22 MARCH
1000
STAGE 5
TECHNICAL
TERRAIN
HOTSPOT
800
Gantouw
Pass
Concrete
Strips
600
King’s Climb
Helderberg
Trails
100KM BREAKDOWN
400
200
0
0
10
20
30
Oak Valley Estate
40
RATING
50
60
70
80
90
100
Singletrack: 22km, 22%
Farm road: 78km, 78%
Stellenbosch
WHERE TO WATCH
Race start: 07.00am
A Grabouw Country Club
(24km)
It will take the leaders just over an
hour to get there so fans can watch
a few of the later start groups set out
before driving to the Country Club on
the shores of the Eikenhof Dam and at
the foot of the famous A to Z Trails.
www.countryclub.co.za
Distance from race village: 5km
Leading men: 08.05am*
Leading women: 08.40am*
Last rider: 10.10am*
B Journey’s End (44km)
As famous for their trebuchet, which
fl ings old wine barrels across an
open fi eld, as they are for their wines,
Journey’s End will no doubt have
some excitement in store for the fans.
www.journeysend.co.za
Distance from race village: 23km
Leading men: 09.00am*
Leading women: 09.45am*
Last rider: 12.10pm*
C Dornier Wines (88.5km)
For the riders, Dornier is the last
water point of the gruelling Queen
Stage. For the fans it is one of the
most beautiful spots to watch the
race roll by. You’ll be able to taste
their award-winning wines and
eat at the restaurant.
www.dornier.co.za
Distance from race village: 48km
Leading men: 11.00am*
Leading women: 11.50am*
Last rider: 16.10pm*
Leading men fi nish: 11.30am*
Leading women fi nish: 12.05pm*
Last rider fi nish: 17.15pm*
*Predicted times only
RACE PREDICTION
Other profi les may look spikier, but by all accounts Stage 5 is the hardest
day of the 2019 edition in terms of terrain. Plus it’s still too early in the week
for race leaders to rest on their laurels, so GC tactics will take a back seat
and any team with the legs to attack will be marked closely, driving up the
pace. The strongest team in the race will thrive on a long, hard day like this,
and it’s a tough call, between SCOTT-SRAM, Investec-Songo-Specialized
and marathoner teams like Bulls and Silverback SBC, to predict a winner. All
contenders should stay together until Gantouw Pass, and even if there’s a
small split in the fi eld, it’s likely to regroup at the water point. However, the
run down the rocky path could hurt, taking its toll on the younger riders later.
Carrying the same principle through to an analysis of the women’s fi eld, it’s
Investec-Songo-Specialized’s to lose. But the week’s punishment will surely
be catching up with Anna van der Breggen. Summit and Spur won’t off er any
forgiveness if she falters. For Investec-Songo-Specialized, it’s a choice – use
the power on tap to gain an advantage but risk a mistake, or stay below the
redline but settle for a smaller time buff er. It’s a tough call to make, while
operating close to anaerobic threshold.
The Untamed African MTB Race | MTB | 157