CAPE PIONEER: LEADERS EXTEND ADVANTAGE WITH STAGE 2 WINS

For the second successive stage PYGA Euro Steel and Efficient Infiniti Insure emerged victorious at the Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen. Wednesday, 2 October’s Stage 2 took the riders from George over the Outeniqua Mountains to Louvain on a brutally tough course. The trek into the Langkloof required the conquest of a 73.5-kilometre-long route with 2 350 metres of climbing, and despite a losing out on the King of the Mountains crown Pieter du Toit and Jaedon Terlouw were able to best Insect Science to take the stage win. Efficient Infiniti Insure were more assured throughout their ride to victory as they won the day by over 22 minutes.

The route presented a diverse array of challenges, including manicured singletrack, rough and rugged dual track, and a few silky-smooth kilometres on the Seven Passes Road. “We thought some of the guys would be expecting an easy start and for the pace only to increase once we hit that climb after the second water point,” Keagan Bontekoning explained. “So, we pushed the tempo and tried to sting [our rivals’] legs in the Saasveld singletracks already. It came back together on the Seven Passes Road, as we had expected it would, but that first acceleration hopefully softened some teams up a bit.”

As the Insect Science man explained, the front group, which had been limited to the top four general classification teams at the highest point of the pass, grew to include Imbuko, Insect Science 2 and the Valley Electrical Insect Science squads. When the climbing began in earnest, the group splintered once again leaving PYGA Euro Steel with Valley Elecrical, Imbuko Toyota Specialized, Imbuko as well as Bontekoning and Arno du Toit.

“I accelerated into the singletrack climb to take the lead and control the pace,” Bontekoning noted. “I didn’t think I was setting too tough a tempo so I was surprised when I saw the Imbuko teams had dropped off.”

Wessel Botha was clearly struggling and it later emerged that the Imbuko Toyota Specialized rider was battling a bug of sorts. Unable to climb at his usual speed, he was reliant on his teammate Johan van Zyl and his support team, of Rudi Koen and Lood Goosen, to aid him through the final 25 kilometres. With Botha and Van Zyl out of the contest for stage honours the battle became a three-way tussle between Terlouw and Pieter du Toit, and the Valley Electrical Titan Racing and Insect Science teams.

Having summited the first climb together, Rossouw Bekker and Cronje Beukes began to slip from the lead group on the next ascent. The nine-kilometre-long grind to the summit of Duiwelskop above Louvain was gradual at first but became increasingly steep and rocky towards the top. Terlouw and Pieter du Toit attacked the lower slopes, building a 45-second buffer over Bontekoning and Arno du Toit, but the Insect Science men fought back to parity. They even summited just ahead of PYGA Euro Steel.

The final 10 kilometres were advertised as downhill but a couple of nasty kickers put paid to Bontekoning’s hopes of stage victory. “We all came to a stop on the second kicker and had to get off to run,” he confessed. “When I tried to remount my bike, I cramped up so badly I had to stop and stretch.”

This allowed Terlouw and Pieter du Toit to gain a slight advantage and descend to Louvain and stage honours. Their margin of victory on the day was 42 seconds over Insect Science. Bekker and Beukes were third on the day, 5 minutes down, ahead of the Imbuko Toyota Specialized and Imbuko teams. As a result, PYGA Euro Steel lead Bontekoning and Arno du Toit by 54 seconds on the general classification. Valley Electrical Titan Racing are third, at 8 minutes and 40 seconds, with Botha and Van Zyl a further 20 seconds back in fourth. Koen and Goosen are fifth at 17 minutes and 24 seconds.

For the second successive stage Samantha Sanders and Danielle Strydom reigned supreme in the women’s race. The Efficient Infiniti Insure team raced away from their rivals in the Saasveld singletracks, within the first 10 kilometres, and inexorably extended their advantage throughout the remaining 63 kilometres. Not even the steep singletrack or fierce dual track climb, to Duiwelskop, could prevent the women in the pink First Ascent leaders’ jerseys from gaining minutes on Stephanie Wohlters and Kelsey Van Schoor chasing behind.

