{"id":22172,"date":"2012-10-18T06:35:00","date_gmt":"2012-10-18T05:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/dramatic-day-of-turnarounds-at-bridge-cape-pioneer-trek-r323\/"},"modified":"2023-02-08T12:36:06","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T12:36:06","slug":"dramatic-day-of-turnarounds-at-bridge-cape-pioneer-trek-r323","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/dramatic-day-of-turnarounds-at-bridge-cape-pioneer-trek-r323\/","title":{"rendered":"Dramatic day of turnarounds at Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek"},"content":{"rendered":"

They\u2019ve been working hard from the very first pedal stroke on Sunday to make their mark on the 2012 Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek mountain bike stage race and on Wednesday their relentless efforts paid off when Melt Swanepoel and Matthys Beukes (Cango MTB.com) captured the overall win on Stage 3. They weren\u2019t the only new winners though, as a number of new faces graced the top of the podium in various categories following a drama-filled day\u2019s racing.<\/p>\n

It was a stage of turnarounds as driving rain during the latter half of the stage made for treacherous conditions as the riders made their way over 109km across the Great Karoo region from Prince Albert to De Rust with the fast, twisty singletrack descent into Meiringspoort a dominant feature.<\/p>\n

Swanepoel and Beukes clocked a winning time of 04 hours 06 minutes 07 seconds pushing overall leaders, Kevin Evans and David George (Nedbank 360Life) into a rare second place, following three consecutive stage wins. Third place went to the Westvaal Columbia team of Nico Bell and Gawie Combrinck. Evans and George still have a firm grasp on their race leaders\u2019 Bridge Yellow Jerseys.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt great to win a stage. It\u2019s especially great for Matthys as he\u2019s been the stronger rider most of the time and this is essentially his back yard we are racing in. He pushed the pace hard through Meiringspoort near the end today and I was just hoping I could have enough left for a sprint to the line. Luckily I did,\u201d said Swanepoel.<\/p>\n

\u201cKevin and David are in superb form and have a good lead, but mountain bike racing is so unpredictable. We won\u2019t take any unnecessary risks but will keep the pressure high for the rest of the tour,\u201d added Swanepoel.<\/p>\n

Between Swanepoel and Beukes, they won five of the six stages at the 2012 Breck Epic, one of the USA\u2019s most prestigious mountain bike stage races.<\/p>\n

Yolande Speedy and Yolande de Villiers (Klein Karoo Chicks) upstaged overall women\u2019s leaders Ischen Stopforth and Catherine Williamson (Bridge bizhub Ladies) to grab their first stage win of the tour. Stopforth and Williamson, the 2011 champions, still hold a 12-minute overall lead, but showed a vulnerability that has inspired their main rivals.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was great to win today,\u201d said Speedy, a Beijing Olympian and multiple South African women\u2019s marathon champion. \u201cYolande and I have never raced together before so the first few days we were discovering each other\u2019s strengths and weaknesses. We seem to be getting stronger as the race goes on and are now around 12 minutes behind Ischen and Catherine, which is encouraging. We\u2019re excited for the rest of the race.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis race is amazing \u2013 it\u2019s real mountain biking. The trails are tough at times, but always enjoyable. You\u2019re not just charging through the bush to make up distance like some other races,\u201d added Speedy.<\/p>\n

The biggest shift of the day was in the Mixed division, where Swiss riders Kathrin Stirnemann and Sandro Soncin (BH \u2013 Halbike \u2013 Tigers) raced to their first stage win. Second placed finishers were South African Craig Gerber and his Swedish teammate Jennie Stenerhag (Newlinesport), with German overnight leaders, Max Fridrich and Nadine Rieder (Ergon 24H Racing Team) struggling home in third after having to deal with tyre problems. Stirnemann and Soncin now lead the category into Stage 4.<\/p>\n

And in the Veteran men\u2019s race, Nico Pfitzenmaier and Robert Sim (Robert Daniel Momsen) fell victim to more mechanical problems, which allowed the Dutch pairing of Micha de Vries and Willem van Heerdt (Cube Nutswerk 1) to win the stage and move to just over a minute behind Pfitzenmaier and Sim in the General Classification.<\/p>\n

