![\"Men-Leaders-Day-1.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-2-0-92095900-1370616711.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nWaylon Woolcock (far right) and Lourens Luus of RE:CM lead Brandon Stewart and Kevin Evans of FedGroup-Itec on the first stage of the RE:CM Knysna 200 mountain bike race on Friday. Photo: Full Stop Communications<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The duo, riding in the colours of RE:CM, outsprinted the FedGroup-Itec riders to take the 77km stage by one second in 2:59:18 in a dramatic showdown on Thesen Islands.<\/p>\n The Bridge pairing of Nico Pfitzenmaier and Timo Cooper finished a distant third in 3:07:41.<\/p>\n Woolcock said it was an important race for his team and that he and Luus were pleased to have won a stage in an event backed by their employer. \u201cWe\u2019d obviously like to take the overall win for them too.\u201d<\/p>\n Another of the pre-race favourites, the RE:CM Rowers, dropped out of contention quite spectacularly when Olympic gold medallist Matthew Brittain, fourth in the recent opening race of the Nissan TrailSeeker series, rode into a cow as he and his dairy farmer partner Rob Dormehl were attempting to pass a herd.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was quite a small cow but I was going pretty fast. It must be feeling quite sore,\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n The top three teams went hard from the start at the Knysna Elephant Park, with Luus setting up the attack on the first climb of the day just 5km in.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d warmed up pretty well, so we thought we\u2019d take a gamble and hit it early,\u201d said Woolcock. \u201cThe sooner we could put damage into the guys the better.\u201d<\/p>\n Cooper was an early victim, dropping off the pace on the ascent. Although he and his German partner chased hard on the descent, they were unable to rejoin the leaders.<\/p>\n Evans and Stewart stayed on the RE:CM duo\u2019s wheel on the next long climb out of the forest and through the first waterpoint at Packwood Country Estate after 28km.<\/p>\n