![\"ccs-62657-0-34739300-1527260823.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-34739300-1527260823.jpg\")
<\/a>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<\/span><\/p>\nThe duo, racing in the colours of TIB-Silverback-Best4Sport, completed the course in 2:46:05 to establish a handy nine-minute lead in the overall standings.<\/p>\n
Reinhard Zellhuber and Marc Fourie (Home Ice Cream-Garrun Insurance) crossed the line in second, closely followed by Aiden Connelly and Rogan Smart (Bike Shop-Scott-Strocam).<\/p>\n
The women\u2019s pairing of Swiss star Ariane Luthi and multiple national mountain-bike champion Robyn de Groot (Ascendis Health Spur) swept to first place in a time of 3:04:11.<\/p>\n
They were followed home by Theresa Ralph and Sarah Hill (Galileo Risk), with Imke van der Westhuyzen and Jennifer Cilliers in a distant third.<\/p>\n After charging ahead in the first 10km of the stage, Hill said they tackled the Seven Dwarfs Drop into the river valley fairly conservatively.<\/p>\n \u201cOn this technical descent Reinhard and Marc, probably taking a few more chances than we did, closed the gap,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut on the climb to the first water point we were able to put the pressure on again and managed to create a nice gap.\u201d<\/p>\n From that point on Hill, who won the race in 2015 and 2016, said they coasted comfortably along the flatter sections while adding some pressure where they could.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a case of rolling along, but with some force where possible, while also making sure we kept something in the tank for tomorrow,\u201d he added, referring to the 88km queen stage.<\/p>\n The final outcome was everything they could have hoped for, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cShaun-Nick is very strong so it\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Luthi, who took the chance to enter the PwC Great Zuurberg Trek while on a short break from racing in Europe, said they were delighted with their efforts in the opening stage.<\/p>\n \u201cThe bunch went quite hard at the start, but we eventually managed to settle into a nice pace and were able to get ahead of the rest,\u201d said the two-time Cape Epic women\u2019s champion.<\/p>\n \u201cThe conditions were really good because there was a bit of rain last night and this settled the course and stopped it from being too dusty.\u201d<\/p>\n Luthi, who is partnering De Groot for the first time, said they were gelling nicely as a team.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are both professional riders and we know there is no need to kill ourselves at this stage.\u201d<\/p>\n Defending champions Neill Ungerer and Yolande de Villiers (Silverback-Morelo) set the pace in the mixed category, finishing in 3:00:49.<\/p>\n<\/a>Women\u2019s 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<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Shaun-Nick Bester (front), followed by team-mate Andrew Hill leads the way on a single-track section on the opening stage of the three-day PwC Great Zuurberg Trek mountain-bike race at Addo, 70km outside Port Elizabeth, today. Picture: Shayne Minott<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n