The Swiss team of Barti Bucher and Ernst Engeli (Bix-Sherpa Tensing Pedalerie) continued their domination of the Master\u2019s category (50-years plus), winning a fourth stage in succession and extending their overall lead. They finished an impressive sixth overall on the stage and are in sixth overall on the General Classification.<\/p>\n

At just 63km, Thursday\u2019s Stage 4 is relatively short, but expected to be considerably tough with a total of 1 894 metres of vertical ascent. It takes the riders from De Rust to Herold over the rugged Kamanassie Mountains.<\/p>\n

Follow @BridgeCPT on twitter for regular updates. On Facebook, visit Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek 2012. See a full gallery of event images and more insight here: http:\/\/blog.capepioneer.co.za\/<\/a> For additional event information, visit www.capepioneer.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n

Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek 2012<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stage 3 \u2013 Prince Albert to De Rust<\/strong><\/p>\n

109km; 1 555 metres ascent<\/strong><\/p>\n

Leading results<\/strong><\/p>\n

Open Men:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Matthys Beukes \u2013 RSA \/ Melt Swanepoel \u2013 RSA (Cango MTB.com) 04:06:07<\/p>\n

2 Kevin Evans \u2013 RSA \/ David George \u2013 RSA (Nedbank 360Life) 04:06:14<\/p>\n

3 Nico Bell \u2013 RSA \/ Gawie Combrinck \u2013 RSA (Westvaal Columbia) 04:06:41<\/p>\n

4 Mattijs Eversdijk \u2013 NED \/ Liwald Doornbos \u2013 NED (Cube Nutswerk 2) 04:15:59<\/p>\n

5 Chris Wolhuter \u2013 RSA \/ Oliver Munnik \u2013 RSA (Asrin Cycling) 04:16:15<\/p>\n

Women:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Yolande de Villiers \u2013 RSA \/ Yolande Speedy \u2013 RSA (Klein Karoo Chicks) 04:35:24<\/p>\n

2 Ischen Stopforth \u2013 RSA \/ Catherine Williamson \u2013 GBR (Bridge bizhub Ladies) 04:42:27<\/p>\n

3 Sarah van Heerden \u2013 RSA \/ Jackie Church \u2013 RSA (Wilde 2) 05:15:16<\/p>\n

Mixed:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Kathrin Stirnemann \u2013 SUI \/ Sandro Soncin \u2013 SUI (BH \u2013 Halbike \u2013 Tigers) 04:24:29<\/p>\n

2 Craig Gerber \u2013 RSA \/ Jennie Stenerhag \u2013 SWE (Newlinesport) 04:35:25<\/p>\n

3 Max Fridrich \u2013 GER \/ Nadine Rieder \u2013 GER (Ergon 24H Racing Team) 04:38:53<\/p>\n

Veteran:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Micha de Vries \u2013 NED \/Willem van Heerdt \u2013 NED (Cube Nutswerk 1) 04:17:42<\/p>\n

2 Robert Sim \u2013 RSA \/ Nico Pfitzenmaier \u2013 GER (Robert Daniel Momsen) 04:23:42 <\/p>\n

3 Stephan Kuhnel – SUI \/ Marcel Frel \u2013 SUI (Fahrrad\u2013Schmidt Bike-Tigers) 04:35:21 <\/p>\n

Masters:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Barti Bucher \u2013 SUI \/ Ernst Engeli \u2013 SUI (Bix-Sherpa Tensing Pedalerie) 04:16:46<\/p>\n

2 Tony Conlon \u2013 RSA \/ Peter Stopforth \u2013 RSA (Marsilio Projects Masters) 04:49:58<\/p>\n

3 Neville Ackermann \u2013 RSA \/ Charles Nienaber \u2013 RSA (Bridge Masters) 04:54:45<\/p>\n

Solo Men:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Timo Cooper \u2013 RSA 04:05:36<\/p>\n

2 Heinz Zoerweb \u2013 AUT 04:05:42<\/p>\n

3 Petrus Malherbe \u2013 RSA 04:15:10<\/p>\n

Solo Women:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Diana Carolin \u2013 RSA 05:16:21<\/p>\n

2 Desiree Loubser \u2013 RSA 05:20:26<\/p>\n

3 Dianna Ineman \u2013 SUI 05:34:49<\/p>\n

General Classification after Stage 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

