![\"ccs-62657-0-01911500-1527347686.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-01911500-1527347686.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Aiden Connelly (left) and Rogan Smart take the honours in the second stage of the three-day PwC Great Zuurberg Trek mountain-bike race at Zuurberg Mountain Village at Addo, 70km outside Port Elizabeth, today. Picture: Full Stop Communications<\/span><\/p>\nThe Bikeshop-Scott-Strocam pair blitzed the tough 88km course in a time of 3:40:49 to beat Jason Peach and Jason Read and Renay Groustra and Stuart Marais (RSA Web) to the finish at the Zuurberg Mountain Village outside Port Elizabeth.<\/p>\n
Overnight leaders Andrew Hill and Shaun-Nick Bester (TIB-Silverback-Best4Sport), who set the early pace, suffered a serious mechanical before the first water point and later a puncture to cross the line in fourth.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Overnight leaders Shaun-Nick Bester (front) and Andrew Hill finished fourth after suffering a serious mechanical in the second stage of the PwC Great Zuurberg Trek mountain-bike race at Zuurberg Mountain Village at Addo, 70km outside Port Elizabeth, today. Picture: Shayne Minott<\/span>\n<\/div>\nThey were able to maintain their lead in the general classification, but their nine-minute cushion was slashed to two seconds over the Plett riders \u2013setting up a thrilling grand finale.<\/p>\n
Peach and Reed are third overall, just under three minutes off the pace.<\/p>\n
Connelly, 19, said he and his 20-year-old teammate were thrilled with the outcome, even though it \u201cwas completely unexpected\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was really amazing to come home first. This is our first ever stage win in a major race.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said their game plan was to try and stick with the leaders \u201cuntil we blow\u201d.<\/p>\n
Hill and Bester broke away to take an early lead until they suffered their mechanical, which allowed a number of teams to pass them at the first water point.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt that point we formed a group in front with Jason and Renay and Reinhard [Zellhuber] and Marc [Fourie],\u201d he explained, while Reed and Peach caught them later.<\/p>\n
The four teams stuck together for a large part of the stage until Reed and Peach gapped their breakaway companions on the way down Gower\u2019s Gauntlet with about 25km to go.<\/p>\n
They were eventually reeled in and dropped by Connelly and Smart with 14km left.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce we managed to overtake them we put our heads down and time-trialled to the finish,\u201d said Connelly, admitting they did not know what to expect in their maiden appearance at the PwC Great Zuurberg Trek.<\/p>\n \u201cWe weren\u2019t really thinking of a stage win and are just tackling each challenge as it presents itself.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we saw our chance today we decided to give it a go and everything worked out perfectly. We couldn\u2019t be happier.\u201d<\/p>\n He said they would take the same approach into tomorrow\u2019s final stage over a relatively short but tricky 50km.<\/p>\n \u201cToday\u2019s queen stage definitely lived up to its name. It was super tough and I had some cramps towards the end.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we will go through our normal recovery process and just see what happens tomorrow.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have no real expectations and it looks like quite a fun day, so we want to go out there and enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n Swiss ace Ariane Luthi and Robyn de Groot (Ascendis Health-Spur) extended their overall lead in the women\u2019s section after getting the better of Theresa Ralph and Sarah Hill (Galileo Risk).<\/p>\n De Groot, from George, said they were able to keep a nice tempo on what turned out to be a testing day.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a lot of hard work during today\u2019s stage and not many easy sections.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it has been a really good experience riding with Ariane (Stellenbosch) in these conditions, which included some really good single-track.\u201d<\/p>\n Neill Ungerer and Yolande de Villiers (Silverback Bikes) won their second stage in the mixed category to take a commanding lead in the overall standings.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Overall women\u2019s leaders Ariane Luthi (left) and Robyn de Groot cross the finish line at Zuurberg Mountain Village on the second stage of the PwC Great Zuurberg Trek mountain-bike race at Addo, 70km outside Port Elizabeth, today. Picture: Full Stop Communications<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Neill Ungerer (left) and Yolande de Villiers win the second stage of the PwC Great Zuurberg Trek mountain-bike race at Zuurberg Mountain Village at Addo, 70km outside Port Elizabeth, today. Picture: Full Stop Communications<\/span><\/p>\n