{"id":16376,"date":"2017-10-15T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-15T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/2017\/10\/15\/team-spur-kick-start-the-cape-pioneer-trek-with-double-stage-victory-r6911\/"},"modified":"2023-02-08T06:24:07","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T06:24:07","slug":"team-spur-kick-start-the-cape-pioneer-trek-with-double-stage-victory-r6911","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/team-spur-kick-start-the-cape-pioneer-trek-with-double-stage-victory-r6911\/","title":{"rendered":"Team Spur kick start the Cape Pioneer Trek with double stage victory"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Team Spur squads got the 2017 Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen, off to the best possible start with stage victories for both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams. Alan Hatherly and Matt Beers claimed the win in the UCI men\u2019s race for Team Spur\/Red-E, while Ariane L\u00fcthi and Amy-Beth McDougall were victorious on the first stage of the race, on Sunday the 15th of October, for Team Spur\/Valencia.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-24316000-1508075681.jpeg\"<\/a>Alan Hatherly (left) and Matt Beers (right) raced to stage victory on Stage 1 of the Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen, on Sunday the 15th of October. Photo by Zoon Cronje.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 96 kilometre long stage, which challenged riders with 1 650 meters of climbing, started and finished at Milkwood Primary School, in Mossel Bay, and took in a scenic loop through ripening wheat fields and nature reserves boasting all the members of the Big Five. The day started with a 7 kilometre long neutral zone through the town and the pace stayed relatively steady for the next 28 kilometres as a big group of favourites, excluding the Team Ascendis Health duo of Robyn de Groot and Sabine Spitz, made their way towards the first serious challenge of the day.<\/p>\n

Just before water point one, at the 30 kilometre mark, Nico Bell upped the pace on the first technical climb of the race. Bell\u2019s acceleration split the group and soon it was only Hatherly and Beers who could hold the wheel of Bell and his NAD Pro MTB teammate, Gawie Combrink. \u201cWhen NAD upped the pace we were the only other team to stay with them so I knew it would probably be between us for the stage victory\u201d Hatherly reflected post stage.<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-53854800-1508075675.jpeg\"<\/a>Matt Beers in action on his way to stage victory, during the opening stage of the Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen. Photo by Zoon Cronje.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Spur\/Red-E and NAD Pro teams were chased by the Kelly\u2019s Bikeranch combination, of Jiri Krivanek and Marek Rauchfuss, and the KMC Fruit to Go riders, Bram Rood and Gerben Mos. The chasing teams were able to bridge across briefly in the Gondwana Private Game Reserve but could not maintain the pace of the four South Africans. Exiting Gondwana, Hatherly suffered a slow puncture but a quick wheel change at the water point, 75 kilometres into the stage, kept him within striking distance of the leaders on the road, Bell and Combrink.<\/p>\n

\n\"ccs-62657-0-48215300-1508075671.jpeg\"<\/a>The NAD Pro MTB and Team Spur\/Red-E riders set the pace during Stage 1 of the Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen on Sunday the 15th of October. Photo by Zoon Cronje.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n

The leaders came back together shortly after the water point and on the final section of gravel Hatherly and Beers made the decisive move. \u201cWe had planned to attack where the route crosses under the N2 and it worked perfectly, Gawie [Combrink] looked to be struggling so we capitalised and pushed on and once we hit the tar roads through Mossel Bay I knew we could hold them off\u201d Beers elaborated.<\/p>\n

The Spur\/Red-E completed the stage in a time of 3 hours 35 minutes and 32 seconds, 55.91 seconds ahead of NAD Pro MTB. With six days and 457 kilometres left to race the time gap of less than a minute is hardly significant, especially considering Combrink suffered a mechanical in the closing kilometres. \u201cI had a slow puncture which we eventually had to stop to bomb when we reached the tar. That cost us some time\u201d Combrink explained. \u201cBut fortunately Nico [bell] is pretty quick on the road, so we limited our losses.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the women\u2019s race, the Spur\/Valencia team was utterly dominant as Robyn de Groot struggled with a recurrence of the injury which has hampered her season since May. L\u00fcthi and McDougall opened a lead of five minutes by the half-way point in the stage, but as the stage neared its conclusion De Groot\u2019s injury gradually warmed up allowing her to transfer power more effectively.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Cape Pioneer Trek was my first stage race and my first race on South African soil back in 2010, so it has always been special to me. I felt really good today and Amy [McDougall] and I rode well together\u201d L\u00fcthi said upon completing the stage victory. \u201cWe had fun out there\u201d McDougall added, \u201cthough I did struggle a bit towards the end when my chest closed up a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ccs-62657-0-55814400-1508075678.jpeg\"<\/a>Amy-Beth McDougall (left) and Ariane L\u00fcthi (right) made it a perfect start to the Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen, for Team Spur when they repeated the effort of the men\u2019s team to win the opening stage. Photo by Zoon Cronje.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a tough day for me with my injury, so we just limited the losses as best we could\u201d De Groot reflected. Spitz was more philosophical about their chances for the remaining six days \u201canything can happen in mountain biking\u201d she smiled. \u201cOf all people I know that,\u201d she concluded, referencing her crash at the Absa Cape Epic earlier this year.<\/p>\n

The third women\u2019s team was the Junto Ladies team of Nicky Giliomee and Frankie du Toit. \u201cToday was the furthest Frankie [du Toit] has ever raced so we took it relatively easy\u201d, Giliomee said. The shorter, punchy, stage two will better suit the young Junto women\u2019s cross country strengths.<\/p>\n

Monday\u2019s second stage \u2013 of the 2017 Momentum Health Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen \u2013 is 71 kilometres long, takes in 1 550 metres of climbing, and once again loops out and back from the Milkwood Primary School. The route explores the plains to the west of Mossel Bay and takes in the famous Pinnacle Point resort and the Bergsig Game Farm.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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