Knox and Zahnd win DCM Cape Pioneer opener

Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 | Stage 5 | Stage 6

DCM’s Max Knox and Thomas Zahnd gave the race sponsor every reason to cheer as they triumphed on the opening stage of the 2010 DCM Cape Pioneer Trek in South Africa on Monday. Nathalie Schneitter and Renate Telser finished the fastest of the women’s teams.

The 135 kilometre stage got off to a zoological start at the Chandelier Game and Ostrich Show Farm in Oudtshoorn, the town the race will return to the same time for its finale in five days time. But Saturday’s final stage was a long way from the minds of the race’s 166-strong field who set-off for the 135 kilometre journey south through the Doringrivier Nature reserve bound for Mossel Bay.

The race was run over primarily vehicle tracks but with almost 2,820 metres of vertical ascent the course had event the most seasoned riders in the field asking questions of themselves. Christoph Sauser’s tweeted his assessment of the day saying, “cape pioneer stage 1: 135km, 6.20hrs riding time plus a other h of fixing tires and eating! my longest race ever! ready for a beer NOW!”

Sauser’s mechanical woes meant he finished 12th on the day with teammate and compatriot Silvio Bundi. The two were left to toast the efforts of Knox and Zahnd, who proved the fastest pairing on stage one. The DCM riders completed the course in 5:43:21 to finish just over three minutes clear of Kevin Evans and Adrien Niyonshuti. DCM also claimed third spot on the first podium of the race through Jacques Janse Van Rensburg and Brandon Stewart.

With the first three pairs almost half an hour ahead of their nearest rivals the first day has given a clear indication of the riders likely to share the spoils at the end of the six-day event.

In the women’s race Nathalie Schneitter and Renate Telser stamped their authority on the event. The Swiss pair finished 23 minutes ahead of Robyn Adendorff and Sarah Van Heerden. The other Swiss pair in the race, Doris Arnold and Nina Gunter-Tshanz grabbed a podium position as a reward for their nine hours of effort.

With a tough day in the legs, the 110 kilometre stage two will prove a stern test for the leading riders. The stage will include around 5 kilometres on the beaches near Mossel Bay, but with 90 per cent of the day’s stage to take place on tracks or sealed roads tyre pressure selection could prove to be a factor for the riders.

