Professional mountain bikers Erik Kleinhans and Adriaan Louw were the source of much excitement during stage one of the 50km Cell C Arabella MTB Challenge in Kleinmond on Saturday, 23 April 2016.
Professional mountain bikers Erik Kleinhans and Adriaan Louw were the source of much excitement during stage one of the 50km Cell C Arabella MTB Challenge in Kleinmond on Saturday, 23 April 2016. Seen here: Erik Kleinhans in action on the day. Photo Credit: Tobias Ginsberg
A sprint finish was the deciding factor with Kleinhans pipping Louw to the finish in an impressive time of 02 hours 11 minutes 30 seconds. “It feels strange to win a race when I was never really in the lead,” laughs Kleinhans. “Adriaan Louw, Dylan Rebello and Stephan Senekal went full blast up the first climb, but I kept my own pace. At one stage I was round about 8th or 9th overall. I caught Stephan on a section of the route that featured rugged terrain. I managed to catch Dylan on a technical single track section, while Adriaan was caught in the last 200 meters. The route was fun. I enjoy the rougher route because it’s real mountain biking. The Cell C Arabella MTB Challenge is not just about riding your bike though, it’s about socializing. I plan to enjoy a round of golf this afternoon. To save the legs I might consider booking a golf cart.” Adriaan Louw came in second, while Dylan Rebello finished third.
Adriaan Louw was in the lead for the majority of the race, before being caught by Kleinhans in the finishing straight. “Tomorrow will probably end in another sprint,” says Louw. “I sat on the wheels at the start. At the first climb I took a gap. To test the legs I continued to push hard on the shorter climbs. Dylan came through pulling hard, but later faded. At one stage I looked over my shoulder and saw Erik working his way up. We could see the finish line when he caught me. I think the shorter two day stage races have a big future as they’re friendly for both riders and supporters. The shorter distances are also much more interesting.”
A mere three and a half weeks after her heart operation, Jennie Stenerhag was once again in the lead in the women’s race. “This is my first intense ride after my operation,” says a delighted Stenerhag. “Taking the stage win is fantastic, but I am even happier about the way that I felt out on route today. The route was really nice, rocky and rough. I am looking forward to stage two.” Stenerhag completed the 50km Cell C Arabella MTB Challenge in a deserving time of 02 hours 31 minutes 50 seconds. Katherine Lennard came in second, while Carmen Buchacher finished third.
Results
Men
1 Erik Kleinhans 02:11:30,
2 Adriaan Louw 02:11:31,
3 Dylan Rebello 02:12:24,
4 Justin Tuck 02:16:41, 5
Tiaan Jordaan 02:18:02,
6 Renay Groustra 02:18:10,
7 Stephan Senekal 02:18:20,
8 Nico Pfitzenmaier 02:19:29,
9 Luke Evans 02:21:21,
10 Izak Hanekom 02:21:47
Women
1 Jeannie Stenerhag 02:31:50,
2 Katherine Lennard 02:35:12,
3 Carmen Buchacher 02:41:15,
4 Ila Stow 02:42:02,
5 Michelle Lombardi 02:45:10,
6 Diana Carolin 02:48:08,
7 Jeanie De Villiers 02:49:58,
8 Marianne Bergli 02:52:32,
9 Amy Burton 02:56:08,
10 Robyn Williams 02:59:12
Full results available on Finish Time here.
