![\"ccs-2-0-37427700-1399222200.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-2-0-37427700-1399222200.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nEAI Cycling\u2019s Gawie Combrinck (left) and Johann Rabie celebrate their victory in the nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race, which finished at Scottburgh, KwaZulu-Natal, on Saturday. Photo: Full Stop Communications<\/span><\/p>\n The EAI Cycling duo sprinted across the floating bridge on the Scottburgh lagoon to complete their 880km journey from Heidelberg on the outskirts of Johannesburg to the sea in 33:36:41.<\/p>\n They finished three minutes clear of overnight leaders Waylon Woolcock and Darren Lill, who took the runner-up spot for Cannondale-Blend in 33:39:45.<\/p>\n Max Knox and Kevin Evans of FedGroup-Itec outsprinted Rabie and Combrinck by a single second to win the final stage in 2:48:04, in the process securing third place in the overall standings in 34:45:27.<\/p>\n Third on the stage belonged to Louis-Bresler Knipe and Craig Boyes of Contego, who came home in 2:55:48 to secure fourth overall in 35:26:47.<\/p>\n South Africa\u2019s longest fully serviced stage race was largely characterised by a ding-dong battle between EAI Cycling and Cannondale-Blend, with the teams claiming three and four stage wins respectively.<\/p>\n While both pairs were alternately plagued by mechanical issues, it was Woolcock and Lill whose title hopes deflated when they suffered a serious blow-out 20km from the finish on the 84km final stage.<\/p>\n Forced to stop for repairs, the Cannondale-Blend riders saw their overall lead of more than six minutes ebb away. They fought back to finish sixth on the stage in 2:57:51 to fall one place in the general classification.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s a bit unlucky for them but yesterday we had our bad luck again with two flats and a cracked rim,\u201d said Rabie, who made his joBerg2c debut.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the thing with mountain biking, it\u2019s never over till it\u2019s over \u2013 not even in the last 20km of a nine-day stage race.\u201d<\/p>\n Woolcock, the 2012 champion, said he and Lill were extremely disappointed with the result.<\/p>\n \u201cWe came here to win; not to finish second. The stage wins were nice but we would have liked the overall title.\u201d<\/p>\n Woolcock said he had personally not felt on winning form during the tour.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I rode myself in and, as we proved yesterday, we had the legs to set the fastest time on that part of the route.\u201d<\/p>\n In the women\u2019s race, Valencia Girls\u2019 Amy McDougall and Janine King took an uncontested overall victory in 40:35:55.<\/p>\n They took their seventh stage win in 3:27:26 ahead of overall runners-up Brenda Potts and Sarah van Heerden of Old Mutual in 3:33:59 (42:55:29).<\/p>\n Sasol Racing\u2019s Yolande de Villiers and Franso Steyn won the stage in 3:07:52 and with it the mixed category (36:50:51). Second, in 3:12:41, were teammates Leana de Jager and Johan Labuschagne (37:16:51).<\/p>\n Avis Van Rental\u2019s Alison Richardson and Rob Dormehl took fifth on the stage in 3:27:30 to finish third overall (40:26:14).<\/p>\n Old Mutual\u2019s Mokaedi Dilotsotlhe said as the title sponsor they were delighted with the success and excitement of the fifth edition of the race.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are especially proud of the economic contribution the race makes all along its journey to the finish. The joBerg2c is truly about racing, riding, touring and making a difference in these communities.\u201d<\/p>\n RESULTS<\/strong><\/p>\n Stage 9<\/strong><\/p>\n Men: 1. Max Knox & Kevin Evans (FedGroup-itec) 2:48:04; 2. Johann Rabie & Gawie Combrinck (EAI Cycling) 2:48:05; 3. Louis-Bresler Knipe & Craig Boyes (Contego) 2:55:48; 4. Waylon Woolcock & Darren Lill (Cannondale-Blend) 2:57:51; 5. Sthembiso Msango & Mboneni Ngcobo (Dischem RMB Change a Life) 2:58:04<\/p>\n Women: 1. Janine King & Amy McDougall (Valencia Girls) 3:27:26; 2. Brenda Potts & Sarah van Heerden (Old Mutual Girlz) 3:33:59; 3. Natalie Robbs & Kathryn Ackermann (Itec Ladies) 3:47:55; 4. Heidi Buttiens & Siegrid van Bever (Reevax Ladies) 3:59:34; 5. Liesl Lourens & Lora Hirst (Aramex) 4:08:48<\/p>\n Mixed: 1. Yolande de Villiers & Franso Steyn (Sasol Racing Mixed) 3:07:52; 2. Leana de Jager & Johan Labuschagne (Sasol Racing) 3:12:41; 3. Hayley Smith & Darren Purtell (Bell Equipment) 3:21:56; 4. Sue Smith & Cas van Aardenne (Dynamic Duo) 3:25:31; 5. Alison Richardson & Rob Dormehl (Avis Van Rental) 3:27:30<\/p>\n Overall<\/strong><\/p>\n Men: 1. Johann Rabie & Gawie Combrinck (EAI Cycling) 33:36:41; 2. Waylon Woolcock & Darren Lill (Cannondale-Blend) 33:39:45; 3. Max Knox & Kevin Evans (FedGroup-Itec) 34:45:27<\/p>\n Women: 1. Janine King & Amy McDougall (Valencia Girls) 40:35:55; 2. Sarah van Heerden & Brenda Potts (Old Mutual Girlz) 42:55:29; 3. Heidi Buttiens & Siegrid van Bever (Reevax Ladies) 46:04:19<\/p>\n Mixed: 1. Yolande de Villiers & Franso Steyn (Sasol Racing) 36:50:51; 2. Leana de Jager & Johan Labuschagne (Sasol Racing) 37:16:51; 3. Alison Richardson & Rob Dormehl (Avis Van Rental) 40:26:14\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fortune smiled on Johann Rabie and Gawie Combrinck as they rode safely into Scottburgh to claim their maiden win in the nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast on Saturday. EAI Cycling\u2019s Gawie Combrinck (left) and Johann Rabie celebrate their victory in the nine-day Old Mutual joBerg2c mountain bike race, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":51910,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[286,1305],"featured_location":[],"class_list":["post-21144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","tag-joberg2c","tag-old-mutual-joberg2c"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21144","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=21144"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21144\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21144"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=21144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}