The 2024 FNB Wines2Whales gets underway on Friday, 1 November, with the elite women’s showdown in the Chardonnay race. South Africa’s international campaigners, Candice Lill and Tyler Jacobs, headline the field as defending champions. Yet they will face fierce competition from the Efficient Infiniti Racing, e-FORT 1, and Sani2C teams, in particular.
The punchy and singletrack-packed FNB Wines2Whales course typically delivers exciting racing from both the elite men’s and women’s fields. In 2024 that should prove true, once again, in the Chardonnay race. Taking place from Friday, 1 November, to Sunday, 3 November, it gets the FNB W2W festivities underway and gives the elite and age group women’s teams their chance to shine. Candice Lill and Tyler Jacobs headline the competition, for SeattleCoffeeCo eFORT ALMAR, and they face competition from at least three other potential race-winning combinations.
Stage 1, of the traditional route, provides the best opportunities to seize time and establish an advantage. The day from Lourensford to Oak Valley takes in the Gantouw Pass compulsory portage as well as a number of other climbs which can split the field. The second stage – on the singletracks of Oak Valley, Paul Cluver and the surrounding farms – is typically a closely contested day. Then Stage 3 has produced late drama before; most notably for Lill and her 2019 teammate, Adelheid Morath. When they lost the race with a puncture just after the final water point. This year the new finale, to Benguela Cove, is an unknown. How those final 15 kilometres of singletrack will be raced remains to be seen, but because it is largely downhill it should be fast, though mechanicals and punctures could play their part once again.
Off the back of a career best season – which saw her claim a Marathon World Championship bronze medal, fourth at the Cross-Country World Championships, and secure a number of XCO World Series podium places – Lill is back at home ahead of the Chardonnay event. “I am excited to be racing in South Africa again,” she smiled. “FNB W2W specifically is such a fun event and I look forward to connecting with the local MTB community again.”
“I haven’t taken a proper break yet and my training has been more casual,” Lill confessed. “I just thought it’s a great way to end my season and then take a full off-season in November. I am still feeling good and strong on the bike, but I wouldn’t say my form is the best it’s been all year. I’m enjoying the more relaxed approach though.”
Having raced to FNB W2W victory alongside Jacobs in 2023, Lill and the 20-year-old are back to defend their title as SeattleCoffeeCo eFORT ALMAR. “I’ve spent a lot of time with Tyler this year because she joined Darren and I at the MTB World Cups,” Lill noted. “I have really enjoyed getting to know her and hopefully sewn a bit into her life. I have watched her grow and learn in many ways this year, not just performance wise, but in everything else it takes to be a professional athlete. I’ve enjoyed guiding her gently and, in many ways, she has challenged me as well. It’s going to be good fun to race with her!”
Lill and Jacobs’ fiercest competition could well come from the Efficient Infiniti Racing team, though Vera Looser has had to call upon a new partner ten days out from the race. Having originally been slated to race with South African Gravel and Marathon Champion, Danielle Strydom, the 2022 FNB W2W winner will now ride alongside Sarah Hill. “I picked something up at Cape Pioneer, had to take time off the bike and then haven’t been able to train properly,” Strydom said. “I respect Vera [Looser] too much to start below the level I need to be at. So, I made the decision to rather withdraw from the race.”
Looser’s stand in partner, Hill, is on fine form herself and starts fresh off victory in a 100 Mile gravel race. “I said, to camera, after the race, last Saturday, that it was my last of the season,” she laughed. “But then on Sunday I woke up to a call from Vera asking if I could race with her. I’ve had a good ramp up this year, and I think that we will be competitive. We’re certainly going to race and to see what we can do! I’ve raced with Vera before and she’s not afraid to push me, and her other partners, to give their absolute all. She’s an incredible teammate and I can’t wait to race alongside her again. I’d also like to say a big thank you to the Efficient Infiniti Racing team. To guest ride for them is very special and having raced for them back in 2019 it feels like a bit of a homecoming, especially with Theresa Ralph there as soigneur.”
“The Chardonnay race means everything to women’s racing in South Africa!” Hill praised. “It’s one of the only UCI events which focuses on women and it’s a huge celebration of women’s mountain biking both here in South Africa and increasingly, internationally. The exposure for the brands who support women’s mountain biking is rewarded at FNB W2W, because the media attention is on the women’s race. It’s not just the winners, or the lead group who get featured on TV or in photos, but all the way through the field the hard work every woman who races is recognised and acknowledged. I think the Chardonnay race helps grow female participation in the industry in general, not just the elite women’s racing field.”
