{"id":16356,"date":"2017-10-20T15:40:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T14:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/2017\/10\/20\/spurred-e-reign-supreme-on-the-swartbergshowdown-r6933\/"},"modified":"2023-02-08T06:22:19","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T06:22:19","slug":"spurred-e-reign-supreme-on-the-swartbergshowdown-r6933","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/spurred-e-reign-supreme-on-the-swartbergshowdown-r6933\/","title":{"rendered":"Spur\/Red-E Reign Supreme on the #SwartbergShowdown"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Queen Stage of the 2017 Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen, saw the Team Spur\/Red-E combination to Alan Hatherly and Matt Beers distance NAD Pro MTB in the final meters to claim a potentially decisive stage win. The sixth stage of the race, on Friday the 20th of October, featured a mammoth 2 700 metres of climbing and was won by the Team Ascendis Health duo of Robyn de Groot and Sabine Spitz in the UCI women\u2019s competition.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"w-full aspect-video\">\n<div><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/slwgQQfVpQ8?feature=oembed\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Swartberg Pass is an iconic feature of the Cape Pioneer Trek and after its absence in 2016, Dryland Event Management took the decision to reinclude the grand old dame in the 2017 event. The 95 kilometre long stage might have ended on the Swarberg Pass, but the National Monument\u2019s roads \u2013 which date back to 1886 \u2013 only accounted for 800 metres of the total elevation gain, making the stage exceptionally brutal.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image\" href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-72071600-1508513941.jpg\" data-fileid=\"1073141\" data-fileext=\"jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-fileid=\"1073141\" class=\"ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed\" alt=\"ccs-62657-0-72071600-1508513941.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-72071600-1508513941.jpg\"><\/a><span class=\"italic text-sm text-slate-500 block mt-1 mb-4\">Alan Hatherly and Matt Beers distanced Nico Bell and Gawie Combrink in the final 300 metres of the Swartberg Pass climb to claim victory on the Queen Stage of the 2017 Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen. Photo by Hayden Brown.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Once again the NAD Pro MTB team did their best to drive up the pace in the early phases of the race, but without a second equally strong general classification team to counter punch and put Team Spur\/Red-E under pressure they could not force a split from the yellow jersey wearers. Despite crossing some typically technical Klein Karoo terrain, which shook off the other UCI men\u2019s teams Spur\/Red-E and NAD Pro started the final climb together.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI tried to set a tough pace in the hope of dropping Alan [Hatherly]\u201d Bell explained at the top of the Swartberg Pass. \u201cIt is impossible to set the pace and attack so Gawie [Combrink] tried to attack a few times, with the idea of me riding across to him if he got away. But Alan [Hatherly] and Matt [beers] were too strong and could follow every move\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy legs felt terrible on the final climb, but somehow I hung in there. Then in the last 500 metres they started to feel better, miraculously, so I thought we might as well go for it and see if we could gain a few seconds\u201d Beers said. \u201cAlan [Hatherly] is like a little rat, he climbs so fast\u201d he laughed, \u201cand I\u2019m like an ogre, so I just have to hang in there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image\" href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-75047900-1508513943.jpg\" data-fileid=\"1073142\" data-fileext=\"jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-fileid=\"1073142\" class=\"ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed\" alt=\"ccs-62657-0-75047900-1508513943.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-75047900-1508513943.jpg\"><\/a><span class=\"italic text-sm text-slate-500 block mt-1 mb-4\">Matt Beers looks back as he makes the decisive attack on the upper reaches of the Swartberg Pass. Photo by Hayden Brown.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The sixth stage win of 2017 Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen, for Team Spur\/Red-E saw them cross the line 8 seconds ahead of NAD Pro MTB and extend their general classification lead to 1 minute and 43 seconds. The third placed team on the general classification, KMC Fruit to Go, crossed the finish line on the summit of the pass 6 minutes and 41 seconds behind the stage winners. The result sees Bram Rood and Gerben Mos slip to 17 minutes and 31 seconds down on the overall time sheets.<\/p>\n<p>In the women\u2019s race Team Ascendis Health made the going brutally tough for Team Spur\/Valencia. By the 45 kilometre mark De Groot and Spitz had established a lead of 2 minutes and 45 seconds. It looked for all money as if Ariane Luthi and Amy-Beth McDougall would falter, allowing the pink jerseys to slip from their shoulders.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image\" href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-13288300-1508513953.jpg\" data-fileid=\"1073144\" data-fileext=\"jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-fileid=\"1073144\" class=\"ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed\" alt=\"ccs-62657-0-13288300-1508513953.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-13288300-1508513953.jpg\"><\/a><span class=\"italic text-sm text-slate-500 block mt-1 mb-4\">Robyn de Groot reaches across to congratulate her Ascendis Health teammate, Sabine Spitz, on another stellar stage. Photo by Hayden Brown.