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Johannesburg - Darren Lill and Waylon Woolcock outsprinted race leaders Gawie Combrinck and Johann Rabie to level the scoring at three stage wins apiece on day seven of the Old Mutual joBerg2c on Thursday.
The Cannondale-Blend duo powered into the finish at MacKenzie Club near Ixopo in KwaZulu-Natal in 2:54:48, six seconds clear of the EAI Cycling frontrunners.
Third-placed Kevin Evans and Max Knox of FedGroup-Itec staged a fightback on the 81km route from Underberg. Their time of 2:55:21 saw them return to a podium position in the general classification.
Although Woolcock and Lill clocked a record stage time, it was not enough to dent Combrinck and Rabie's overall lead, which now stands at a respectable five minutes and 32 seconds.
EAI Cycling tops the general classification in 26:50:48, followed by Cannondale-Blend in 26:56:20 and FedGroup-Itec in 27:48:42.
Evans and Knox signalled their intent when they went out all guns blazing on the speedy seventh stage of the nine-day mountain bike race.
They pulled hard on the front, leading Cannondale-Blend and EAI Cycling into the Oak Lane dual single-track and across the PG Bison floating bridge at Mossbank Dam.
In the women's race, Janine King and Amy McDougall (Valencia Girls) came storming back for the stage win in 3:34:20 (32:19:54) after struggling with a broken frame the previous day.
They extended their overall lead to almost one hour and 20 minutes over runners-up Sarah van Heerden and Brenda Potts, who came home in 3:53:29 (33:39:00).
Aramex's Liesl Lourens and Lora Hirst finished third on the day in 3:55:12, but it was not enough to unseat Belgium's Heidi Buttiens and Siegrid van Bever of the Reevax Ladies team. The latter's 4:12:39 kept them safely in the top three in the standings (36:28:44).
The Sasol Racing teams once again dominated the mixed category. Overall leaders Yolande de Villiers and Franso Steyn took the stage win in 3:17:19 (29:10:12) ahead of teammates Leana de Jager and Johan Labuschagne in 3:20:37 (29:33:00).
Bell Equipment's Hayley Smith and Darryn Purtell took third on the stage in 3:36:03, but Avis Van Rental's Alison Richardson and Rob Dormehl's time of 3:43:43 (32:37:08) saw them maintain third overall.
The race culminates on the main beach at Scottburgh on Saturday.
RESULTS
Stage 7
Men:
1. Waylon Woolcock &
Darren Lill (Cannondale-Blend) 2:54:48
2. Johann Rabie & Gawie Combrinck
(EAI Cycling) 2:54:53
3. Max Knox & Kevin Evans (FedGroup-itec) 2:55:21
4. Hanco Kachelhoffer & Chris Wolhuter (Karan Beef) 3:03:01
5. Sthembiso
Msango & Mboneni Ngcobo (Dischem RMB Change a Life) 3:07:10
Women:
1. Janine King &
Amy McDougall (Valencia Girls) 3:34:20
2. Sarah van Heerden & Brenda Potts
(Old Mutual Girlz) 3:53:29
3. Liesl Lourens & Lora Hirst (Aramex) 3:55:12
4. Heidi Buttiens & Siegrid van Bever (Reevax Ladies) 4:12:39
Mixed:
1. Yolande de Villiers
& Franso Steyn (Sasol Racing Mixed) 3:17:19
2. Leana de Jager & Johan
Labuschagne (Sasol Racing) 3:20:37
3. Hayley Smith & Darren Purtell (Bell
Equipment) 3:36:03
4. Alison Richardson & Rob Dormehl (Avis Van Rental)
3:43:43
5. Louise Ferreira & Henning Blaauw (Globeflight) 3:50:49
Men:
1. Johann Rabie &
Gawie Combrinck (EAI Cycling) 26:50:48
2. Waylon Woolcock & Darren Lill
(Cannondale-Blend) 26:56:20
3. Max Knox & Kevin Evans (FedGroup-itec)
27:48:42
Women:
1. Janine King &
Amy McDougall (Valencia Girls) 32:19:54
2. Sarah van Heerden & Brenda Potts
(Old Mutual Girlz) 33:39:00
3. Heidi Buttiens & Siegrid van Bever (Reevax
Ladies) 36:28:44
Mixed:
1. Yolande de Villiers
& Franso Steyn (Sasol Racing) 29:10:12
2. Leana de Jager & Johan
Labuschagne (Sasol Racing) 29:33:00
3. Alison Richardson & Rob Dormehl
(Avis Van Rental) 32:09:40