Open Men:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Kevin Evans \u2013 RSA \/ David George \u2013 RSA (Nedbank 360Life) 12hr 30min 34sec<\/p>\n

2 Matthys Beukes \u2013 RSA \/ Melt Swanepoel \u2013 RSA (Cango MTB.com) 12:41:26<\/p>\n

3 Nico Bell \u2013 RSA \/ Gawie Combrinck \u2013 RSA (Westvaal Columbia) 12:53:49<\/p>\n

4 Chris Wolhuter \u2013 RSA \/ Oliver Munnik \u2013 RSA (Asrin Cycling) 13:25:59<\/p>\n

5 Mattijs Eversdijk \u2013 NED \/ Liwald Doornbos \u2013 NED (Cube Nutswerk 2) 13:47:52<\/p>\n

Women:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Ischen Stopforth \u2013 RSA \/ Catherine Williamson \u2013 GBR (Bridge bizhub Ladies) 14:54:11<\/p>\n

2 Yolande de Villiers \u2013 RSA \/ Yolande Speedy \u2013 RSA (Klein Karoo Chicks) 15:06:36<\/p>\n

3 Sarah van Heerden \u2013 RSA \/ Jackie Church \u2013 RSA (Wilde 2) 16:25:25<\/p>\n

Mixed:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Kathrin Stirnemann \u2013 SUI \/ Sandro Soncin \u2013 SUI (BH \u2013 Halbike \u2013 Tigers) 14:14:52<\/p>\n

2 Max Fridrich \u2013 GER \/ Nadine Rieder \u2013 GER (Ergon 24H Racing Team) 14:15:59<\/p>\n

3 Craig Gerber \u2013 RSA \/ Jennie Stenerhag \u2013 SWE (Newlinesport) 14:38:42<\/p>\n

Veteran:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Robert Sim \u2013 RSA \/ Nico Pfitzenmaier \u2013 GER (Robert Daniel Momsen) 13:59:24 <\/p>\n

2 Micha de Vries – NED \/Willem van Heerdt \u2013 NED (Cube Nutswerk 1) 14:00:33<\/p>\n

3 Stephan Kuhnel – SUI \/ Marcel Frel \u2013 SUI (Fahrrad\u2013Schmidt Bike-Tigers) 14:46:40<\/p>\n

Masters:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Barti Bucher \u2013 SUI \/ Ernst Engeli \u2013 SUI (Bix-Sherpa Tensing Pedalerie) 13:48:16<\/p>\n

2 Neville Ackermann \u2013 RSA \/ Charles Nienaber \u2013 RSA (Bridge Masters) 15:16:21<\/p>\n

3 Tony Conlon \u2013 RSA \/ Peter Stopforth \u2013 RSA (Marsilio Projects Masters) 16:06:49<\/p>\n

Solo Men:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Timo Cooper \u2013 RSA 13:03:27<\/p>\n

2 Petrus Malherbe \u2013 RSA 13:32:11<\/p>\n

3 Heinz Zoerweb \u2013 AUT 13:42:45<\/p>\n

Solo Women:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Desiree Loubser \u2013 RSA 17:00:17<\/p>\n

2 Diana Carolin \u2013 RSA 17:10:29<\/p>\n

3 Dianna Ineman \u2013 SUI 17:47:36<\/p>\n

For full results, visit www.capepioneer.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n

\"pioneer_s41.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ominous weather awaited the riders from the start of Stage 3 of the Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek international mountain bike stage race on Wednesday.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Photo credit: Karin Schermbrucker\/Slingshot Media<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"pioneer_s42.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Heavy rain fell towards the latter half of Stage 3 of the 2012 Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek international stage race on Wednesday.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Photo credit: Karin Schermbrucker\/Slingshot Media<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"pioneers42.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Stage 3 of the 2012 Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek international mountain bike stage took the riders through some picturesque areas.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Photo credit: Karin Schermbrucker\/Slingshot Media<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

They\u2019ve been working hard from the very first pedal stroke on Sunday to make their mark on the 2012 Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek mountain bike stage race and on Wednesday their relentless efforts paid off when Melt Swanepoel and Matthys Beukes (Cango MTB.com) captured the overall win on Stage 3. They weren\u2019t the only new […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":53524,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"featured_location":[],"class_list":["post-22172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22172","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\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22172\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22172"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=22172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}