Storms River Traverse: A Perfect Day for Forest Fun on Stage 2

Stage 2 of the 2023 Glacier Storms River Traverse boasted even better weather than the previous day. Gone were the oppressive heat and the wind. In their place were mild, but warm temperatures, and wind still conditions. In fact, the mountain bikers could not have hoped for more perfect weather.

Day two of a stage race is always a bit of a shock to the system for those who have not quite prepared as well as they should have. That said, the route and the conditions made it easier to get back on the bike. “Just the bum is a bit sore,” Abigail Kitshoff confessed, a couple of kilometres into the stage. “Otherwise, the legs, the arms, and body are fine. Today is my favourite day of the Glacier Storms River Traverse, so I’m excited!”

A muddy portage or two kept things interesting. Photo by Oakpics.com.

Kitshoff’s excitement was not dampened by the odd muddy portage. The short muddy sections were reminders of what the route is often like, as the race has often taken place in the rain. For first-stage racers, like Alexi Du Toit, the sunny weather was another bonus. “It’s my first stage race and it definitely won’t be my last!” Du Toit enthused from the bike. “I haven’t really done a lot of training for it either though, so we’ll have to see if I’m still as enthusiastic tomorrow.”

One rider who will certainly still be equally as enthusiastic on Sunday is Liezel van der Westhuizen. The radio presenter and host for the weekend’s festivities has been loving the riding. “It’s been lovely,” she exclaimed from the first water point on Stage 2. “It was quite a tough start, with a lot of climbing, but I know the second half will be beautiful along the coastline.”

Spectacular views greeted the riders as they made their way through the MTO Forestry plantations towards the Indian Ocean. Photo by Oakpics.com.

That it certainly was. Only the fastest riders did not take the time to stop for a photo or to admire the view out over the Indian Ocean once the route reached the cliff top roads at the very edge of MTO Forestry’s plantations. With that highlight ticked off a final 15 kilometres of forest riding completed the 50 kilometre stage.

At the sharp end, Anel Strampe was once again the first rider across the line. The solo eBike women’s leader extended her category general classification and overall lead, with the solo eBike men’s winner her closest rival. First and second in the solo men’s race snuck home before the first women’s teams on the day, with Aldert du Toit and Juan Slabbert crossing the line just seconds ahead of Yolande de Villiers and Stephanie Wohlters.

Anel Strampe dominated the Stage 2 crossing the line first, in her category and overall, in a repeat of her Stage 1 result. Photo by Oakpics.com.

The pair extended their overall category lead, with Mandi Augustyn and Juanita Mackenzie moving up to second, by finishing second on the day. “Shame, Karla [Stumpf] and Kelsey [van Schoor] had bad luck today,” Augustyn explained. “They had a mechanical quite early on and lost a lot of time.”

The mechanical Augustyn mentioned was a damaged valve core on Stumpf’s wheel. This issue cost them the best part of half an hour on the trails, and more time reinflating the wheel at the first water point with a floor pump. Their misfortune essentially puts Stumpf and Van Schoor out of the running for category victory, though they are still comfortably ensconced in a podium place.

Karla Stumpf (left) and Kelsey van Schoor (right) endured a day of mechanicals which effectively put them out of contention for victory in the womens team competition. Photo by Oakpics.com.

Sunday’s final stage is the last opportunity for the riders to make up time or to struggle through a day on tired legs. “It’s amazing how good you feel when you go to bed at 8 o’clock!” Hein Jonker laughed after the penultimate stage. When asked if he would repeat that cautious approach ahead of the final stage his response with a grin was as follows: “No, just one 8 o’clock per Glacier Storms River Traverse weekend. Tonight, we’ll have fun…”

Which means that Stage 3 could be tougher in reality than it looks on paper. For those who are dedicated to having fun on Saturday night at least… It is 51 kilometres long and features 830 meters of climbing, heading west once again. This also means an ascent out of the Storms River gorge in the final 5 kilometres.

To follow the action as it unfolds on Stage 3 like the Storms River Traverse Facebook page, or follow @stormsrivertraverse on Instagram and @SRTraverse on X/Twitter. For more information on the event visit www.stormsrivertraverse.co.za.