12 Mar 2012 MTN-Qhubeka edges ahead of Team Bonitas to claim maiden Cycle Tour victory
Reinardt Janse van Rensburg of Team MTN Qhubeka claimed his maiden Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour victory in an exciting sprint finish today. Herman Fouche (Team Bonitas) improved on his third-place finish of last year by claiming second place, while Team Nu Water/CTM cyclist Jaco Venter came in third.
Janse van Rensburg said after the race that the front riders launched a series of attacks from about 10km away from the finish. “The leading bunch of riders really tried to tire each other out. When we were 400m from the finish line I looked back and saw two climbers – Kevin Evans and Jaco Venter – behind me, and the sprinters like Arran Brown a little way behind them. I decided to go for it, and edged ahead of the bunch, just managing to hold on to the lead until I crossed for my first Cycle Tour win.”
Ashleigh Moolman (Team Momentum Toyota) overcame the disappointment of a second-place finish at last year’s event by beating a very competitive ladies field to claim the top spot. Close on her heels was teammate Lynette Burger, who fell to third place just before the finish after a spirited charge by Team Bizhub-fcf’s Catherine Williamson, who took second place.
Moolman said it was a great day in Cape Town for a race. “It was challenging to ride in the big bunch with the men but toward the end I managed to slip out of the bunch without any problems. I’m really grateful for the win, but I do feel bad for all the riders who crashed so close to the finish line, especially my teammates.”
David Bellairs, Marketing and Sponsorship Director of the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust, says the medical teams looked at approximately 1 000 people during the course of the day. “The good weather and large starting group made riders push harder in order to get faster times. We had about 100 incidents referred to hospital by 4pm, of which 29 cases were considered high-priority. We were also very strict about enforcing our cut-offs due to the high temperatures to avoid unnecessary medical incidents.”
An estimated 32 500 cyclists took off from Hertzog Boulevard early on Sunday morning in what could only be described as perfect riding conditions. Bellairs comments: “The wind died down at about 4am on Sunday morning, leaving cyclists with clear skies and mild conditions. However, temperatures really picked up toward midday and we had to dispatch additional water, Powerade and Coke supplies to refreshment stations along the route. Overall it was a great day for cycling, and a big thank you must go to all the spectators who played a huge part in encouraging cyclists to go the distance.”
Race Results
Elite Men 1st: Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (Team MTN Qhubeka) (02:36:17)
Elite Men 2nd: Herman Fouche (Team Bonitas) (02:36:17)
Elite Men 3rd: Jaco Venter (Team Nu Water/CTM) (02:36:18)
Elite Ladies 1st: Ashleigh Moolman (Team Momentum Toyota) (02:52:24)
Elite Ladies 2nd: Catherine Williamson (Team Bizhub-fcf) (02:52:24)
Elite Ladies 3rd: Lynette Burger (Team Momentum Toyota) (02:52:30)
Men’s Tandem 1st: Tim Osrin / Neil Bradford (02:50:59)
Female Tandem 1st: Anita Fourie / Erika Venter (04:01:00)
Mixed Tandem 1st: David Garrett / Susan Melmed (02:55:29)
Hand Cycles 1st: Andries Scheepers (03:32:32)
TO GET YOUR CYCLE TOUR RESULTS, CLICK HERE