CAPE PIONEER: SPRINT FINISH ON SWARTBERG PASS

The Queen Stage of the 2024 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, saw dramatic racing as Herman Fourie and Julian Jessop went on a long-range raid, before fading on the Swartberg Pass. This allowed Insect Science and PYGA Euro Steel to sprint it out for victory, with Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning edging out their general classification rivals. Women’s race leaders, Efficient Infiniti Insure, continued their march to the title with a fourth stage victory, despite Danielle Strydom enduring a difficult day; on Friday, 4 October.

The 84 kilometre long route, which featured 2 100 metres of climbing including the 8 kilometre – 8% average gradient – Swartberg Pass. For Strydom ,the problems began earlier in the day, and she was not the only one. Wessel Botha withdrew after rolling across the start line, having battled a bug for the two previous days. Hayley Smith also battled in the heat, but fought on to finish the day.

Strydom’s troubles did not prevent her from riding away with Samantha Sanders and climbing to another stage win. “Today was a bad day to have a bad day,” she sighed. “It felt like Sam [Sanders] was riding for both of us today and I just had nothing in the tank. Somehow, I just had to keep going and somehow, I made it up the pass.”

For the fourth straight day Sanders and Strydom added to their general classification lead. The final stage is no ceremonial ride through the Klein Karoo however. “Stage 5 is going to be rocky, rough and punchy,” Sanders stated. “That sort of riding suits me and I really enjoy it, so I’m looking forward to it!”

Going into the final day the Efficient Infiniti Insure team lead their Efficient Infiniti Pirtek stablemates by 54 minutes. Stephanie Wohlters and Kelsey Van Schoor were second again on Stage 4, finishing 10 and a half minutes behind the day’s victors. They were followed across the line by Ila Stow and Katie Lennard. The Fortress Real Estate Investments combination established themselves as the next best behind the Efficient Infiniti teams after Stage 2 and hold a comfortable advantage on Science2Sport in fourth.

Megan Scribante and Nicola Freitas will have to hold off the charging First Ascent team on the final stage. Having ceded time to Tarryn Povey and Roxanne Kemp on Stages 3 and 4 the women in fourth hold a 6 minute and 41 second advantage over their rivals in fifth. The gap between First Ascent and the SHEOVITA team is even smaller, with just 76 seconds separating Povey and Kemp from Jessica Wilkinson and Rebecca van Huyssteen.

In the men’s race, just 53 seconds still separate the top two teams heading into the final stage. As unlikely as it seemed at the start of the day the Queen Stage ended in a sprint finish at Die Top, the 1 500 metre high summit of the Swartberg Pass. In recent years the pass has proved decisive with large gaps emerging, but a strong headwind this year perhaps helped nullify aggressive racing.

For all but Fourie and Jessop that was… The Valley Electrical Insect Science pairing embarked on a 66-kilometre solo break when the early tempo proved too slow for Fourie’s liking. “I knew I could ride faster than the group on the flats, and Julian [Jessop] has been great at sitting on my wheel this week,” Fourie explained. “He only restarted cycling this year after taking four years off to complete his studies and articles. So, to be racing at this level, 9 months in, is really impressive. We gambled, but blew on the Swartberg Pass, in the headwind, 6 kilometres from the summit.”

The chase group behind had ridden sparingly to the foot of the pass. Then Arno du Toit increased the pace and the Insect Science 2, FuelX and the two leading solo men were soon distanced. Only PYGA Euro Steel, Valley Electrical Titan Racing, Imbuko 2, and Team ACT were able to follow. When the group passed Fourie and Jessop it was strung out to breaking point.

Then tactics came into effect. Keagan Bontekoning accelerated and Pieter du Toit followed. This left Jaedon Terlouw to shadow Arno du Toit. Initially Pieter Korkie and Keegan Tullis looked to be in difficulty behind Rossouw Bekker, Cronje Beukes, Rudi Koen and Lood Goosen, but the Team ACT combination rallied to surge past the teams contesting the final podium place. They could however not claw their way back up to Insect Science and PYGA Euro Steel.

