![\"ccs-62657-0-27702300-1523803669.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-27702300-1523803669.jpg\")
<\/a>Arno du Toit (left) and Gert Heyns cross the finish line at Nederburg Wine Estate near Paarl on the 50km final stage of the Liberty Winelands Encounter mountain-bike race, presented by STANLIB, to win the overall honours today. Picture: Robert Ward<\/span><\/p>\nThe DSV Pro Cycling team, who raced into the overall lead on day one, were comfortable winners after HB Kruger, who won last year with Waylon Woolcock, took a tumble and was unable to complete the stage.<\/p>\n
Kruger and Matt Beers, riding for ASG-NAD, won the second stage and were striving to make up a two-minute gap on overall leaders Heyns and Du Toit when the accident happened 25km in.<\/p>\n
Coming into a single-track section, Kruger said he felt his front wheel get stuck in some soft sand and he went over the handlebars.<\/p>\n \u201cI damaged my right shoulder quite badly and we had to get help, so unfortunately were not able to finish the stage,\u201d he said from hospital after having X-rays taken.<\/p>\n The outcome was that it left Imbuko-Momsen\u2019s Dylan Rebello and Marco Joubert, the third-placed team overnight, to chase the overall leaders.<\/p>\n However, Heyns and Du Toit, from Stellenbosch and Milnerton in Cape Town respectively, proved that they were the strongest in the race by taking stage honours.<\/p>\n They finished just under a minute-and-a-half ahead of Rebello and Joubert, who inherited second overall after Kruger\u2019s misfortune.<\/p>\n First Ascent\u2019s Richard Simpson and Alexander Rohrer were a further six and a bit minutes back on the day to finish on the lowest step of the podium in the general classification.<\/p>\n After losing yesterday\u2019s stage in a sprint, Heyns said they were motivated to win today as the three top teams led from the start.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were just going into a single-track section and I was in front when I heard something behind us, which turned out to be HB falling,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cSoon afterwards we realised HB and Matt weren\u2019t with us and we later saw Dylan and Marco chasing us, so we assumed what had happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Their lead was, however, never challenged as they completed a dominant weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was definitely a good win for us, especially as we will be riding sani2c next month,\u201d said Heyns.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was very special and our partnership worked well after doing the Cape Epic with each other a few years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cWe come from the same racing background and are comfortable on the more technical sections, so in the end it worked out well.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha Sanders of Nelspruit and Matthew Stamatis of Stellenbosch completed a clean sweep of the stages to win the mixed title.<\/p>\n The Home Ice Cream-dormakaba duo were followed by David George and Katie Lennard of The Gear Change and Carmen Buchacher and Paris Basson of dormakaba in the overall standings.<\/p>\n Sanders, who was a late entry when Stamatis was looking for a partner, said she was delighted with the victory in her first Liberty Winelands Encounter appearance.<\/p>\n \u201cWe went into the race with the intention of doing well,\u201d she said, confirming that she was familiar with many of the trails in the area.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got off to a good lead on the first day and were able to ride consistently from then on.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that was our strength because we were able to ride at a safe pace on some fairly technical and rocky sections, while maintaining an even tempo throughout.\u201d<\/p>\n The women\u2019s category went to Louise Ferreira and Marleen Lourens, who also led from the first stage.<\/p>\n They completed the final leg in 2:22:39 for an overall time of 6:58:59.<\/p>\n Ilse Viljoen and Jana Kruger took second place overall and Alta Kriegler and Sunette Beyers (Pool Nurse) were third.<\/p>\n Results<\/strong> 1 Gert Heyns & Arno du Toit (DSV Pro Cycling) 1:55:01 Women<\/strong><\/p>\n 1 Louise Ferreira & Marleen Lourens (Louise-Marleen) 2:22:39 Mixed<\/strong><\/p>\n 1 Matthew Stamatis & Samantha Sanders (Home Ice Cream-dormakaba) 2:07:26 General classification<\/strong><\/p>\n Men<\/strong><\/p>\n 1 Gert Heyns & Arno du Toit (DSV Pro Cycling) 5:29:29 Women<\/strong><\/p>\n 1 Louise Ferreira & Marleen Lourens (Rockhopper Ladies) 6:58:59<\/a>Matt Beers (front) and HB Kruger lead the bunch in the early stages of the final day of the Liberty Winelands Encounter mountain-bike race, presented by STANLIB, which finished at Nederburg Wine Estate near Paarl today. Picture: Robert Ward<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Matthew Stamatis (front) and Samantha Sanders won the mixed category in the Liberty Winelands Encounter mountain-bike race, presented by STANLIB, which finished at Nederburg Wine Estate near Paarl today. Picture: Robert Ward<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Marleen Lourens (left) and Louise Ferreira won the women\u2019s category in the Liberty Winelands Encounter mountain-bike race, presented by STANLIB, which finished at Nederburg Wine Estate near Paarl today. Picture: Robert Ward<\/span><\/p>\n
Stage three, 50km<\/strong>
Men<\/strong><\/p>\n
2 Marco Joubert & Dylan Rebello (Imbuko-Momsen) 1:56:27
3 Richard Simpson & Alexander Rohrer (First Ascent) 2:02:50
4 James Lennard & Rickus Jooste (Gear Change 2) 2:09:58
5 Conway Oliver & Alan Cox (Pitstop Sport) 2:16:06<\/p>\n
2 Ilse Viljoen & Jana Kruger (Companero) 2:41:41
3 Alta Kriegler & Sunette Beyers (Pool Nurse) 2:50:03
4 Anne Foale & Mimi Viviers (Fun) 3:29:03
5 Mariska Hennig & Kerryn Allan (Skaapie and Boks) 3:53:07<\/p>\n
2 David George & Katie Lennard (The Gear Change) 2:09:45
3 Carmen Buchacher & Paris Basson (dormakaba) 2:12:40
4 Everett Haywood & Anna Haywood (Fu King Fast) 2:43:52<\/p>\n
2 Marco Joubert & Dylan Rebello (Imbuko-Momsen) 5:37:26
3 Richard Simpson & Alexander Rohrer (First Ascent) 5:58:20
4 James Lennard & Rickus Jooste (Gear Change 2) 6:15:46
5 Conway Oliver & Alan Cox (Pitstop Sport) 6:34:55<\/p>\n<\/a>On the men\u2019s podium at the Liberty Winelands Encounter mountain-bike race, presented by STANLIB, which finished at Nederburg Wine Estate near Paarl today were (from left) STANLIB head of marketing and wellness Travis Johnston, Dylan Rebello and Marco Joubert (second), Gert Heyns and Arno du Toit (first), and Richard Simpson and Alexander Rohrer (third). Picture: Robert Ward<\/span><\/p>\n
2 Ilse Viljoen & Jana Kruger (Companero) 7:51:53
3 Alta Kriegler & Sunette Beyers (Pool Nurse) 8:33:49
4 Anne Foale & Mimi Viviers (Fun) 10:36:42
5 Michelle Cronje & Sonja Olivier (Salamon Girls) 11:11:36<\/p>\n