Electronic issues nearly cost the Bergstrom Factory Racing team their FNB Wines2Whales Pinotage title on the final stage from Oak Valley to Benguela Cove. Santina Malacarne came up with an old-fashioned solution to the most modern of cycling problems and towed Lukas Dennda up the climbs, which enabled the Swiss pairing to maintain top spot on the Mixed Category podium, despite finishing Stage 3 in third.

After two days of dramatic weather Wednesday, 6 November 2024, boasted sunshine and blue skies, yet it produced drama for one of the most dominant teams in the FNB Wines2Whales Pinotage race. After winning Stage 1 and 2, by commanding margins, Santina Malacarne and Lukas Dennda faced an electrical issue which was unfixable on the trails. They therefore decided to abandon Dennda’s battery at Water Point 2 and Malacarne towed her partner up every climb in the second half of the course.

In the men’s and women’s E-Bike categories the overnight leaders had a far easier day of it on the 64 kilometre stage from Oak Valley to Benguela Cove. The drop from the Elgin Plateau to sea level always ensures that the last day of FNB W2W features features more descending than climbing. With the finish moving from Onrus to the banks of the Botrivier Lagoon there was also a brand-new run in and 13 kilometres of singletrack created for the 2024 race.

By the time they reached the long descent to Benguela Cove Benjamin [Benno] Willeit and Joris Ryf held a 5 minute advantage. The only question for the Specialized Racing team was if they would be able to break the 2 hour mark. As it turned out they missed out by 5 minutes and 37 seconds, but that gives them ample reason to return in 2026.

“I came back to South Africa in November to defend my FNB Wines2Whales Pinotage title,” Ryf smiled on the start line, on Wednesday morning. “But also, because I love the country. The riding is amazing, the people are so friendly and welcoming, and there’s a lot to do off the bike too, from wine tastings to restaurants and beaches. I’ll probably be back in January or February for more intense training, but for now it’s also good to spend some time riding, at a lower intensity in the sunshine while the weather is cold and wet in Europe.”

The women’s E-Bike race saw Heather Collen and Kerry Ould dominate each stage. The Trail Tarts do Turbo team won each stage by the best part of an hour and the overall by 2 hours and 12 minutes. Even after three days of racing the winners were still slightly surprised to have taken the title. “As Heather [Collen] mentioned after Stage 2, we didn’t know who we would be up against when we entered,” Ould noted. “I’m just happy that we kept it rubber side down and had a safe, fun, race. The weather wasn’t the best on Stage 1, but the next two days made up for it!”

Monday’s icy rain and cold wind produced conditions which some called the toughest in FNB W2W history. While the event is no stranger to rain, snow atop the Jonkershoek Mountain peaks, 20 kilometres away from Gantouw Pass, meant that the wind chill took degrees off the 4 degree temperature, in real feel. On Tuesday a milky sunshine made for chilly but good riding weather. The trails were miraculously drier than anticipated, which ensured a good day out for the E- and analogue- bikers.

The final day was all set to be a celebration of incredible trails in summer sunshine when Dennda’s bike decided to play up. Nearing Water Point 1, 18 kilometres into the course, the engine cut out and so the Swiss rider surged ahead of his teammate to reach the Houw Hoek aid station where a neutral mechanic was on hand to help with running repairs.

“Today was one of the hardest races I ever did,” Dennda puffed on the finish line. “I used 10% of my battery the whole day and I definitely used 110% of myself. I had an engine cutoff after 18 kilometres and I couldn’t fix it. So, we decided at the second water point to leave the battery, and save 4.5 kilograms. And I just tried to push on and despite the bad luck today, the trail was incredible again. I tried to enjoy it as much as I could because it was hard to keep my concentration being on the limit for so long. But I still enjoyed the last trails a lot, especially with the nice view to the sea.”

“This was our best friend today,” Malacarne said, showing off the spare tube she had used to tow Dennda with. “I pulled and pushed, and Lukas [Dennda] pedalled really hard to get over the finish line. Luckily, he is super strong and apparently so are my arms.”

“Now it’s time for a beer!” she concluded with a laugh.  

That is unquestionable the perfect way to end the FNB Wines2Whales Pinotage and kick-off the build-up to the Shiraz. The FNB Wines2Whales action resumes on Friday and mountain biking fans are encouraged to tune in to the race’s social media handles. 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.

2024 FNB Wines2Whales Chardonnay Results:

E-Bike Men | Stage 3:

1. Specialized Racing: Benjamin Willeit & Joris Ryf (2:05:37)
2. XTREME RACING: Leeroy & Lyle Poulter (2:13:52 | +8:14)
3. Toyota Specialized: Bobby Behan & Giniel de Villiers (2:15:47 | +10:09)
4. RBC Suspension: Robbie Powell & Dean Lawson (2:25:11 | +19:33)
5. Greatsoft Cylon: Robert Briggs & Colin Morgan (2:26:04 | +20:27)

E-Bike Women | Stage 3:

1. Trail Tarts do Turbo: Heather Collen & Kerry Ould (2:43:08)
2. Mountainbike-Südafrika.ch-6: Nicole Schumacher & Monika Walther (3:17:25 | +48:40)
3. Desert Roses: Connie-Marlene Theyse & Hanli Jacobs (4:21:04 | +1:37:55)

E-Bike Mixed | Stage 3:

1. Team Prescient: Carla Beyers & Dawie Carstens (2:30:00)
2. Thundervyver: Werner & Marlize van der Vyver (2:32:22 | +2:22)
3. Bergstrom Factory Racing: Santina Malacarne & Lukas Dennda (2:45:36 | +15:36)
4. Last Minute: Martyn Swanepoel & Lara Neill (2:49:22 | +19:22)
5. Last Minute.com: Gareth Neill & Lexi Bird (2:53:56 | +23:56)

Men’s E-Bike General Classification after Stage 3:

1. Specialized Racing: Benjamin Willeit & Joris Ryf   (6:59:24)
2. Toyota Specialized: Bobby Behan & Giniel de Villiers (7:37:50 | +38:25)
3. XTREME RACING: Leeroy & Lyle Poulter (7:40:29 | +41:04)

Women’s E-Bike General Classification after Stage 2:

1. Trail Tarts do Turbo: Heather Collen & Kerry Ould (9:39:43)
2. Mountainbike-Südafrika.ch-6: Nicole Schumacher & Monika Walther (11:52:15 | +2:12:32)
3. Desert Roses: Connie-Marlene Theyse & Hanli Jacobs (16:02:45 | +6:23:02)

Mixed E-Bike General Classification after Stage 2:

1. Bergstrom Factory Racing: Santina Malacarne & Lukas Dennda (8:22:57)
2. Team Prescient: Carla Beyers &   Dawie Carstens (9:16:49 | +53:51)
3. Thundervyver: Werner & Marlize Van Der Vyver (9:22:28 | +59:31)

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