We recently reached out to Team Garmin (South Africa) as they have confirmed their participation to the 2019 Appenninica MTB Stage Race. With their team, Appenninica adds a new country and another continent to the starting list.
Yolandi du Toit and Ben Melt Swanepoel are very familiar faces in the MTB stage race circuit and they are ready to tackle the Apennines next July.
– How was your 2018 season? Give us a highlight.
We are very happy with our 2018 season. We raced 64 days in total making it a full year for us with many wonderful experiences and memories. If we have to mention a highlight then it would be our participation at The Pioneer NZ. It was our first trip to that part of the world and participating on unknown terrain is always an exciting experience no matter the outcome. As a bonus New Zealand turned out to be one of the most beautiful and bike friendly destinations we have ever visited.
– Have you been to Italy before and why Appenninica appealed to you?
We have raced in Italy before but only in the North during the Craft Bike TransAlp and some marathon races in the Tirol and the Dolomites. Back then we already fell in love with the beautiful countryside and the warmth of its people. When the opportunity arose to explore a different part of Italy by bike, especially an area as attractive as Emilia Romagna and the Appennine Mountains, we couldn’t resist. Now we can’t wait to see what the Appenninica MTB stage race has in stall for us.
Team Garmin is a solid and experienced mixed team. Yolandi and Ben know how to approach a long stage race and we expect them to be competitive while charming everyone with their usual great attitude.
Follow Team Garmin on FB: https://web.facebook.com/TeamGarminMTB