Yet another podium-place finish for Team NAD
Team NAD's Gawie Combrinck and Nico Bell obliterated the third and final stage of the FNB Wines2Whales (W2W), securing an overall third place, after having to settle for two fourth place finishes in stages one and two.
South Africa’s most-elite mountain bikers and a contingent of internationals started the eighth edition of the three-day stage race.
Stage one saw the riders completing a 68-kilometre MTB route (with a 1 420-metre ascent) from Lourensford Wine Estate (Somerset West) to the festival village at the majestic Oak Valley Wine Estate (Elgin-Grabouw), home for the next two days.
Combrinck and Bell managed to secure a fourth place after stage one.
International riders, Christopher Sauser and Sam Gaze, claimed stage victory in two hours, 49 minutes and four seconds.
“There is this saying in cycling, sometimes you are the hammer and sometimes you are the nail. Today I was the nail. Nico was super strong and after the portage section, my legs needed a little help,” Combrinck said after the first day.
The following day, the locals yet again had to be happy with a fourth place. In the final stage from the winelands to the ocean, the riders left the Race Village and tackled a 69-kilometre journey (with 1 200-metre climb) before crossing the finish line at Onrus Caravan Park, just outside Hermanus.
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Sauser and Gaze dropped to fourth in the overall standings. Combrinck and Bell took third place. Konny Looser and Fabian Giger, who claimed victory on the second and final days, were crowned W2W champions. Valencia’s Samantha Sanders who partnered with Theresa Ralph missed a podium-place finish.
“What an awesome ride to close off the 2016 MTB season. “All credit to the unending support to my incredible sponsor who is more like family. Without passionate sponsors like them I would not be doing what I love,” Sanders said.
JP Jung, who has been absent from the cycling scene for some time, teamed up with Matthew Stumatis, completing the three-day tour in 11 hours, one minute and 42 seconds.
