![\"ccs-62657-0-74465500-1456670154.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-74465500-1456670154.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Steve Hoban (Pick n Pay), Lourens Luus (4th), Michiel Van Der Heijden (2nd), James Reid (1st), Matthew Beers (3rd) and Adriaan Louw (5th).<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019m very happy with the win,\u201d commented a dusty Reid after the finish. \u201cEspecially considering yesterday (he finished an uncharacteristic fifth) – I’ve been putting in a lot more work in than what that race showed, so to take the win here is great,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to Reid, the route was exactly what you\u2019d expect from this iconic event and that despite the recent devastating fires in the region. \u201cHats off to the organisers, there was so much singletrack \u2013 60% was like, on-the-edge, dusty and loose\u2026that is what this race is famous for,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Reid, Dutch cross-country expert Van Der Heide (out in South Africa on a training camp), Matt Beers, Adriaan Louw (Contego) and Lourens Luus (PSG) rode clear early on in the 55-kilometre route and stuck together for most of the race. \u201cThere wasn\u2019t much sustained climbing,\u201d commented Reid of the 1250-metres of climbing, \u201cmore short, sharp, punchy stuff, which actually helps if you are a bit under the gun \u2013 which both Michiel and I were after yesterday\u2019s race \u2013 but we rode ourselves into it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMatt (Beers) was by far the strongest today – he was riding so well and I think he has a massive future. I pretty much watched him most of the day. Up a couple of the climbs I tried a few things, but nothing stuck,\u201d he said. A crash saw Luus and Louw fall off the pace and with some 15km to go it was a three horse race.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew it would be a sprint finish,\u201d said Reid. \u201cSo I lead it from the front from a couple of kilometres out and into the final singletrack. I took a few risks and could\u2019ve been left exposed, but fortunately it worked out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In the women\u2019s race Jennie Stenerhag was in a class of her own and took the win in a time of 02:35:17, ahead of Carmen Buchacher and Nadia Visser. \u201cI\u2019ve never won this race before, so I\u2019m very happy,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was very dusty and soft out there after the fire and in some places it was quite challenging to ride,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019ve done a great job to restore the singletracks after the fire though, they must\u2019ve worked very very hard,\u201d said Stenerhag.<\/p>\n