Robyn de Groot expects a highly competitive field at the Wines2Whales mountain-bike race which starts in Somerset West, Western Cape, tomorrow.
With the event offering a prize purse of R252 500 it would definitely make for some tight racing, says De Groot.
“They [the event organisers] have raised the bar in terms of that and it has obviously worked really well in so far as bringing Europeans across and making it worthwhile for them to come and race.”
De Groot said it was definitely one of the strongest elite women’s line-ups yet for the race and she wasn’t sure who would provide the toughest competition.
“Obviously Candice [Lill] and Adelheid [Morath] will be defending their title,” said De Groot, who will be competing with 30-year-old Amy McDougall. “They’re super strong athletes.”
Another team in the running comprised Samara Sheppard and Ariane Luthi.
“Ariane knows the routes really well, and having raced against Samara in Europe I know she’s also a really strong rider and great competitor.
“Jennie [Stenerhag] and Nadine [Rieder] are also a team to look out for, as well as the new pairing of Mariske Strauss and Barbara Benko.
“So you can’t eliminate anyone. We’re certainly in for a tight race.”
The 36-year-old De Groot said they were expecting some tough weather conditions, which would add another dimension to the race.
“But Amy and I are excited to be competing together again and as far as I know we’re both in good form.
Robyn de Groot, who will be competing with Amy McDougall, expects a highly competitive elite women’s field at the Wines2Whales mountain-bike race, which starts in Somerset West, Western Cape, tomorrow. Photo: Supplied
“It would be great to finish off well in the final stage race of the year.”
Berg & Bush was the first time the duo paired up officially and, according to De Groot, it was a good test run which would help them during Wines2Whales.
Asked about the route, she said they were coming off a Berg & Bush win and both were familiar with the area, so the minor tweaks weren’t really an issue.
“Still, every race and its competition is different. We’ll just race the event as it unfolds. It’s going to be a fantastic one.”
De Groot, who won bronze at the marathon world champs in September, said she hadn’t quite worked out her plans for 2020 yet.
“As soon as I’m done with Wines2Whales my focus will turn to my final two events for the year.
“Obviously I will be involved at a few training camps over December and I’m certainly not going to miss out on the Cape Epic, Attakwas and Tankwa Trek again.”
She said she also wanted to race in Europe during the quieter season of the South African racing calendar.
“But for now I’m really just focusing on 2019. Once I take time off I will start planning my 2020 and discuss all the above with my coach and team.”
