The Shiraz race brings not only the FNB Wines2Whales, but also the South African competitive mountain biking season to a close. It features a stacked elite field and provides a final opportunity for the local teams, and a selection of seasoned international campaigners to perform. In 2024 a returning double champion and his Namibian teammate look tough to beat, on paper, but anything could happen on the trails from Lourensford to Benguela Cove.
Though the off-season is just around the corner, it is not quite time to crack the Devil’s Peak beers just yet, but they can be put on ice so long. The Shiraz is, for many of the elite field lining up for the final event in the FNB Wines2Whales series, the last race of the year. Due to its significant prize purse and guaranteed media exposure it always attracts strong competition. In 2024 the likes of Toyota Specialized, Honeycomb Pro Cycling, Pyga Euro Steel, Imbuko, Insect Science, Valley Electrical Titan, and Buff Megamo will line up at Lourensford on Friday, 8 November. The following three days will determine who will be crowned champions on the final finish line, at Benguela Cove, on Sunday, 10 November.
Having won the race in 2018 and 2019, both alongside Wessel Botha, Matt Beers is unquestionably the biggest name on the start list. The former champion starts for Toyota Specialized alongside Namibia’s Alex Miller. Beers was anticipating a resumption of Cape Epic hostilities with Buff Megamo, but Hans Becking suffered a broken hand in Brazil, on the 21st of October. The Dutch star has made the trip to South Africa and should start the Shiraz, though he and Wout Alleman have had to reset their expectations. Nonetheless they are still eager to participate.
“Yeah, the journey through the Epic Series started with the bike stickers… one from the Cape Epic, two from 4Islands Croatia and so on, until there was just one missing. And what better place to finish it then where it started: South Africa?” Becking asked. “Well, my plan was to take a holiday in South Africa and I’m riding the Pinotage with Luke [Lockhart-Ross] for fun. Then Wout was looking for a holiday too and we decided to also join for the Shiraz.”
“We have zero expectations,” Becking qualified. “Wout stopped training a while ago to rest. I don’t see my broken hand being a problem, but the brushed shoulder kept me off the bike for a while. So, for sure, we will be fresh, but not fit enough to be fighting for three days.”
This means the battle for victory is likely to be between the Southern African teams. “It’s been a while since I’ve done a stage race here in South Africa, so I am excited to get back into it again and catch up with everyone,” Beers smiled. “It will be cool to see our local racers again and enjoy some South African racing vibes after being in the USA for so long this season.”
Beers, more so than most of his rivals, has had a year packed with travel and many race days. How the accumulated fatigue affects him could dictate the level to which he is able to perform. “It has been a long season for me and staying on form the whole year has been tough,” Beers confessed. “But it paid off for me in the Lifetime Grand Prix. It has been challenging holding onto my form now with the end of season in sight, but I think I’m still feeling really good after being at altitude in the US for a bit and racing a lot. Last year I couldn’t race as I crashed out of my last LTGP race and separated my shoulder, so it’s good to be back at FNB Wines2Whales!”
When asked about racing alongside Miller Beers said: “Alex is a strong partner for FNB W2W. We haven’t raced a lot together. Tankwa Trek, in February [Note: which team Toyota Specialized won], was the first and only time. But he is a strong rider and has won a few good races this year, so I am keen to see what we can pull off together.”
One of the key rivals for Toyota Specialized are likely to be the 2022 champion and Beers’ former teammate. Marc Pritzen and Tristan Nortje are eager to conclude their season on a high. “Marc [Pritzen] and I are heading into FNB W2W with good form,” Nortje reflected. “It is a race everyone always wants to win because of its big prize purse and it’s also big for the sponsors. But FNB W2W is also a race I haven’t won yet, so it’s still a box I must tick. The level in South Africa is high though, so it’s going to be a tough one!”
“The race’s position in the calendar makes FNB W2W difficult,” the Honeycomb Pro Cycling rider added. “It’s so late in the season. Everyone is already broken and tired by November. You are either going to be good, or not going at all; just because it’s so late in the year and you don’t know what the body can still give you. That said it’s only three days so everyone goes all in to provide a final return for the team, the sponsors, and themselves. Hopefully Marc and I can put a good three days together and end 2024 off well!”
A man who has already had a great season after a breakthrough year is PYGA Euro Steel’s Jaedon Terlouw. The 22-year-old came within 30 kilometres of winning his first UCI S1 stage race in October and will be partnered once again by Pieter du Toit at FNB W2W. “I’m really excited, I can’t wait to race the trails in the Cape again and I’m looking forward to racing against a packed field of really good riders,” Terlouw grinned.
