The fourth and final stage of the 2023 Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen, saw Ghost Factory Racing Cappuccino and Toyota Specialized wrap-up the elite titles. Neither team managed to cross the line first, in their category, but were within touching distance of the stage winners. Sunday, 12 February’s, winners were the Ghost Factory Racing Flat White and PYGA Euro Steel teams.
At just 55 kilometres long the route for the last day was fast and punchy. The 960 metres of climbing provided enough of a challenge, along with Kaleo’s singletracks, to split the fields however. Though both the men and women in the yellow and pink First Ascent leaders’ jerseys had to work to reduce the group sizes in order to enjoy a less stressful race through the trails.
Ghost Factory Racing’s two teams worked to provide a platform from which the Flat White team could challenge for a stage victory from early in the stage. “We wanted to help Isla [Short] and Caroline [Bohe] win the stage yesterday already, but it’s not easy to do on such a long stage. Today we tried again,” Anne Terpstra said. “It’s the first time doing something like this for us, so we didn’t really know how to achieve it, but it worked out pretty well.”
With the Cappuccino squad helping launch them into a lead on the trails Short and Bohe managed to establish a 1 minute buffer by the half-way point of the stage. Though that advantage was whittled away over the second half of the course they still managed to maintain enough of a buffer to sit up and celebrate the stage win.
“It’s been a tough race, but I’m really happy we could take the win today,” Short smiled. The Ghost Factory Racing squad’s stage victory was made sweeter by the Cappuccino team finishing second on the day. This maintained the prefect record for the German outfit, as they completed a clean sweep of first and second positions over the four stages of the race.
Terpstra and Nicole Koller had to work for their second place though. The pair outsprinted Amy Wakefield and Samantha Sanders, who were doing their utmost to overturn KMC MTB Racing’s advantage. Efficient Insure Infiniti were unable to do that however and had to settle for fourth overall. Ghost Factory Racing Cappuccino’s margin of victory was 16 minutes and 2 seconds over the Flat White team. Janika Loiv and Yana Belomoina were third with Wakefield and Sanders fourth, 1 minute and 3 seconds off the podium places. Pedersen Lennard’s Katie Lennard and Ila Stow completed the top five places.
“I’d love to come back again next year,” Terpstra stated. “But I can’t come alone so I’ll have to convince my teammates to join me again too!” Which should not be that difficult after the Ghost Factory Racing team’s success in the 2023 event.
In the men’s race Matt Beers seized the initiative early. The Toyota Specialized man was weary of taking on the singletracks with a large group so he worked to split the field as soon as possible. His efforts dropped all but PYGA Euro Steel and Imbuko {type}DEV, though Insect Science would have made the selection too were it not for misfortune.
Keagan Bontekoning broke a shoe in the first singletrack, which put him and Arno du Toit at a disadvantage they were never able to overturn to parity on the fast-paced stage. “Once we had a gap on the chasers Tristan [Nortje] and I sat up. We didn’t need to take any risks so we let the other guys make the racing,” Beers explained.
The tempo was still ferocious however and Toyota Specialized had to follow moves by Imbuko {type}DEV and PYGA Euro Steel. There were no further splits however. “I’m quite happy taking it to a sprint,” Alex Miller, of PYGA Euro Steel, reflected. “I’m confident of my sprint.”
Rightly so, the Namibian and Philip Buys edged out Pieter du Toit and Marco Joubert for the second time in the race to win the final stage. PYGA Euro Steel’s two stage wins took the edge off their general classification disappointment. Imbuko {type}DEV meanwhile had to be content with a single stage win and second overall, while Insect Science came home behind the charging Bulls Mavericks and Heroes teams to seal third place on the general classification standings.
Beers and Nortje were elated with their third position on the day, which wrapped up the title. “It’s my first major stage race victory and it means a great deal,” Nortje grinned. “I’ve done the Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen, a few times now; but victory has always eluded me,” Beers noted. “It was the last of the big stage races in South Africa that I needed to win, so it’s great to tick it off too!”
Toyota Specialized’s 4 minute and 16 second margin of victory was more comfortable than it felt on the trails. Imbuko {type}DEV were 4 minutes and 11 seconds ahead of their nearest rivals, Insect Science, who despite losing time on the final stage still held a 4 minute buffer on PYGA Euro Steel. The Bulls Mavericks, Alban Lakata and Axel Roudil-Cortinat, were fifth.
Results: 2023 Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen
Elite Men Stage 4:
- PYGA Euro Steel: Philip Buys & Alex Miller (02:11:43)
- Imbuko {type}DEV: Marco Joubert & Pieter du Toit (02:11:48 | +05)
- Toyota Specialized: Matt Beers & Tristan Nortje (02:12:06 | +23)
- Bulls Mavericks: Alban Lakata & Axel Roudil Cortinat (02:15:45 +4:02)
- Bulls Heroes: Urs Huber & Simon Schneller (02:15:50 | +4:07)
Elite Women Stage 4:
- Ghost Factory Flat White: Isla Short & Caroline Bohe: (02:40:52)
- Ghost Factory Cappuccino: Anne Terpstra & Nicole Koller (02:40:59 | +07)
- Efficient Insure Infiniti: Amy Wakefield & Samantha Sanders (02:41:02 | +10)
- KMC MTB: Janika Loiv & Yana Belomoina (02:41:07 | +15)
- Pump for Peace Racing: Andrea Schöfmann & Faranak Partoazar (2:52:06 | +11:14)
Elite Men’s General Classification after Stage 4:
- Toyota Specialized: Matt Beers & Tristan Nortje (11:00:55)
- Imbuko {type}DEV: Marco Joubert & Pieter du Toit (11:05:11 | +4:16)
- Insect Science 1: Keagan Bontekoning & Arno du Toit (11:09:20 | +8:25)
- PYGA Euro Steel: Philip Buys & Alex Miller (11:13:22 | +12:27)
- Bulls Mavericks: Alban Lakata & Axel Roudil-Cortinat (11:21:32 | +20:37)
Elite Women’s General Classification after Stage 4:
- Ghost Factory Cappuccino: Anne Terpstra & Nicole Koller (13:10:17)
- Ghost Factory Flat White: Isla Short & Caroline Bohe (13:26:19 | +16:02)
- KMC MTB: Janika Loiv & Yana Belomoina (13:50:45 | +40:28)
- Efficient Insure Infiniti: Amy Wakefield & Samantha Sanders (13:51:48 | +41:31)
- Pedersen Lennard: Katie Lennard & Ila Stow (14:48:09 | +1:37:52)
