Candice Lill and Tyler Jacobs put in a performance worthy of a five-star review as they completed a perfect clean sweep of FNB Wines2Whales Chardonnay stage wins. The SeattleCoffeeCo eFORT ALMAR pair had time to stop for a selfie at the FNB Private banking picture frame on their way to victory at Benguela Cove. When the dust settled on the three days of racing, they were joined on the final general classification podium by Efficient Infiniti Racing and e-FORT 1.

Sunday, 3 November 2024, marked SeattleCoffeeCo eFORT ALMAR’s six successive FNB Wines2Whales Chardonnay stage victory. Spanning two editions no team has been able to best Candice Lill and Tyler Jacobs, even for a single day. When it was all said and done, after three great stages of mountain biking their winning margin was 14 minutes and 34 seconds, over Vera Looser and Sarah Hill. Margot Moschetti and Costanza Fasolis were third, a further 19 minutes back.

The final stage took the Chardonnay teams along a 64 kilometre route from Oak Valley, in Elgin, to Benguela Cove, on the banks of the Botrivier Lagoon. It featured an undulating start before the descent down Katpas, to Botrivier, Wildekrans and Genevieve MCC. After crossing the river on the old steel bridge, Karwyders Contour and Gaf se Bos presented the terrain the top teams needed to distance their rivals, ahead of the rewarding singletrack descent along the Church and Escape Raz trails into Benguela Cove. Perched on the hillside, overlooking the lagoon, the finish line was a beacon for the last kilometres and the festive welcome it provided called the teams home in style.

Having established an early lead on Stage 1, and ridden the first half of Stage 2 conservatively before cantering to victory, Lill and Jacobs let their rivals take the initiative on Stage 3. Looser and Hill set the early tempo, which at times distanced Elrika Harmzen-Pretorius and Felicitas Geiger, as well as Tiffany Keep and Bianca Haw. Though both the e-FORT 2 and Sani2C teams used the Kat Pas descent to regain contact with the lead group.

“It was an interesting start to the stage,” Hill noted. “One of the e-FORT riders came into a corner a bit hot and nearly took Candice [Lill] out, and then we got to a closed gate. While we were figuring out what to do, Bianca [Haw] went into adventure racing mode, threw her bike over and hopped over it herself. It was like we were playing different sports while racing our mountain bikes, and it was pretty exciting and fun.”

Despite the SeattleCoffeeCo eFORT ALMAR team’s dominance it has certainly been a captivating three days of racing. Stage 1 saw Keep puncture and, despite her and Haw’s bush mechanic skills, loose nearly 45 minutes fixing a side wall cut. Later in the day Moschetti faltered, which allowed Elrika Harmzen-Pretorius and Felicitas Geiger to secure third on the stage. The next day Almari de Milander, Monique du Plessis, and Nicola Walker all crashed dramatically, and only the Pretty Pedal woman was able to continue. Jacobs also had a small off on Stage 2, but it only served to remind her to remain fully focused throughout Stage 3.

“The biggest difference between Tyla [Jacobs] this year, compared to last is her confidence,” Lill stated. “For any athlete confidence is so important and Tyla has grown so much in that, in the last twelve months. Today I told her we’d be following her race plan, and I’m really happy with her decision making.”

It was not all easy going and plain sailing for the women in the orange CIOVITA leaders’ jerseys. “That last, long, climb really hurt,” Jacobs confessed. “I was on or over the limit there!” As were Looser and Hill though, and with Jacobs setting the tone for the attack she and Lill edged away from the Efficient Infiniti Racing combination. By the summit the gap was 90 seconds, which Jacobs and Lill were then able to further extend on the singletrack descent.

Such was their buffer, the SeattleCoffeeCo eFORT ALMAR pair were even able to stop at the FNB Private picture frame to take a photo for the competition to win a 2025 FNB Wines2Whales team entry. Though this stop, at the Escape Wines water point cost them a handful of seconds they were still able to win the stage by 2 minutes and 39 seconds. Efficient Infiniti Racing were second on the day, wrapping up three days of second places to secure silver overall. e-FORT 1’s strong Stage 2 and 3 secured them third on the general classification ahead of e-FORT 2 and Fortress Real Estate Investments. Team Sani2C’s disastrous Stage 1 cost them a top five overall place. Despite finishing fourth on the last two days, they were unable to do enough to wrestle fifth from Ila Stow and Katie Lennard.