For the next 5 kilometres the top two teams matched each other pedal stroke for pedal stroke until they launched a slow-motion sprint on the 10% final gradient to the line. The wind whistling into their faces slowed them even further, and for the second day in a row they were all but inseparable on the time sheets. Arno du Toit and Bontekoning crossed the line behind Terlouw but ahead of Pieter du Toit to win the stage. Vitally, the PYGA Euro Steel team were awarded the same time.

Their general classification lead intact they were happy with their day. Though Bontekoning knows that the 2024 title is still up for grabs on the last stage. “In my first Cape Pioneer, I nearly won the overall due to the leaders puncturing on the final stage,” he reflected. “It’s a potentially tricky day.”

Terlouw and Pieter du Toit’s sub 1 minute advantage as well as Terlouw’s strapped left hand will ensure a tense Stage 5 for the men in the yellow First Ascent leaders jerseys. Further back Valley Electrical’s fourth place on the penultimate stage, coupled with Botha’s withdrawal, all but secures their third spot overall. They are 10 minutes off the lead but nearly equally 9 minutes up on Koen and Goosen in fourth. Team ACT’s third place on the Queen Stage moves Korkie and Tullis up into fifth overall.

“I’m really happy with how today went,” Tullis smiled. “It’s our first UCI stage race podium and after missing out in a sprint yesterday it was good to get third today.” “We have nothing to lose tomorrow, so we will go all in for the stage win,” Korkie added, looking for the perfect conclusion to the week.

To see if PYGA Euro Steel will hang on to their lead, or if Insect Science will be able to overturn it, and if Team ACT can secure their first stage win follow the Stage 5 action on the event’s social media handles on Saturday, 5 October. Updates from the 64 kilometre long course will be posted to the @capepioneer Instagram and Cape PioneerFacebook stories. For more information visit www.capepioneer.co.za.

2024 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen:

Men’s Stage 4 Results:

1. Insect Science Cycling: Arno Du Toit & Keagan Bontekoning (3:33:06)
2. PYGA Euro Steel: Pieter Du Toit & Jaedon Terlouw (3:33:06 | ST)
3. Team ACT: Pieter Korkie & Keegan Tullis (3:34:22 | +1:16)
4. Valley Electrical Titan Racing: Rossouw Bekker & Cronje Beukes (3:34:38 | +1:32)
5. Imbuko: Rudi Koen & Lood Goosen (3:34:46 | +1:40)

Women’s Stage 4 Results:

1. Efficient Infiniti Insurance: Danielle Strydom & Samantha Sanders (4:24:25)
2. Efficient Infiniti Pirtek: Stephanie Wohlters & Kelsey van Schoor (4:34:56 | +10:31)
3. Fortress Real Estate Investments: Ila Stow & Katie Lennard (4:41:38 | +17:13)
4. First Ascent: Tarryn Povey & Roxanne Kemp (4:43:06 | +18:41)
5. SHEOVITA: Jessica Wilkinson & Rebecca van Huyssteen (4:47:12 | +22:47)

Men’s General Classification after Stage 4:

1. ⁠PYGA Euro Steel: Pieter Du Toit & Jaedon Terlouw (12:54:06)
2. ⁠Insect Science Cycling: Arno Du Toit & Keagan Bontekoning (12:54:59 | +53)
3. Valley Electrical Titan Racing: Rossouw Bekker & Cronje Beukes (13:04:22 | +10:16)
4. ⁠Imbuko: Rudi Koen & Lood Goosen (13:13:12 | +19:06)
5. Team ACT: Keegan Tullis & Pieter Korkie (13:19:29 I +25:23)

Women’s General Classification after Stage 4:

1. Efficient Infiniti Insurance: Danielle Strydom & Samantha Sanders (16:05:58)
2. Efficient Infiniti Pirtek: Stephanie Wohlters & Kelsey van Schoor (17:00:24 | +54:26)
3. Fortress Real Estate Investments: Ila Stow & Katie Lennard (17:30:42 | +1:24:44)
4. Science2Sport: Megan Scribante & Nicola Freitas (17:58:13 | +1:52:15)
5. First Ascent: Tarryn Povey & Roxanne Kemp (18:04:54 | +1:58:56)

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

Source: Seamus Allardice Media