![\"ccs-62657-0-03415600-1492868338.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-03415600-1492868338.jpg\")
<\/a>HB Kruger (front) and Waylon Woolcock, of BCX, built an overall lead of just more than six minutes after winning the second stage in the three-day Liberty Winelands Encounter, in partnership with STANLIB, today. Photo: Ewald Sadie<\/span><\/p>\nThe BCX pair used their knowledge of the region \u2013 Woolcock is from Stellenbosch and Kruger from Paarl \u2013 to build a six-minute lead going into the final stage tomorrow.<\/p>\n
They completed the 57km stage from Franschhoek to Wellington in 2:17:21, finishing ahead of Andrew Hill and Marco Joubert (TIB Insurance-Momsen Valley Light), who clocked a time of 2:20:35.<\/p>\n
Jurgens Uys and Nicol Carstens (Versus Socks) were third for the second consecutive day, finishing in 2:23:00.<\/p>\n
The stage\u2019s outcome gave Woolcock and Kruger an overall time of 4:29:00, just more than six minutes clear of Hill and Joubert (4:35:27). Uys and Carstens (4:39:50) are third.<\/p>\n Woolcock said it was not a case of making any significant moves on the day, but maintaining the pressure on their rivals until the climb up Cascade Manor 40km into the race.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first 15 to 20km were fairly fast and flat, but knowing the trails pretty well, it was a matter of just keeping up the pace,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe guys were on and off us the whole time and we had a gap of about one minute when we hit the big climb of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that they wanted to build up a decent gap going up Cascade Manor to the Hawekwa Plantation.<\/p>\n \u201cWe managed to achieve that and still had something in reserve because there have been some fires in the region, which meant we had to be fairly careful on the single-track down to the finish,\u201d said Woolcock.<\/p>\n After riding a large part of the first stage of the Liberty Winelands Encounter, in partnership with STANLIB, at tempo, he said they had been able to ease back even more today.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could see that fatigue had set in with some of the riders and I always believe in keeping something in reserve rather than trying too hard and making mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n Kruger said they were still in good shape, having maintained their momentum without \u201cpushing ourselves into the red\u201d.<\/p>\n Even with a fairly comfortable lead, he said they would not take anything for granted going into the final stage.<\/p>\n \u201cThe race is never over and we will definitely have to ride smartly tomorrow,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want to run the risk of any mechanicals and crashes, or get caught at the back on some of the single-track.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we will definitely be on our toes and make sure we are up near the front.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>Dylan Rebello, of Imbuko Wines, leads the bunch on the 57km second stage of the three-day Liberty Winelands Encounter, in partnership with STANLIB, from Franschhoek to Wellington today Photo: Ewald Sadie<\/span><\/p>\n