Andrew Hill and Shaun-Nick Bester made the perfect start to the PwC Great Zuurberg Trek mountain-bike race today when they coasted to victory in the opening stage.
On a leg of 71km with 1 300m of ascent, the TIB-Silverback-Best4Sport team crossed the line at Zuurberg Mountain Inn in Addo, 70km outside Port Elizabeth, in 2:46:05.
Shaun-Nick Bester (left) and Andrew Hill cross the finish line first at the Zuurberg Mountain Village on the opening stage of the three-day PwC Great Zuurberg Trek mountain-bike race at Addo, 70km outside Port Elizabeth, today. Picture: Full Stop Communications
This gave them a significant nine-minute lead over Reinhard Zellhuber and Marc Fourie, of Home Ice Cream-Garrun Insurance, who were followed home by Aiden Connelly and Rogan Smart (Bike Shop-Scott-Strocam).
Star women riders Ariane Luthi, of Switzerland, and five-time national mountain-bike champion Robyn de Groot (Ascendis Health Spur) swept to first place in their category in a time of 3:04:11.
After opening a lead and then being caught by Zellhuber and Fourie on the Seven Dwarfs Drop into the river valley, Hill said they were able to get ahead on the climb to the first water point.
“From there it was a case of rolling along, but with some force where possible,” said the 2015 and 2016 champion.
The final outcome was just what they could have hoped for, he said.
Women’s category winners Robyn de Groot (left) and Ariane Luthi enjoy their victory after the first stage of the PwC Great Zuurberg Trek mountain-bike race at the Zuurberg Mountain Village at Addo, 70km outside Port Elizabeth, today. Picture: Full Stop Communications
“Shaun-Nick is very strong so it’s great to have someone like that with you. He has good experience of riding tours and knows exactly what we need to do in a stage race such as this.”
Luthi, who took the chance to enter the GZT on a short break from Europe, said they were delighted with their efforts in the opening stage.
They were followed home by Theresa Ralph and Sarah Hill of Galileo Risk.
Riding with De Groot for the first time, Luthi said they were gelling nicely as a team, working together to pace themselves well.
Defending champions Neill Ungerer and Yolande de Villiers (Silverback-Morelo) were first home in the mixed category, finishing in 3:00:49.
They will take a 13-minute lead into stage two over Ben Melt Swanepoel and Yolandi du Toit (Garmin), with Lester Tait and Andrea Shirley (Ethiopian Bodybuilding) in third place.
