UCT won their third straight stage of Varsity MTB, hosted by FNB Wines2Whales Pinotage, on Wednesday to claim the overall title.
Courteney Webb and Amy Tait completed the 69km stage from Oak Valley Estate in Elgin to Onrus Campsite outside Hermanus in 03:31.08,4 to wrap up a dominant three days on the bike.
“This was the most amazing experience ever, the trails were amazing and everything was just great,” beamed Tait after the pair crossed the finish line.
Webb, sat on the floor while watching Tait speak, joked that she seemingly had the harder day on the bike: “The sandy trails near the end were hurting my back a bit but it was worth it when we got to the sea which was such a stunning ending.”
While the UCT had a largely trouble-free run to the title, there was some drama behind them with Madibaz shaking up the established pecking order from the first two days.
Jean-Marie Roelofse and Stacey Hyslop were second to cross the finish line, four minutes behind the winners and almost two minutes ahead of the Maties pair of Catherine Pellow-Jarman and Susan Kruger.
Most significantly for the women from Nelson Mandela University, the Tuks pair of Tanya Kotze and Michelle Benson only arrived at Onrus 14-and-a-bit minutes behind them – to hand Roelofse and Hyslop the final place on the overall podium.
Meanwhile, Nicolene Marais and Ané Jacobs from NWU finished well down on the other teams to complete the women’s section of Varsity MTB 2019.
VARSITY MTB STAGE 3 RESULTS – WOMEN
1. Courteney Webb & Amy Tait (UCT) 03:31.08,4
2. Jean-Marie Roelofse & Stacey Hyslop (Madibaz) 03:35.51,0
3. Catherine Pellow-Jarman & Susan Kruger (Maties) 03:37.15,6
4. Tanya Kotze & Michelle Benson (Tuks) 03:50.26,1
5. Nicolene Marais & Ané Jacobs (NWU) 04:08.06,4
VARSITY MTB OVERALL – WOMEN
1. Courteney Webb & Amy Tait (UCT) 10:57.54,0
2. Catherine Pellow-Jarman & Susan Kruger (Maties) 11:21.08,0
3. Jean-Marie Roelofse & Stacey Hyslop (Madibaz) 11:54.19,3
4. Tanya Kotze & Michelle Benson (Tuks) 11:58.07,4
5. Nicolene Marais & Ané Jacobs (NWU) 13:46.03,0
For full results, visit www.wines2whales.com/riders/results-archive/.
