PRESS RELEASE: For immediate release

The MTN-Energade women’s cycling team totally dominated Sunday’s Amashova Durban Classic women’s race from Pietermaritzburg to Durban by taking first, second and third.
 
Cashandra Slingerland was the first to sprint across the line followed by Robyn de Groot and An-Li Pretorius.
 
Actually the MTN-Energade “women” could lay claim to having won the Amashovashova twice in the same kilometer.
 
According to De Groot a banner hanging from a bridge in the final kilometer caused some confusion amongst the riders.
 
“Quite a few riders thought it was the finish banner, so they started to sprint prematurely. Marissa van der Merwe won that sprint. Cashandra and I realized it was mistake.
 
“Cashandra was the first to capitalize on the confusion by attacking the moment Marissa raced under the banner. By the time the other riders realized their mistake it was too late. She opened a big enough gap. I then won the bunch sprint and An-Li was right on my wheel.”
 
According to De Groot the Amashova is one of the most difficult races to win.
 
“We attacked throughout the race hoping to get a small group of riders away, but it was to no avail because there is just too many down hills that made it possible for the whole peloton to regroup.”
 
De Groot who was part of the South African women’s team that competed at the UCI World Road Championship in Australia and the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India reckons that women’s cycling in South Africa has really improved.
 
Given the results in Australia where Carla Swart (MTN-Energade) finished 10th just three seconds behind the winner and at the Commonwealth Games where Swart was 8th and Cherise Taylor (USN) 10th in the same time as the winner it seems as if De Groot is correct.
 
“It is just a question of time before one of us will win a medal for South Africa at major race.
 
The fact that we are getting more and more opportunities to compete internationally certainly is doing wonders for our confidence. We are definitely starting to gel as a team and we are also not intimidated when we compete internationally. We now fully realize that we are capable of, winning and beating the world's best” De Groot said.
 
“With the MTN Amashova Durban Classic being one of the most challenging races on the local cycling calendar, we want to congratulate our ladies team with their clean sweep. It is always a great achievement for a team to dominate and as sponsors we are very proud of our women,” says Bernard Pieters, senior sponsorship manager at MTN South Africa.

General classification after stage 8

1 Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana 21:32:57  

2 Johnnie Walker (Aus) Footon-Servetto 0:00:19  

3 Alexei Markov (Rus) Russian Federation 0:00:20