Place	Names	Team	Nationality	Time
1	Max Knox – Thomas Zahnd	Team Dcm 3	South Africa	05:43:21
2	Kevin Evans – Adrien Niyonshuti	Evans	South Africa	05:46:30
3	Jacques Janse Van Rensburg – Brandon Stewart	Team Dcm 2	South Africa	05:47:44
4	Bruce Diesel – Andrew Mclean	Toyota Supercycling Cyclelab Vets	South Africa	06:11:29
5	Charles Keey – Dave Morison	Blend Property Group 1	South Africa	06:13:05
6	Matthys Beukes – Gerrie Beukes	Mtbdestination.Com	South Africa	06:40:51
7	Hilton Frost – Shaun Peschl	Team Marshell World Of Sport	South Africa	06:45:05
8	Nico Verhoef – Cm Muller	Team Contego Sludge 2	South Africa	06:48:18
9	Rohan Kennedy – Vickus Boshoff	Gu Energy Gel/Helly Hansen	South Africa	06:48:48
10	Ischen Stopforth – Marcel Deacon	Team Bizhub	South Africa	06:49:36
11	Kobus Barnard – Fienie Barnard	Klein Karoo 1	South Africa	06:52:31
12	Damian Booth – Cornell Van Der Westhuizen	Staaldiesel Racing	South Africa	06:58:35
13	Clinton Barrow – Pieter Seyffert	Team Dcm 4	South Africa	06:58:59
14	Brian Lennox – Hannes Hanekom	Team Contego Sludge 1	South Africa	07:01:51
15	Patrick Griessen – Ariane Luthi	Sputnik-Bikeshop.Ch	Switzerland	07:02:00
16	Erik Kleinhans – Oliver Munnik	Gt Mr Price	South Africa	07:11:43
17	Christoph Sauser – Silvio Bundi	Specialized-Songo.Info	Switzerland	07:11:44
18	Henry Hayes – Greg Anderson	Team Dd	South Africa	07:12:19
19	Peter Basler – Patrick Guenter	Suisse-Bearbikers	Switzerland	07:14:43
20	Chris Roux – Hendrik Grey Van Tonder	Dokkie En Grys	South Africa	07:23:07
21	Stuart Marais – Shan Wilson	Blend Property Group 2	South Africa	07:23:39
22	Linus Van Onselen – Bryan Strauss	Team Contego Sludge 3	South Africa	07:24:41
23	Christiaan Van Zyl – Leana De Jager	Newbridge	South Africa	07:29:29
24	Nathalie Schneitter – Renate Telser	Ride For Hearing	Switzerland	07:33:48
25	Johan Labuschane – Yolande De Villies	Cycle Lab Mixed	South Africa	07:34:15
26	Gus Klohn – Marc Wiederkehr	Ansaldo Sts Dunkeld Cycles	South Africa	07:37:55
27	Urs Guentensperger – Marcel Frei	Büli Bike Tigers	Switzerland	07:39:32
28	Stephan Kuhnel – Rene Stehr	Mfs	Germany	07:40:32
29	Henry Swart – Juan Van Deventer	Hermanus Apteek	South Africa	07:45:55
30	Davy Urkens – Michel Broeckx	Masters 23 – 12	Belgium	07:47:53
31	Gert Muller – Graham Daniel	Underwater Farmers	South Africa	07:48:20
32	Pierre Rocher – Neil Van Tonder	Carpe Diem	South Africa	07:49:22
33	Bertus Van Zyl – Timo Cooper	Khs/Jeep	South Africa	07:50:51
34	Ludwig Swanepoel – Grant Flattery	U D Trucks	South Africa	07:55:57
35	Robyn Adendorff – Sarah Van Heerden	Team Aspen	South Africa	07:56:46
36	Charl Du Plessis – Dennis Du Toit	Team Swift	South Africa	08:01:37
37	Tom Cuylaerts – Danny Smets	Kraft	Belgium	08:02:10
38	Koos Klopper – Rory Mapstone	Cycle Lab Centurion	South Africa	08:02:58
39	Lawrence Lindeque – Shane White	Cycles Direct	South Africa	08:04:02
40	Derek Morgan – Hilana Marais	Derek Morgan	South Africa	08:05:01
41	Mike Charlewood – Steve Van Eck	Steviemicks	South Africa	08:10:06
42	Alex Harris – Renato Sabbioni	Openroad	South Africa	08:11:32
43	Wayne Rebello – Dwayne Klingbiel	Cruz Control	South Africa	08:16:03
44	John Thomson – Duncan Bowman	Toyota Mates	South Africa	08:22:43
45	Michael Curtis – Aidan De Lange	Ynot	Namibia	08:22:53
46	Henry Fagan – Alewyn Vorster	Henry Fagan & Partners	South Africa	08:23:53
47	Paul Theron – Mauritz Meyer	Team Tee Off	South Africa	08:28:03
48	Donovan Jackson – Nolene Jackson	Www.Treadmag.Co.Za	South Africa	08:31:35
49	Gerhard Ebersohn – Christine Jansen Van Rensburg	Peptosport	South Africa	08:35:33
50	Scott Fraser – Dave Linder	Kona South Africa	South Africa	08:35:52
51	Aidan Brown – Dylan Chilcott	Volcan/Emotion/Mtn	South Africa	08:37:20
52	Willem Botha – Danie Van Aswegen	Virtuoso	South Africa	08:38:13
53	Johan Stumpf – Wynand Mulder	Klein Karoo Ii	South Africa	08:38:16
54	Nicola Payne – Tony Walker	Aim For Payne	South Africa	08:38:18
55	Rex Benson – Ingo De Jager	Vuur En Vlam	South Africa	08:38:22
56	Sw Jacobsz – Karel Botha	Span Vrystaat	South Africa	08:47:20
57	Jacobus Diener – Christian Rohwer	Custard Pandas	South Africa	08:47:39
58	Richard Chesterton – Maartin Van Rensburg	29″ Dust Bunnies	South Africa	08:51:56
59	Shaun Ellis – Billy Stelling	Cadence Capital	South Africa	08:56:07
60	Doris Arnold – Nina Gunter-Tschanz	Swiss Ladies	Switzerland	09:00:43
61	Hennie Muller – Casper Badenhorst	Bmg Racing Snakes	South Africa	09:01:33
62	Etiënne Jansen – Siska Van Der Bijl	Licht Verzet Mixed	Netherlands	09:02:38
63	Niel Rossouw – Corne Erasmus	Byers Security	South Africa	09:02:42
64	Jp Van Der Merwe – Frank Hattingh	Eerste Keer	South Africa	09:13:16
65	Willie Esterhuyzen – Christopher Dutton	Tread Redbar	South Africa	09:17:00
66	Graig Raw – Sirk Loots	Quirk	South Africa	09:17:03
67	Jason Whyte – Oliver Williams	St. Luke’S Hospice	South Africa	09:17:53
68	Graig Wapnick – Malcolm Wetmore	Wapnick	South Africa	09:21:39
69	Elzaan Visser – Theresa Horn	First Ascent Ladies	South Africa	09:21:55
70	Craig Casteling – Eric Marshall	Limelight	South Africa	09:22:14
71	Arrie Rossouw – Kim Jenkins	Ark Riders	South Africa	09:23:45
72	John Hayes – Rob Hayes	Hayes Team	South Africa	09:24:55
73	Kabous Marra – Alan Dawson	Team Wilde	South Africa	09:26:52
74	Sias Le Roux – Jaco Du Plessis	Team Patrol	South Africa	09:28:13
75	Leon Van Niekerk – Jan-Peet Mulder	Pac-Chem	South Africa	09:35:35
76	Graig Whittaker – Neil Timm	Team Mxit	South Africa	09:35:49
77	Eduard Herselman – Marnitz Nienaber	Pgquattro	South Africa	09:35:55
78	Andre Ferreira – Leigh Ferreira	Ea Sports – Mixed	South Africa	09:36:28
79	Anton De Waal – Brigitte De Waal	B-E-N	South Africa	09:37:18
80	Gordan Craib – Murray Craib	Craib Bros.	Canada	09:38:15
81	Julia Skea – Laura Herd	Fire Ants	South Africa	09:38:51
82	Roy Du Toit – Pieter Erasmus	Hexkoel 108	South Africa	09:38:54
83	Piet Smit – Niel De Jage	Team Gs	South Africa	09:41:16