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>After three stages of struggling to match her partner\u2019s pace McDougall put in a race saving ride on stage 6. The Valencia rider was the dominant partner in the team on the stage and rescued Team Spur\/Valencia\u2019s Cape Pioneer Trek title hopes. \u201cAmy [McDougall] was so strong today, she really helped me so much\u201d a grateful L\u00fcthi said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe gave it our all today\u201d a visibly spent De Groot accounted from the top of the Swartberg Pass. \u201cBut it was not to be.\u201d \u201cThat is racing\u201d her partner Spitz concluded.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image\" href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-23918500-1508513956.jpg\" data-fileid=\"1073145\" data-fileext=\"jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-fileid=\"1073145\" class=\"ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed\" alt=\"ccs-62657-0-23918500-1508513956.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-23918500-1508513956.jpg\"><\/a><span class=\"italic text-sm text-slate-500 block mt-1 mb-4\">An exhausted Ariane L\u00fcthi recovers while Amy-Beth McDougall smiles in the knowledge that the Team Spur\/Valencia pairing did enough to hang on to their pink leaders\u2019 jerseys going into the final stage of the 2017 Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen. Photo by Hayden Brown.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s races are far from decided however; the final stage, which takes in 1 150 metres of climbing in its 64 kilometre distance, dished up drama in last year\u2019s edition of the Cape Pioneer Trek. The loose shale surfaces of Chandelier Game Farm provide for exhilarating mountain biking, but they can lead to serious mechanicals and spectacular implosions too. In 2016 both the Team Spur and Cape Brewing Co Elite squads lost their podium positions; after a side wall puncture for Julian Jessop, of Team Spur, and a complete draining of his energy reserves for Daniel Gathof saw both teams lose massive chunks of time.<\/p>\n<p>It remains all to race for then, with NAD Pro MTB and Team Ascendis Health afforded one final opportunity to topple Team Spur\/Red-E and Team Spur\/Valencia from the top of the men\u2019s and women\u2019s general classifications.<\/p>\n<p>To follow the action as it unfolds mountain biking fans can follow the event\u2019s Twitter handle, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CapePioneerTrek\" rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@CapePioneerTrek<\/a>, from 07:30 on Saturday morning. In addition to the live coverage on Twitter the highlights from every stage of the race can be viewed on the Cape Pioneer Trek <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CapePioneerTrek\/?ref=br_rs\" rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a> page and the Dryland Event Management <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCxwuyVVCikX8joqyKjnAlFQ\" rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a> Channel from 20:00, Central African Time, daily. For more information on the Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen, please visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.capepioneer.co.za\" rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">www.capepioneer.co.za<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bg-slate-100 p-5\">\n<strong>Results: 2017 Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>UCI Men | Stage 6<\/strong><br \/>1. Team Spur\/RedE, Alan Hatherly &amp; Matthew Beers (4:07:08)<br \/>2. NAD Pro MTB, Nico Bell &amp; Gawie Combrink (4:07:17 | +00:08)<br \/>3. KMC Fruit to Go, Bram Rood &amp; Gerben Mos (4:13:50 | +06:41)<br \/>4. Kelly\u2019s Bikeranch Team, Jiri Krivanek &amp; Marek Rauchfuss (4:14:09 | +07:00)<br \/>5. KTM Pro Team, Moritz Bscherer &amp; Manuel Pliem (4:22:57 | +15:48)<\/p>\n<p><strong>UCI Women | Stage 6<\/strong><br \/>1. Team Ascendis Health, Robyn de Groot &amp; Sabine Spitz (4:33:12)<br \/>2. Team Spur\/Valencia, Ariane Luthi &amp; Amy-Beth McDougall (4:35:50 | +02:38)<br \/>3. Junto Ladies, Nicky Giliomee &amp; Frankie du Toit (5:41:41 | +1:08:29)<br \/>4. Team Cape Brewing Company, Ila Stow &amp; Marianne Bergli (5:44:29 | +1:11:17)<br \/>5. Team Bicycling, Jenna Borrill &amp; Tandy Kitching (6:02:16 | +1:29:04)<\/p>\n<p><strong>UCI Men | General Classification after Stage 6<\/strong><br \/>1. Team Spur\/RedE, Alan Hatherly &amp; Matthew Beers (19:27:51)<br \/>2. NAD Pro MTB, Nico Bell &amp; Gawie Combrink (19:29:35 | +01:43)<br \/>3. KMC Fruit to Go, Bram Rood &amp; Gerben Mos (19:45:23 | +17:31)<br \/>4. Kellys Bikeranch Team, Jiri Krivanek &amp; Marek Rauchfuss (20:01:56 | +34:04)<br \/>5. SPOT Africa, Derrin Smith &amp; Timothy Hammond (20:13:33 | +45:41)<\/p>\n<p><strong>UCI Women | General Classification after Stage 6<\/strong><br \/>1. Team Spur\/Valencia, Ariane Luthi &amp; Amy-Beth McDougall (21:42:30)<br \/>2. Team Ascendis Health, Robyn de Groot &amp; Sabine Spitz (21:45:00 | +02:29)<br \/>3. Junto Ladies, Nicky Giliomee &amp; Frankie du Toit (25:09:30 | +3:27:00)<br \/>4. Team Cape Brewing Company, Ila Stow &amp; Marianne Bergli (26:18:35 | +4:36:05)<br \/>5. Team Bicycling, Jenna Borrill &amp; Tandy Kitching (27:57:59 | +8:30:08)<\/p>\n<p>For all the results from the 2017 Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen please click <a href=\"http:\/\/timing.mobii.com\/results\/CPT2017\/\" rel=\"external nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Queen Stage of the 2017 Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen, saw the Team Spur\/Red-E combination to Alan Hatherly and Matt Beers distance NAD Pro MTB in the final meters to claim a potentially decisive stage win. The sixth stage of the race, on Friday the 20th of October, featured a mammoth [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":33584,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[134,30,155,361,768,894],"featured_location":[],"class_list":["post-16356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","tag-alan-hatherly","tag-cape-pioneer-trek","tag-matt-beers","tag-robyn-de-groot","tag-sabine-spitz","tag-team-ascendis-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16356"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16356\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16356"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=16356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}