“I’m also looking forward to the FNB Rider Lounge and the vibe of FNB W2W,” Hill concluded. “It’s always great fun spending time there, catching up with friends, laughing and giggling about the day on the trails. Though it is a pity that there’s no Rugby World Cup on this year to really ramp up the gees…”
Another combination to watch is Bianca Haw and Tiffany Keep. Haw has returned to competitive racing, to great success, in 2024; while Keep has enjoyed her best season on the road. “This season, on road, has been the year of learning and growth for me,” Keep reflected. “I achieved a childhood dream of going to the Olympics and I really soaked up the experience. I raced at the highest level I’ve ever competed at before, and that came with its own challenges. I hope to build on this year into 2025 and am looking forward to some lekker racing in South Africa to end of the year. While I have just restarted training this week after my offseason, doing a crash-course in riding my mountain bike again, racing with Bianca [Haw] will for sure be fun and full of laughs! We will race hard and are both looking forward to it.”
“Bianca and I both raced XCO when we were younger and it’s awesome to see her back at the races,” Keep enthused. “She is absolutely flying at the moment and I’m excited for the challenge and seeing how well we work together. Maybe there will be more races to come, together, in the future!”
The Sani2C team will have to navigate FNB W2W together first however, though with their combined fire power Haw and Keep could challenge Lill and Jacobs, as well as Looser and Hill. The fourth of the big favourites are the e-FORT 1 team of Margot Moschetti and Costanza Fasolis. The French/Italian pair finished eighth together, at the Cape Epic in March, but the shorter stages of the Chardonnay should suit their strengths better.
Along with the leading contenders the elite women’s race, at FNB W2W, is likely to feature battles throughout the field. Fortress Real Estate Investments’ Ila Stow and Katie Lennard, will likely be in a fierce contest with Elrika Harmzen-Pretorius and Felicitas Geiger, of e-FORT 2, as well as Janice Venter and Hayley Smith, of BELL EPT, for top five places.
Bike Hub SHEovita and Paceline Racing 1 are also closely matched, though Kylie Hanekom carries a self-inflicted hand injury into the race against her erstwhile teammate Tarryn Povey. Rebecca van Huyssteen lines up alongside Hanekom, while Robyn Williams partners Povey for Paceline. The women’s road team are also represented by Almari de Milander and Catherine Pellow-Jarman. They will likely be tussling with Pretty Pedal and DriveTrain Academy teams on the trails. Bragging rights between the coaches could be low-key important for Kate Slegrova and Nicola Walker as they take on Mikaela Hagemann and Rouxda Grobler.
To follow the action, as it unfolds, watch the race coverage on social media. Regular updates will be posted to the @wines_2_whales Instagram and Wines2Whales Facebook stories. Post-stage highlight videos will be uploaded to the Epic Series YouTube channel, which also features advice on how to prepare logistically. Should would-be riders need any packing advice they are encouraged to watch Craig Kolesky’s “2024 Official Packing Video” here.
RACING TEAMS:
SeattleCoffeeCo eFORT ALMAR
1-1 Candice Lill (RSA) 1-2 Tyler Jacobs (RSA)
Efficient Infiniti Racing
2-1 Vera Looser * (NAM) 2-2 Sarah Hill (RSA)
e-FORT
3-1 Margot Moschetti (FRA) 3-2 Costanza Fasolis (ITA)
Fortress Real Estate Investments
4-1 Ila Stow (RSA) 4-2 Katie Lennard (RSA)
Bike Hub SHEovita
5-1 Kylie Hanekom (RSA) 5-2 Rebecca van Huyssteen (RSA)
BELL EPT
6-1 Janice Venter (RSA) 6-2 Hayley Smith (RSA)
Paceline Racing 1
7-1 Robyn Williams (RSA) 7-2 Tarryn Povey (RSA)
Sani2C
8-1 Tiffany Keep (RSA) 8-2 Bianca Haw (RSA)
e-FORT 2
9-1 Elrika Harmzen-Pretorius (RSA) 9-2 Felicitas Geiger (GER)
Paceline
10-1 Almari de Milander (RSA) 10-2 Catherine Pellow-Jarman (RSA)
Pretty Pedal
11-1 Kate Slegrova (CZE) 11-2 Nicola Walker (RSA)
DriveTrain Academy
12-1 Mikaela Hagemann (RSA) 12-2 Rouxda Grobler (RSA)
