presented by STANLIB, from Zorgvliet Wine Estate to Le Franschhoek Hotel in the Cape Winelands today. Photo: Robert Ward
Imbuko-Momsen’s Dylan Rebello and Marco Joubert filled third place on the podium.
After an early mechanical, Du Toit battled in the closing stages and Heyns played a big role in keeping them ahead of the chasing pack.
There was an early attack by Beers, but Heyns and Du Toit stuck with them before the latter had trouble with his rear derailleur.
They lost about minute, but as they were chasing back, Kruger took a wrong turn up front.
Heyns, a Stellenbosch local, and the Cape Town-based Du Toit wiped out the deficit and stayed ahead once they hit the front.
Stage winner Gert Heyns leads HB Kruger and Matt Beers on the 49km opening stage of the Liberty Winelands Encounter, presented by STANLIB, from Zorgvliet Wine Estate to Le Franschhoek Hotel in the Cape Winelands today. Photo: Robert Ward
“We are both quite good technical riders so we kept riding smoothly and tried to go hard on the single-track,” said Du Toit.
He said Heyns’s knowledge of the conditions played an important role.
“Gert knew some of the sections so he could carry good speed and I was following him most of the way. The last bit around the Berg River Dam was quite rocky and bumpy, but we were able to keep up our momentum.”
The mixed category was won by Home Ice Cream-Dormakaba’s Matthew Stamatis and Samantha Sanders, who held off The Gear Change’s David George and Katie Lennard.
Louise Ferreira and Marleen Lourens were in a class of their own in the women’s section.
Tomorrow’s stage features a 48km loop from Le Franschhoek Hotel and back.
