Nico Bell and Gawie Combrinck claimed yet another stage victory when they finished stage five of the joBerg2c mountain bike event at Clifton in KwaZulu-Natal today.
The NAD Pro pair, who completed the 122km route in a time of 3:32:07, said they were happy with the win, their fourth in a row, and that the stage went according to plan.
“We felt good today and increased our lead. Our goal was to stay safe and ride away on the climb towards the third water point,” said Combrinck.
Team NAD MTB’s Gawie Combrinck (right) and Nico Bell (left) won stage five of the joBerg2c mountain bike tour at Clifton today. Photo: Johan Badenhorst
When the pair reached the water point they executed an attack and created a gap between themselves and the rest of the bunch.
Combrinck added that the stage, which featured 2 241m of ascent and 1 757m of descent, suited them well.
“We’re good on the climbs and on long stages, as well as big and open fast roads.”
With regards to the competition, Combrinck said the race for second and third was still close.
“The guys are watching each other so we end up doing a bit more work, but everyone is starting to get a bit tired.”
Combrinck said with a chuckle that their strategy for the sixth stage was “just to go fast”.
Silverback-Best4Sports-Mad Macs’ Shaun-Nick Bester and Declan Sidey finished in second place in 3:35:07, with Insect Science’s Alan Gordon and Timothy Hammond completing the podium in 3:35:09.
Stage six will take riders on a 98km journey, with 2 022m of ascent and 1 997m of descent, from Clifton at Nottingham Road to Glencairn Farm on Sani Pass Road.