“You don’t get to see that much while you’re suffering,” Strydom smiled. “But I did have a little look and the views on both climbs were beautiful. It was very tough, but I must compliment the route team on the singletracks too. It’s my second Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, and the trails today were the best I’ve ridden in the race. You can see the hard work the trailbuilders have put in, especially on that long singletrack climb.”

After a day of dominance, Sanders and Strydom’s winning margin was 22 minutes and 15 seconds over their stablemates, Wohlters and Van Schoor. Behind the Efficient Infiniti Insure teams the battle for third was heating up. After a sluggish start to the 2024 race, on Stage 1, Fortress Real Estate Investments’ Ila Stow and Katie Lennard found their rhythm on Stage 2. They crossed the line in third, and did enough to edge Index Bell Racing’s Sanchia Malan and Hayley Smith off the general classification podium too. Malan and Smith finished the day in fifth position – behind Megan Scribante and Nicola Freitas, of Science2Sport – and found themselves just 12 seconds off the podium places going into Stage 3.

The third day of the race will take the riders from the Langkloof to Oudtshoorn via the Kammanassie River Valley. At 90 kilometres, the stage is the longest of the race, but it is also arguably the easiest. Taking in 1 450 metres of climbing it presents an opportunity to recover ahead of the Queen Stage to the summit of the Swartberg Pass on Friday. To follow the action from Louvain, in the Langkloof, to Langenhoven Gymnasium, in Oudtshoorn, like the Cape Pioneer Facebook page or follow @capepioneer on Instagram. For more information visit www.capepioneer.co.za.

2024 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen:

Men’s Stage 2 Results:

1. PYGA Euro Steel: Pieter Du Toit & Jaedon Terlouw (3:20:56)
2. Insect Science Cycling: Arno Du Toit & Keagan Bontekoning (3:21:37 | +42)
3. Valley Electrical Titan Racing: Rossouw Bekker & Cronje Beukes (3:26:04 | +5:08)
4. Imbuko Toyota Specialized: Johan Van Zyl & Wessel Botha (3:29:47 | +8:53)
5. Imbuko: Rudi Koen & Lood Goosen (3:30:46 | +9:50)

Women’s Stage 2 Results:

1. Efficient Infiniti Insurance: Danielle Strydom & Samantha Sanders (4:19:44)
2. Efficient Infiniti Pirtek: Stephanie Wohlters & Kelsey Van Schoor (4:41:59 | +22:15)
3. Fortress Real Estate Investments: Ila Stow & Katie Lennard (4:46:40 | +26:56)
4. Science2Sport: Megan Scribante & Nicola Freitas (4:51:25 | +31:41)
5. Index Bell Racing: Sanchia Malan & Hayley Smith (4:51:47 | +32:03)

Men’s General Classification after Stage 2:

1. ⁠PYGA Euro Steel: Pieter Du Toit & Jaedon Terlouw (5:55:43)
2. ⁠Insect Science Cycling: Arno Du Toit & Keagan Bontekoning (5:56:37 | +54)
3. ⁠Valley Electrical Titan Racing: Rossouw Bekker & Cronje Beukes (6:04:23 | +8:40)
4. Imbuko Toyota Specialized: Johan Van Zyl & Wessel Botha (6:04:43 | +9:00)
5. ⁠Imbuko: Rudi Koen & Lood Goosen (6:13:07 | +17:24)

Women’s General Classification after Stage 2:

1. Efficient Infiniti Insurance: Danielle Strydom & Samantha Sanders (7:35:13)
2. Efficient Infiniti Pirtek: Stephanie Wohlters & Kelsey Van Schoor (8:14:16 | +39:03)
3. Fortress Real Estate Investments: Ila Stow & Katie Lennard (8:28:30 | +53:17)
4. Index Bell Racing: Sanchia Malan & Hayley Smith (8:28:42| +53:29)
5. Science2Sport: Megan Scribante & Nicola Freitas (8:40:44 | +1:05:31)

For the full results from the 2024 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, click here.

Source: Seamus Allardice Media