Samantha Sanders and Alexis Skarda of Efficient Infiniti Scott Shimano won Stage 3 of the 2026 FNB Wines2Whales Chardonnay on Sunday, 8 November, securing the Elite Women’s general classification after three days of tight racing in the Western Cape.

The final stage began with only 29.6 seconds separating the leading Elite Women’s teams in the battle for the CIOVITA orange leader jerseys. For women watching the sharp end of South African mountain biking, that made the day more than a scenic roll from wine farms to sea air: the overall title was still properly alive.

Two Elite Women riders lift their bikes at the finish of the FNB Wines2Whales Chardonnay Stage 3.
Skarda and Sanders crossed the line more than a minute up on the next-best team, according to the source caption. · Source: Bike Network · Image source

A finale with bite

Stage 3 took riders 63 kilometres from Oak Valley Estate Race Village to Benguela Cove, with 1,100 metres of climbing. The route included fast opening kilometres, the Katpas descent, then late climbing and technical trails above Bot River and Karwyderskraal. Wind at the start added a little extra Cape seasoning.

Elite Women riders race through a wheat field during the final stage of the FNB Wines2Whales Chardonnay.
Samantha Sanders and Alexis Skarda took the race to their rivals early on Stage 3, according to the source caption. · Source: Bike Network · Image source

Sanders and Skarda pushed the pace early, with Torpado Kenda FSA’s Katazina Sosna-Pinelė and Giorgia Marchet matching them in the title fight. Efficient Infiniti Insure’s Sarah Mare and Lilian Baber settled into the chase, continuing the consistent ride that would keep them in the podium conversation.

The front battle tightened again before the decisive move. Marchet was delayed at the foot of Katpas by a mechanical, but Sanders and Skarda later made a navigational error near Beaumont Wines, bringing the leading pairs back together by Water Point 2 at Genevieve MCC.

Two riders in orange team kit celebrate on the FNB Wines2Whales podium after Stage 2.
Skarda and Sanders held the general classification lead heading into the final day, according to the source caption. · Source: Bike Network · Image source

The title-winning move

The winning split came on the climb alongside Karwyderskraal Road, around the 46-kilometre mark. This time, Sanders and Skarda broke clear and kept building their advantage all the way to Benguela Cove, taking the stage by more than a minute and with it the 2026 FNB Wines2Whales Elite Women’s title.

A line of mountain bikers rides through a wheat field during Stage 3 of the FNB Wines2Whales Chardonnay.
Stage 3 covered 63km with 1,100m of climbing and finished at Benguela Cove, according to the source caption. · Source: Bike Network · Image source

Their final general classification time was 09:33:37. Sosna-Pinelė and Marchet finished second overall for Torpado Kenda FSA, 1:33 back, while Mare and Baber completed the Elite Women’s podium for Efficient Infiniti Insure at 20:58.

A race that stayed open

The result capped a race that had been close from the first full stage. Torpado Kenda FSA won the Stage 1 sprint into Oak Valley and led the general classification by one second over Sanders and Skarda, before Efficient Infiniti Scott Shimano moved into the orange jerseys on Stage 2 with a 29.6-second advantage heading into the finale.

Two riders in orange team kit spray bottles in celebration at the FNB Wines2Whales finish area.
A finish-area celebration from the FNB Wines2Whales Chardonnay final stage coverage. · Source: Bike Network · Image source

That is exactly the kind of stage-race tension women’s MTB deserves: jerseys changing hands, technical sections shaping the result, and the overall still undecided until the final day. The Chardonnay race gave the Elite Women’s field a visible, competitive platform — and the racing did not waste it.

Sources

bikenetwork.co.za — approved source ↗