![\"ccs-62657-0-48807900-1581011097.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-48807900-1581011097-1.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>The CST PostNL Bafang team of Sebastian Fini and David Nordemann won the opening stage of the Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek presented by Biogen on Thursday afternoon. Photo by ZC Marketing Consulting.<\/span><\/p>\nMechanicals, punctures and crashes impacted both the UCI men\u2019s and women\u2019s races. The primary victims were the Cannondale Factory Racing team of Manuel Fumic and Henrique Avancini. Fumic\u2019s front wheel kicked a rock up which destroyed his chainring and his hopes of winning the stage. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen anything like it before\u201d Avancini confessed. \u201cThe chainring nearly broke off the crank from a rock hitting it and there was no way to fix it on the trail. Manny [Fumic] had to run and I had to tow him to the finish. Now we reset and use the rest of the race as training. Hopefully we can help Maxime [Marotte] and Grant [Ferguson] over the next three days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fumic and Avancini\u2019s loss was Fini and Nordemann\u2019s gain. The young cross-country racers had escaped off the front with Cannondale Factory Racing and were able to capitalise on Fumic\u2019s mechanical. Once they were in the lead they pushed on towards the finish, even a crash by Nordemann 6 kilometres from the finish could not derail their charge to victory.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw Fumic struggling with his chain and then we just pushed full gas\u201d Fini related. \u201cSebastien was so strong, I just tried to hold his wheel\u201d Nordemann. \u201cThe trails here are amazing, but are kind of sketchy in places too. You have to really be careful. I pushed a bit to hard and caught my handlebar on a bush and went over the bars 6 kilometres from the finish. Fortunately, I was able to get up, straighten my bars and we could still win the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n CST PostNL Bafang crossed the finish line, at Kaleo Manor, in a time of 54 minutes and 14 seconds. They were followed in by the Cannondale Factory Racing 2 pair of Marotte and Ferguson, 35 seconds later. The third team on the stage was the surprise package of Tristan de Lange and Alexander Miller. The young Namibians will start Stage 2 just 42 seconds behind the race leaders.<\/p>\n In the UCI women\u2019s race Strauss and Lill lead from start to finish. Initially the Fairtree team of Jennie Stenerhag and Nadine Rieder followed the Faces CST squad\u2019s pace. On the stage\u2019s most significant climb the leading teams had established a healthy buffer, but that would not last for Fairtree. 8 kilometres from the finish Rieder experienced her first puncture during a mountain bike race.<\/p>\n \u201cI had my first ever puncture while racing my mountain bike today\u201d Rieder exclaimed. \u201cI\u2019ve been worried about it for years, but at least it\u2019s out of the way now. After Jennie [stenerhag] plugged it I crashed twice, once because of the low pressure in the back wheel and then when I clipped a tree branch with my handlebar.\u201d \u201cI know from last year that anything can happen in the Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek presented by Biogen\u201d Stenerhag philosophised. \u201cLast year we were 4 minutes down after Stage 1 and still won overall. It is so easy to make a mistake here and lose lots of time. Hopefully we got that out of the way today.\u201d<\/p>\n For Strauss and Lill the stage was drama-free. The pair looked untroubled in their first start as a partnership and matched each-other strength-for-strength. \u201cI kind of knew Mariske [strauss] and I would race well together\u201d Lill said. \u201cBut to have it proven gives us a lot of confidence for the rest of the race.\u201d<\/p>\n Taking confidence into the long stages ahead could be vital. \u201cThe race only really starts tomorrow\u201d Strauss stated. \u201cHaving the leaders jerseys on our shoulders gives us a chance to race tactically and not take undue risks.\u201d The chasing UCI women\u2019s pack will have to take risks to put Faces CST under pressure.<\/p>\n Ghost Factory Racing are perfectly placed to do so on Stage 2. Barbara Benko and Anne Terpstra were second on the opening stage, having overtaken Fairtree after Reider\u2019s first crash. They lie 1 minute and 18 seconds behind the race leaders. Stenerhag and Rieder are a further 8 seconds back, with dormakaba blue\u2019s Robyn de Groot and Adelheid Morath just off the podium in fourth.<\/p>\n Stage 2, which loops into the Witzenberg Valley, features 84 challenging kilometres of mountain biking. The singletrack-packed stage takes in 1 900 metres of climbing and though many riders fear the Merino Monster, on Stage 3, Stage 2 is arguably the toughest day of the race. Mountain biking fans can follow the action, as it unfolds on the race\u2019s Twitter handle, from 06:30: @tankwatrek<\/a>.<\/p>\n Stage 1 | Men:<\/strong> Stage 1 | Women:<\/strong><\/a>Sebastian Fini (leading) David Nordemann capitalised on a mechanical for Manuel Fumic to race to a superb stage victory. Photo by ZC Marketing Consulting.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Cannondale Factory Racing\u2019s Henrique Avancini was unable to prove his form as misfortune intervened for him and his partner, Manuel Fumic. Photo by ZC Marketing Consulting.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Candice Lill and Mariske Strauss kicked off their partnership with a stage victory on Day 1 of the Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek presented by Biogen. Photo by ZC Marketing Consulting.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>With UCI points and significant prize money at stake the Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek presented by Biogen attracts a stellar international field. Photo by ZC Marketing Consulting.<\/span><\/p>\n
1. CST PostNL Bafang: Sebastian Fini & David Nordemann (54:14)
2. Cannondale Factory Racing 2: Maxime Marotte & Grant Ferguson (54:49 | +00:35)
3. DANSTE Racing\/Megatech: Tristan de Lange & Alexander Miller (54:56 | +00:42)<\/p>\n
1. Faces CST: Mariske Strauss & Candice Lill (01:02:38)
2. Ghost Factory Racing: Barbara Benko & Anne Terpstra (01:03:56 | +01:18)
3. Fairtree: Jennie Stenerhag & Nadine Rieder (01:04:04 | +01:26)<\/p>\n