Heading into Saturday\u2019s final 82 fast kilometres to the coast, the men’s contest had the potential to be a cracker with the chasing Team DSV pair of Arno du Toit and Gert Heyns needing to make up the four minutes that separated them from Team NAD.<\/p>\n
The stage was neck and neck with three teams vying for a prestigious final stage title until Beers and Bell stretched the elastic band and snapped off the chasing DSV boys as well as the PYGA\/Euro Steel pair of Matthys Beukes and Julian Jessop \u2013 who were expected to fight it out for second.<\/p>\n As the Team NAD men cruised across the finish line for a perfect score over the three days, PYGA\/Euro Steel took advantage of an ailing Heyns which gave them slight consolation as they came across the line in second but still settled for third overall.<\/p>\n \u201cToday we weren\u2019t really expecting to win the stage and expected the other guys to do the racing but we ended up setting the pace through most of the day,\u201d Bell mentioned.<\/p>\n \u201cTowards the end we saw the guys bleeding a little bit and Matt whacked it on one of the big open roads and the other guys were struggling so we got ahead.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom there we just kept a good, solid speed to the finish and managed to win the stage and the overall title.\u201d<\/p>\n Having won in 2013, Bell was back for a spot on the top step of the podium. For Beers, a first win at the prestigious event bettered his second in 2017. The youngster was full of praise for his team mate after their win.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter my second last year I really wanted a win here,\u201d a relieved Beers said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t have asked for a better partner and it all went so smoothly for us.<\/p>\n \u201cThe bikes were great, we didn\u2019t have any mechanical issues and it\u2019s a great feeling to be a sani2c winner!\u201d<\/p>\n Despite a tough day in the saddle on Saturday, Team DSV did enough to prevent too much damage to their overall time as PYGA\/Euro Steel put the hurt in on the final stage.<\/p>\n \u201cWe knew that the PYGA guys would also want the stage win today but the NAD guys were just too strong.<\/p>\n \u201cWe managed to actually hang on to the NAD guys for longer and then I blew completely, but luckily we didn\u2019t lose too much time in the end,\u201d Heyns commented.<\/p>\n It was a strong three days from Heyns and Du Toit who might have come into the race with less hype surrounding them, however they put in three solid shifts that took them to a strong second place finish.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really enjoyed the last three days and it\u2019s such a pleasure to be able to race on this route against such a strong bunch of riders,\u201d Du Toit added.<\/p>\n \u201cGetting on the podium with Gert is great! We have been racing against each other since we were sprogs so to do it with him is the cherry on the top!\u201d<\/p>\n As mountain biking has proven in the past, the race for the podium spots was still on the line on the final stage. A flowing, confident performance was what PYGA\/Euro Steel needed and they did all they could on the final stage, but it wasn\u2019t enough to cancel the four minutes that separated them and DSV.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t really expect too much with Julian focusing on his exams at the moment,\u201d Matthys Beukes said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he did quite well considering the circumstances and the fact he hasn\u2019t been riding as much.<\/p>\n \u201cTo get a second place on the stage close to Julian\u2019s home town is great and it means a lot to him.\u201d<\/p>\n As the dormakaba pair of Samantha Sanders and Amy McDougall got further on in the race, they got stronger and pushed incredibly hard for a top ten spot. Their third stage was another blitz but they had to settle for 13th overall on general classification but they did go home with a first sani2c title.<\/p>\n![\"ccs-62657-0-29103600-1526138825.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-29103600-1526138825.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Team NAD 1’s Nico Bell (left) and Matt Beers (right) celebrate as they come over the line to win the men’s title after the final stage of the 2018 KAP sani2c from Jolivet to Scottburgh on Saturday. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\n![\"ccs-62657-0-12078100-1526138823.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-12078100-1526138823.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Team DSV’s Arno du Toit (front) and Gert Heyns (second) had to settle for second after three strong days of racing after the final stage of the 2018 KAP sani2c from Jolivet to Scottburgh on Saturday. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\n![\"ccs-62657-0-55531500-1526138826.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-55531500-1526138826.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Despite a second place on the stage, PYGA\/Euro Steel’s Matthys beaukes (front) and Julian Jessop (second) finished third overall after the final stage of the 2018 KAP sani2c from Jolivet to Scottburgh on Saturday. Anthony Grote\/ Gameplan Media<\/span><\/p>\n
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