![\"rabie.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-2-0-33939600-1350302753.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nJohann Rabie claimed his first win in the country’s oldest road cycling ‘Classic’ the Durban Amashova Classic, on Sunday.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Photo credit: Dominic Barndardt <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n But Sunday\u2019s win wasn\u2019t only a matter of perfect timing for Rabie; it required a large dollop of tact as Team Bonitas only had three riders in the 18-rider breakaway group whereas archrival outfit, MTN Qhubeka, had six.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had to ride smart \u2013 chase down moves that needed chasing down, leave others that didn\u2019t seem promising and let the other teams do their share of the work too. With six riders in the break, MTN Qhubeka ended up doing a lot of the controlling which put them under more pressure than us.<\/p>\n \u201cI told Jason (Bakke) and HB (Kruger) that I was feeling good and was confident I could challenge for the win from this group. So they committed themselves completely to me and still both ended up in the top four. A good day for our team today,\u201d smiled Rabie.<\/p>\n The race started with the usual long ascent of Fox Hill out of the city of Pietermaritzburg. With a fairly sedate early pace, a move went clear just before the first King of the Mountain prime comprising six riders.<\/p>\n Unhappy with the composition of that break and no doubt warmed up after the ascent, the peloton became restless and an increase in pace saw the break reeled in, followed immediately by a counter attack as 10 riders went clear with 22km completed.<\/p>\n By Camperdown (27km) the lead group had swelled to 18, comprising riders from all of the major teams, which saw a content peloton tap off and the lead grow rapidly, reaching more than eight minutes by the finish.<\/p>\n \u201cWe tried to thin the group out a bit up the Inchanga climb (46km) by pushing the pace, but it\u2019s wasn\u2019t steep enough, nor long enough and the bunch stayed together over the top,\u201d explained Rabie.<\/p>\n Dylan Girdlestone (Westvaal BMC) made the most of the twisty descents through Hillcrest, Kloof and Pinetown to escape on his own for 15km. But with 10km remaining his courageous effort was extinguished by a bristling MTN Qhubeka-led pack readying for the final drop into Durban.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were plenty of attacks and counter-attacks in the last 10km. It was a very aggressive, positive race with such a variety of teams in the front group,\u201d said Rabie. \u201cJason and HB were chasing down moves to try and keep it together for a sprint as were the MTN Qhubeka riders, who seemed to working for Jani (Tewelde).<\/p>\n In the final few hundred metres, Kruger integrated himself into the MTN Qhubeka leadout train, while Bakke created a leadout wheel for Rabie.<\/p>\n \u201cThe MTN guys seemed to go a bit too soon. We\u2019d checked out the finish properly before the race and I knew that I needed to start my sprint later if I was going to last to the line. It worked out perfectly. We timed it just right.\u201d<\/p>\n In the women\u2019s race Robyn de Groot (Momentum Toyota) claimed the coveted title. Marissa Stander and Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (Momentum Toyota) were second and third respectively.<\/p>\n Amashova Durban Classic 2012<\/strong><\/p>\n Leading results<\/strong><\/p>\n Men:<\/strong><\/p>\n 1 Johann Rabie (Team Bonitas) 02hr 20min 08sec<\/p>\n 2 Jani Tewelde (MTN Qhubeka)<\/p>\n 3 HB Kruger (Team Bonitas)<\/p>\n 4 Jason Bakke (Team Bonitas)<\/p>\n 5 Sean-Nick Bester (Westvaal BMC) all same time<\/p>\n Women<\/strong><\/p>\n 1 Robyn de Groot (Momentum Toyota) 02:53:00<\/p>\n 2 Marissa Stander<\/p>\n 3 Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (Momentum Toyota)<\/p>\n 4 Lise Oliver (MTN Qhubeka)<\/p>\n 5 Lynette Burger (Toyota CSA Academy) all same time<\/p>\n