Mountain Bike Magazine MTB Autumn 2019 | Page 76

54 SUMMIT FIN 55 2019 DORMAKABA LADIES 2019 280-2 280-2 CANDICE LILL Age: 27 Epics completed: 2 Stage wins: 0 ADELHEID MORATH Age: 34 Epics completed: 2 Stage wins: 0 AMY MCDOUGALL SAMANTHA SANDERS BEST RESULT 4th (2018) 2 x XCO African Continental champion BEST RESULT 3rd (2016) 2015 Swiss Epic winner BEST RESULT 2017 Cape Pioneer Trek winner BEST RESULT 8th (2017) 2013 XCO South African champion T outed in pre-race predictions for 2018 as serious GC podium contenders, Lill and Morath’s campaign ended before it began, with Morath fracturing her scaphoid at the Stellenbosch World Cup. The pair showed their talents later in the year at Wines2Whales, reassuring them that the combo is well-dialled. Lill’s raw ability was apparent early in her career, taking third at the junior XCO world champs behind Pauline Ferrand-Prevot. Morath has been a regular top 10 fi nisher on the UCI World Cup circuit and is a former German champ. With her international experience and Lill’s local knowledge of the trails, the time is right to reach their full potential and prove the analysts right, albeit a year later. 56 Age: 29 Epics completed: 3 Stage wins: 0 Age: 35 Epics completed: 2 Stage wins: 0 I n 2018 dormakaba fi elded two teams and won the inaugural women’s Absa African jersey competition. Even though they’re down to one team now, it’s still highly likely that the red jerseys will end up on the shoulders of this pair. Sanders and McDougall rode with diff erent partners last year but they are highly familiar with each other’s capabilities, backing each other up in local races throughout last year. McDougall won the mixed category at the 2017 Cape Epic, and has had a number of successful stage race wins at other events. Both McDougall and Sanders excel on technical terrain, so expect them to come into their own on the rocky trails around Stellenbosch. GALILEO RISK 2019 280-2 S THERESA RALPH Age: 43 Epics completed: 8 Stage wins: 0 BEST RESULT 2nd (2012) 2018 joBerg2c winner 76 | MTB | The Untamed African MTB Race arah Hill holds newbie status, so Theresa Ralph will act as mentor, being one of the more experienced Absa Cape Epic riders in the fi eld. Ralph has placed second, third, fourth and fi fth which will be diffi cult to top, given the quality of the fi eld assembled. That won’t deter them from aiming at the Absa African jersey competition though. She and Hill aren’t the types to let dormakaba have it easy. It’ll be a head-to-head battle between Ralph and Hill and dormakaba’s McDougall and Sanders. With the prize money and prestige of wearing red at stake, they’d best be served taking the pragmatic approach – leave the UCI World Cup stars to fi ght it out and focus on the other all- South African teams. In this rare case, it’s a case of “less risk, more reward”. SARAH HILL Age: 25 Epics completed: 0 Stage wins: 0 BEST RESULT 2018 joBerg2c winner