2024 FNB Wines2Whales Chardonnay Results:

Elite Women | Stage 3:

1. SeattleCoffeeCo eFORT ALMAR: Candice Lill & Tyler Jacobs (2:52:01)
2. Efficient Infiniti Racing: Vera Looser & Sarah Hill (2:54:40 | +2:39)
3. e-FORT: Margot Moschetti & Costanza Fasolis (2:55:53 | +3:51)
4. Sani2C: Tiffany Keep & Bianca Haw (2:58:46 | +6:44)
5. e-FORT 2: Elrika Harmzen-Pretorius & Felicitas Geiger (2:59:18 | +7:17)
6. Fortress Real Estate Investments: Ila Stow & Katie Lennard (3:05:25 | +13:24)
7. Bike Hub SHEovita: Kylie Hanekom & Rebecca van Huyssteen (3:13:06 | +21:05)
8. BELL EPT: Janice Venter & Hayley Smith (3:14:08 | +22:06)
9. Pretty Pedal: Kate Slegrova & Nicola Walker (3:20:39 | +28:38)
10.  Paceline Racing 1: Robyn Williams & Tarryn Povey (3:23:55 | +31:54)

Master’s Women | Stage 3:

1. Bodyandbike: Maureen Jordaan & Jenny Close (3:20:55)
2. Xpert Wealth: Chantelle Bosch & Martha Koekemoer (3:24:23 | +3:28)
3. Indlulamithi: Caroline Jack & Julia Westoby (3:28:11 | +7:15)
4. Charlie & Lola: Sally Ferguson & Caren Maytham-Mills (3:42:28 | +21:33)
5. GIC Ladies: Lesleigh Beukes & Nicolle Weir (3:46:24 | +25:25)

Grand Master’s Women | Stage 3:

1. Tiletoria Ladies: Jane Seggie & Michelle Lombardi (3:30:22)
2. Rola Motors: Fiona Austin & Comine Claasen (3:41:31| +11:09)
3. AB Girls : Jane Fisher & Tracy Crowther (3:42:42 | +12:20)

Elite Women’s General Classification after Stage 3:

1. SeattleCoffeeCo eFORT ALMAR: Candice Lill & Tyler Jacobs (9:16:05)
2. Efficient Infiniti Racing: Vera Looser & Sarah Hill (9:30:40 | +14:34)
3. e-FORT: Margot Moschetti & Costanza Fasolis (9:49:11 | +33:06)
4. e-FORT 2: Elrika Harmzen-Pretorius & Felicitas Geiger (9:52:27 | +36:21)
5. Fortress Real Estate Investments: Ila Stow & Katie Lennard (10:11:02 | +54:56)

Master’s Women General Classification after Stage 3:

1. Bodyandbike: Maureen Jordaan & Jenny Close (11:08:29)
2. Xpert Wealth: Chantelle Bosch & Martha Koekemoer (11:22:53 | +14:24)
3. Charlie & Lola: Sally Ferguson & Caren Maytham-Mills (12:25:46 | +1:17:16)
4. Indlulamithi: Caroline Jack & Julia Westoby (12:27:29 | +1:18:59)
5. Die Stofstreep Sisters: Maria Elizabeth Cave & Lisette Roos (12:40:40 | +1:32:11)

Grand Master’s Women’s General Classification after Stage 3:

1. Tiletoria Ladies: Jane Seggie & Michelle Lombardi (11:26:21)
2. Rola Motors: Fiona Austin & Comine Claasen (12:20:25| +54:03)
3. One Earth: Marleen Lourens & Louise Ferreira (12:30:11 | +1:03:50)

For the full results from the FNB Wines2Whales Chardonnay click here.

With the FNB Wines2Whales Chardonnay race in the record books the attention turns – on Monday, 4 November – to the E-Bike Pinotage race. To 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. For more information visit www.epic-series.com/wines2whales or download the Epics Series mobile application.