One event that’s gone really big on eBike racing support is the FNB Wines2Whales. The second of its three events, the Pinotage, has a specific eBike racing category. We’re going to get more insight into this by following the Swiss eBike champion Joris Ryf and his South African teammate, Mark Nel. Here’s a bit about them and what they’re expecting…
Mark Nel, a 40-year-old father of three, isn’t new to stage racing. He was the guy that we followed during the 2021 Absa Cape Epic after he accepted an entry offer a few days before – with no specific training. He’s relatively fit now, but is an eBike novice. Joris Ryf on the other hand is the 2022 Swiss eBike champion and the bronze medallist from the 2022 UCI eBike World Champs.
The racing that Ryf does is XCO-style, where riders complete a certain number of laps on a highly technical course. The races last around 90 minutes. Nel’s recent interest in gravel riding and racing sees him arrive at the start with a decent level of base fitness, but no experience in riding eBikes, never mind racing them.
“I’m going to take loads of advice from Joris and I’m going to just try stay with him in the technical sections where he will have a clear advantage over me,” said Nel, who is the Head of Marketing for Omnico, one of South Africa’s largest bicycle industry wholesalers.
Ryf is a 25-year-old professional mountain bike racer, who lives in Bern, near Zurich.
“I have been a pro since 2016. I initially raced XCO, but in the past three years have switched to eBikes. This past season I was really focussed and that paid off. It was my most successful season yet,” he said.
The partnership for Wines2Whales came about when Ryf’s girlfriend, Kathrin Stirnemann, entered for the event in a social team with a friend.
“I checked out the event online and saw there was an eBike race too. It’s late in the season and my form isn’t so sharp, but I have good base fitness and asked Mark if he was keen to do it as an eBike racing team. He agreed and we are ready to go!
“I met Mark on a ride in 2018 when I was in Stellenbosch to race the UCI XCO World Cup. We stayed in touch and he offered for me to stay at his apartment for training camps. I have been to Stellenbosch three or four times now, but the trails for Wines2Whales will be new for me and I am looking forward to racing them,” said Ryf.
This will be Ryf’s first stage race in South Africa and although victory in the eBike category will be an objective, it’s not his primary goal.
“My biggest goal is to have fun and enjoy the nice trails. I will also be able to get to know Mark better and enjoy South Africa,” he added.
Nel will be racing on a Cannondale Habit Neo 3. It’s a 130mm/140mm-travel trail bike with a Bosch 500 Wh battery. Ryf will be racing on a Bergstrom AXV m869 with a Bosch 500Wh battery. It’s a 150mm/150mm-travel trail bike with XC-racing set-up.
“Usually I race with a 750 Wh battery with the new Smart System from Bosch. But it’s hard to get that battery in South Africa. So I decided to bring my 2021 race bike which has the Generation 2 normal Bosch motor. Mark organised me the batteries. I have the European softwear on mine with 25kph max speed assist, while Mark as the USA softwear with 32kph max speed assist. I may have to suffer a bit more on the flats,” smiled Ryf.
“I’m going to quickly learn about the differences between an eBike and a regular mountain bike. It’s actually a good thing because there’s such a big shift towards eBikes these days and I can only benefit from the experience. Besides, it’s not often one of the best in the world asks you to be his teammate for a race near your home,” grinned Nel.
We’ll be getting some daily insight from JR Racing Bosch Motors from Monday until Wednesday during the 2022 FNB Wines2Whales Pinotage.
There are two eBike race options at the Pinotage – the Racing group, which starts 30 minutes before the first regular group and the Touring group, which starts 60 minutes after the last regular group. The bikes must be pedal-assist (no throttle) and riders are allowed to get a fresh battery at Water Point 2 on each stage. There are three recognised Racing categories – Men Open, Women Open and Mixed.
