Toyota Specialized and Cannondale Factory Racing got off to a winning start in Stage 1 of the 2024 Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek Presented by Biogen. Thursday, February 8th. Matt Beers and Alex Miller ran away and won Stage 2 with a 37 second advantage. Mona Mitterwalner and Candice Rill benefited from a crash from Annie Last, who was second to the leader, and ended the day with a difference of one minute. His 6 second buffer to efficient Infiniti Insure.
The 26km opening stage was raced at lightning pace, with Toyota Specialized taking control from the off. “I picked up the pace on the first proper climb and unexpectedly got a little bit of a lead,” Beals explained. “Alex [Miller] Anything can happen here in Koue Bockeveld, so I moved on. Any little bit of an advantage will give us a leg up going into a tough few days tomorrow and Saturday. ”
Behind the leaders, KMC Ridley was caught by slower wheels on the trail and had to fight his way through the field. Martins Brums and Gunnar Holmgren gradually moved to the front of the chasing pack, keeping the Toyota Specialized riders in their sights throughout the stage whenever the track flattened. However, he was unable to get Beals and Miller involved and had to settle for second place.
Two teams, PYGA Eurosteel, Team Bulls, and Invco Pro Cycling were involved in the battle for third place, with Pieter du Toit and Jadon Terlou leading the way. “Today's race was tough! The stages were short and fast, and it was difficult for the Toyota Specialized,” said du Toit. “I had a bit of luck with my positioning for the finish here at Kaleo and was able to sprint for third place ahead of Urs Huber and Leon Kaiser of the Bulls.''
In the women's race, a large group of top four teams competed in the first half of the stage. Then, on the undulating trail, a natural gap opened up behind Mitterwallner, Lil, and Rast. “On the uphill singletrack, I noticed that the rear wheels were making less noise,” Lil said. “When I had a chance to look back, I realized there was a gap between us and Annie was the only one.” [Last] I was able to follow you. Then she had to wait for her teammates.On the next dual track I saw Mona [Mitterwallner] And she said go. So that's what we did. ”
“Annie and Marlene Degun were only about 20 seconds behind us with a few kilometers left,” added Lil. Then Lapierre and his Mavic Unity disaster befell his team, crashing hard at the end and only being able to run his last kilometer limping. Vera Loser sympathized, saying, “It seems like it was a really bad fall. I hope Annie is okay and can start tomorrow.''
Loser and Daniel Strydom took over second place on the trail and finished second. The Namibian and South African duo are racing together for the first time and are well placed for the remaining races. They were followed home by KMC Ridley's Janika Loib and Yana Belomoina. Lena Gerow and Margot Moschetti took fourth place, with Rast and Degun fifth.
This should make Friday's stage 2 an exciting race. This route into the Witzenberg Valley is 88 kilometers long and includes 1,700 meters of climbing. Built by Sacky and Hannes Hanekom, this trail is famously technical and will be the perfect test for man, woman and machine. Race action begins at 06:30 and mountain bike fans can follow the action on Instagram and Facebook Stories. Follow @tankwatrek on Instagram and Tankwa Trek on Facebook. For more information, please visit www.tankwatrek.co.za.
Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, provided by Biogen, Results:
Men's | Stage 1:
- Toyota Specialized: Alex Miller & Matthew Beers (0:51:52)
- KMC Ridley: Martins Brums & Gunnar Holmgren (0:52:29 | +37)
- PYGA Euro Steel: Peter du Toit & Jadon Telllow (0:53:45 | +1:53)
Female | Stage 1:
- Cannondale Factory Racing: Mona Mitterwalner & Candice Rill (1:01:12)
- Efficient Infinity Insurance: Danielle Strydom and Vera Looser (1:02:18 | +1:06)
- KMC-Ridley: Janika Loiv & Yana Belomoina (1:02:56 | +1:44)
Click here for full results of Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek by Biogen.
