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The fourth and final stage of the 2023 Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen, saw Ghost Factory Racing Cappuccino and Toyota Specialized wrap-up the elite titles. Neither team managed to cross the line first, in their category, but were within touching distance of the stage winners. Sunday, 12 February’s, winners were the Ghost Factory Racing Flat White and PYGA Euro Steel teams.
Ghost Factory Racing’s two teams worked to provide a platform from which the Flat White team could challenge for a stage victory from early in the stage. “We wanted to help Isla [Short] and Caroline [Bohe] win the stage yesterday already, but it’s not easy to do on such a long stage. Today we tried again,” Anne Terpstra said. “It’s the first time doing something like this for us, so we didn’t really know how to achieve it, but it worked out pretty well.”
With the Cappuccino squad helping launch them into a lead on the trails Short and Bohe managed to establish a 1 minute buffer by the half-way point of the stage. Though that advantage was whittled away over the second half of the course they still managed to maintain enough of a buffer to sit up and celebrate the stage win.
“It’s been a tough race, but I’m really happy we could take the win today,” Short smiled. The Ghost Factory Racing squad’s stage victory was made sweeter by the Cappuccino team finishing second on the day. This maintained the prefect record for the German outfit, as they completed a clean sweep of first and second positions over the four stages of the race.
Terpstra and Nicole Koller had to work for their second place though. The pair outsprinted Amy Wakefield and Samantha Sanders, who were doing their utmost to overturn KMC MTB Racing’s advantage. Efficient Insure Infiniti were unable to do that however and had to settle for fourth overall. Ghost Factory Racing Cappuccino’s margin of victory was 16 minutes and 2 seconds over the Flat White team. Janika Loiv and Yana Belomoina were third with Wakefield and Sanders fourth, 1 minute and 3 seconds off the podium places. Pedersen Lennard’s Katie Lennard and Ila Stow completed the top five places.
“I’d love to come back again next year,” Terpstra stated. “But I can’t come alone so I’ll have to convince my teammates to join me again too!” Which should not be that difficult after the Ghost Factory Racing team’s success in the 2023 event.
Results: 2023 Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen
Elite Women’s General Classification :
1. Ghost Factory Cappuccino: Anne Terpstra & Nicole Koller (13:10:17)
2. Ghost Factory Flat White: Isla Short & Caroline Bohe (13:26:19 | +16:02)
3. KMC MTB: Janika Loiv & Yana Belomoina (13:50:45 | +40:28)
4. Efficient Insure Infiniti: Amy Wakefield & Samantha Sanders (13:51:48 | +41:31)
5. Pedersen Lennard: Katie Lennard & Ila Stow (14:48:09 | +1:37:52)
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*all images by OakPics