Rogan Smart claims podium spot in first elite Knysna Bull effort
The 2020 Knysna Bull concluded on Saturday when Matt Beers, Anne Terpstra, Tristan Nortje and Danielle Strydom all wrapped up their respective category titles with stage victories – though Terpstras was shared with her teammate Barbara Benko.
Having taken in four days of racing through the heart of the Garden Route from February 19-22. there could be no arguments that the champions were worthy winners.
Terpstra and Beers each rode off with a cheque for R 100.000 whereas Nortje and Strydom earned R 10.000 each for their efforts. The rest of the top-five riders in the Young Bull men and women’s categories all earned prize money, too.
In the men’s race Beers was again in a class of his own. spending much of the final day solo time trialling through the 52km stage. Having won all three previous stages, he completed a clean-sweep when crossing the line in 1:56:48 – 10 minutes and 45 seconds ahead of local rider Rogan Smart. Justin Tuck crossed the line third.
Tuck s efforts over the four days earned him second place overall, 34 minutes and 32 seconds down on Beers. Behind him, Smart leapfrogged David George to secure the final men’s podium spot. The young rider from Plettenberg Bay is in his first year in the elite category, after stepping up from the Young Bull competition last year.
Terpstra secured the women’s title by rolling across the final finish line alongside Benko. The Ghost Factory Racing pair crossed the line, arm-in-arm.
*The competition was tough at the Knysna Bull, but it was great to have four such strong women racing together. We tried to push each other, but also enjoy the trails. I was fortunate to have established a little bit of a lead on the opening two days; so. I was able to race more conservatively in the last two days.”
Terpstra’s general classification margin of victory was 4 minutes and 34 seconds over her teammate. Robyn de Groot, who had started the day in second overall. Suffered a fall on the final stage and lost nearly 7 minutes. The dormakaba women slipped to third overall, 9 minutes and 14 seconds behind the Dutch race winner.
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