His team will be sending three squads to the Shiraz race and this support could be key to Terlouw and Du Toit’s success. “I really hope that team tactics will play a role, we have a strong team and I think that if we can work together the other teams may have a few issues coming their way,” he predicted. “It’s also great to learn from the experienced players in the field like Philip [Buys] and Pieter [du Toit], they know all the tricks in the book and it awesome to learn from such decorated teammates.”
Terlouw and Du Toit are nominally PYGA Euro Steel 2, but as Buys and Michael Foster have both been ill in the build-up they are likely to perform a supporting role. The team can also call upon Zimbabwe’s Pressmore Msundi and the young South African talent, Wian van den Bergh. Toyota Specialized also have support, in the form of Johan van Zyl, though it is shared with Imbuko. Marco Joubert and Wessel Botha can call upon the assistance of Van Zyl’s partner Rudi Koen as the teams on Specialized Bicycles share the Imbuko Toyota Specialized back-up.
Insect Science will be represented by two teams too. Keagan Bontekoning and Arno du Toit are in fine form, coming off a big victory in October, and have the formidable power of Herman Fourie in reserve. Alan Gordan will have to go deep in the first hour of racing, every morning, to ensure he and Fourie are in contention with the lead group should Insect Science 1 need a wheel.
Valley Electrical Titan are in a similar position to PYGA Euro Steel 2. Though Cronje Beukes’ breakthrough must be put in the context that he is still just 19 and started the 2024 season late, following a knee injury. The nephew of Matthys Beukes, Cronje Beukes has developed in leaps and bounds in the second half of the year. Team principle, Rossouw Bekker will likely be happy with a top five placing the Valley Electrical Titan team.
Other contenders for a strong placing include the Computer Mania team of Daniel van der Walt and Ursin Spescha, of Switzerland, and the Squirt Mauritius combination of Yannick Lincoln and Aurelien de Comarmond. Pump for Peace’s Unathi Nxumalo and Tumelo Makae should also challenge for a top ten. They will have to see off Gear Change, Honeycomb Pro Cycling 2, and ASAP & Co to do so however. Matthew Leppan and Rogan Smart will fancy themselves to best some of the teams ranked higher than them on the start list, and rightly so. While Jaco van Dyk and Felix Stehli are dark horses, with far more experience on the road and gravel than in mountain bike stage races. Freddie and Jasper Visser round out the serious contenders, but are not to be underestimated.
The final team in the elite men’s field are a combination who are unlikely to underestimate themselves. Jurgens Uys does not race as much as he once did, but the Versus Socks founder remains a classy bike rider. His teammate, Matt Daneel is doing all the pair’s talking and is not shy about their chances. Every full-time elite rider who finds themselves behind the Versus squad on the general classification leaderboard is sure to hear all about it.
Banter alone is therefore reason enough to tune in to the 2024 FNB Wines2Whales Shiraz. Mountain biking fans can follow the action, as it unfolds, watch the race coverage on social media. Regular updates will be posted to the @wines_2_whales Instagram and Wines2Whales Facebook stories. Post-stage highlight videos will be uploaded to the Epic Series YouTube channel. To find out more visit www.epic-series.com/wines2whales.
Elite Men’s Start List for the 2024 FNB Wines2Whales Shiraz
- Buff Megamo: Wout Alleman * (BEL) & Hans Becking (NED)
- Toyota Specialized: Matt Beers (RSA) & Alex Miller * (NAM)
- Insect Science: Keagan Bontekoning (RSA) & Arno du Toit (RSA)
- Imbuko: Marco Joubert (RSA) & Wessel Botha * (RSA)
- PYGA Euro Steel 2: Pieter du Toit (RSA) & Jaedon Terlouw (RSA)
- Valley Electrical Titan: Rossouw Bekker (RSA) & Cronje Beukes (RSA)
- PYGA Euro Steel: Philip Buys (RSA) & Michael Foster (RSA)
- Insect Science 2: Alan Gordan (RSA) & Herman Fourie (RSA)
- Computer Mania: Daniel van der Walt (RSA) & Ursin Spescha (SUI)
- PYGA Euro Steel 3: Pressmore Msundi (ZIM) & Wian van den Bergh (RSA)
- Imbuko | Toyota Specialized: Rudi Koen (RSA) & Johan van Zyl (RSA)
- Squirt Mauritius: Yannick Lincoln (MRI) & Aurelien De Comarmond (MRI)
- Honeycomb Pro Cycling: Marc Pritzen (RSA) & Tristan Nortje (RSA)
- Gear Change: Matthew Leppan (RSA) & Rogan Smart (RSA)
- Honeycomb Pro Cycling 2: Jaco van Dyk (RSA) & Felix Stehli (SUI)
- Pump for Peace: Unathi Nxumalo (RSA) Tumelo Makae (LES)
- ASAP & Co: Freddie Visser (RSA) & Jasper Visser (RSA)
- Versus: Jurgens Uys (RSA) & Matt Daneel (RSA)
