The Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, underwent a rejuvenation for the 2024 race. The 14th edition will see the Race With Soul take place over five days, from 1-5 October, with stage starts and finishes being hosted by George, Louvain, the summit of the Swartberg Pass, and Oudtshoorn. As an S1 graded UCI Stage Race it will feature a stellar elite field, alongside competitive age groupers, as well as riders taking part simply to experience the fabled riding and warm Klein Karoo hospitality Dryland Event Management are famous for.
At the sharp end of the race there will be 15 elite men’s teams and eight women’s squads vying for victory. In recent years the battle to watch has been the one between the Imbuko Pro Cycling and Insect Science Pro teams. In both 2022 and 2023 the former have come out on top, which only serves as greater motivation for Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning to reset the balance somewhat in 2024.
“Arno [du Toit] and I are going quite well at the moment and Arno in particular is on really good form at the moment,” Bontekoning reflected. “I’ve put in a lot of hard work for this part of the season and based on the most recent races I’d say we’re on good and well-matched form. I’m looking forward to lining up alongside Arno again for five days of hard racing.”
“I think five days could be the sweet spot for racing,” Bontekoning speculated, in regards to the event moving from a seven to five-day format. “Three days seems really short and the stage race is over before you know it. But seven or eight days can get really long, so I’m really keen to see how five days plays out. I think we will be able to race more aggressively without having to worry as much about conserving energy. The stages also look tough too, which should contribute to exciting racing.”
In 2024 Bontekoning and Du Toit will be up against the defending champions Wessel Botha and Marco Joubert, as well as the Toyota Specialized Imbuko pairing of Rudi Koen and Johan van Zyl. The Insect Science Pro team will have the assistance of Alan Gordon and Jan Withaar to call upon in support, though their rivals for overall victory are not limited to the teams from Wellington.
Valley Electrical Biogen’s Julian Jessop and Matthys Beukes bring ample experience, while Rossouw Bekker and Cronje Beukes are likely the top contenders from the squad, competing as Valley Electrical Titan Racing. For the first time since 2018, PYGA Euro Steel are back at the Cape Pioneer and will be represented by Jaedon Terlouw and Michael Foster as well as by the all-star combination of Pieter du Toit and Philip Buys.
Further down the favourites list, the Coopetto’s Alexander Henning and Halalisani Ndebele will face off against Team ACT’s Keegan Tullis and Pieter Korkie as well as the FuelX due of Johan de Villiers and Wayne van der Walt. The Tshenolo Pro Cycling squad are sending four teams to the 2024 race as they seek to develop their talented young riders. These teams are made up by Zola Ngxakeni and Thabiso Rengane; Siyabonga Ntsele and Siyanda Gumede; William Majapholo and Ongeziwe Tyapa; as well as Gilbert Mathaba and Thabiso Zindela.
In the UCI Women’s competition, one of the defending champions from Efficient Insure Infiniti Racing returns with the aim of preserving her title alongside a new teammate. Samantha Sanders, lines up alongside Danielle Strydom in a bid to retain the squad’s crown. South African marathon champion, Strydom, is herself no stranger to the event having won the Mixed Category and is enjoying her best ever season this year. Sanders and Strydom could have support or competition, depending on team orders, from the Efficient Insure Infiniti Racing 2 team of Stephanie Wohlters and Kelsey van Schoor. While Sarah Hill and Aurelie Halbwachs, of The Complete Cyclists, should be their closest rivals from beyond their own squad.
A fierce battle for the rest of the top five places and potentially even a podium position could play out between the Index Bell Racing, Fortress Real Estate Investments, Science to Sport, SHEOVITA and First Ascent teams. Sanchia Malan and Haley Smith’s battle with Ila Stow and Katie Lennard is likely to be the one to watch for the top position from that collection of teams. Though Nicola Freitas and Megan Scribante will also be highly competitive, as will Rebecca van Huyssteen and Jessica Wilkinson, and the new combination of Roxanne Kemp and Tarryn Povey.
To follow the action, when it gets underway from the Denneoord Primary School, in George, on Tuesday, 1 October, like the Cape Pioneer Facebook page or follow @capepioneer on Instagram. For more information visit www.capepioneer.co.za.
