A successful start to the season for Lars Gräter at the Tankwa Trek. After a 1.5 month training camp in South Africa, the Cube Next Generation XC rider from Gailenkirchen went into his first stage race. The four-day stage race, which is contested in the second team, is one of the most famous stage races in the mountain bike circus alongside the Cape Epic and covers a total of around 270 kilometers and almost 5,500 meters of altitude. Having been in training camp in South Africa since the beginning of January, the rider from Schwäbisch Hall used this race as preparation for the upcoming season in the Cross-Country World Cup.
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The race started on the first day with a prologue over 26 kilometers as a time trial. Together with his South African partner Heinie Beukes, Lars Gräter got off to a good start. A 14th place in the first-time trial of the stage race was impressive. His lungs were aching from the hard racing, which he had not been used to for several months, but both riders were still satisfied. The second stage the following day, covering 88 kilometers with 1,700 meters of altitude, was the first test of endurance, which had been worked on during the winter. Together with his partner, Lars Gräter was able to place himself in the chasing group right from the start. The heat in South Africa didn't really bother the riders, as the race started at 6:30 in the morning, so the temperatures were pleasant, especially at the beginning. After almost four hours in the saddle, the two team-mates reached the finish line in 15th place, consolidating their place in the top 15 of the overall standings. After the race, it was time to cool down quickly, drink a Recovery Shake and head off to regenerate, because the next day was the queen stage with the #MerinoMonster climb over 96km and 2,200 meters of altitude.
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Even at the start of the queen stage, the team was feeling good, and the boys didn't lose sight of their goal of maintaining their top 15 position. Unfortunately, everything turned out differently than planned during the stage. Heinie Beukes had a bad crash halfway through the race, in which he fell on his head and suffered a slight concussion. First, the Haller from the Cube Next Generation Team had to provide support to help his team-mate get back on his feet. This incident caused the team to lose a lot of time and the race for the top 15 overall standings was as good as over. Once his teammate was back on his bike, the two continued the race. However, the South African colleague had repeated problems and pain and it was only with great difficulty that they reached the finish in 17th place after 4:45 hours. Of course, there was a lot of concern as to whether they would be able to take part in the final stage, but Lars Gräter could also finish the stage race as an individual rider, depending on how his partner was feeling the next morning, they would make this decision together. The next morning, Lars Gräter's partner decided to start, but Lars Gräter from Hall was allowed to ride at his own pace. The important thing was that they crossed the finish line together. And so, the Haller rode at a faster pace with the good riders, while his colleague chose his own pace. Shortly before the finish line, the young rider in Cube kit waited around 20 minutes before his colleague appeared and they crossed the finish line together in 39th place. No one was happy, given the circumstances, but happy to have finished the race. And Lars Gräter had successfully achieved his goal of riding a good preparation race. In the end, however, it was still enough for 20th place in the overall standings.
