Another day of tight racing on Stage 2 of sani2c
Racing into the Kings Harvest Academy finish after three hours 20 minutes and 54 seconds, nearly five minutes faster than the first team across the line last year, Tristan Nortje and Marco Joubert (Imbuko ChamChamp) extended their overall lead by one minute and 10 seconds.
Meanwhile, Sam Sanders and Sarah Hill of Efficient Infiniti Racing claimed the leaders' jerseys in the women's race (04:15:08), also taking the lead in the General Classification.
The 'Queen Stage' was a challenging 96km with 1 896m of elevation, and includes a spectacular descent into the Umkomaas Valley, before cross-crossing the Umkomaas River multiple times over floating bridges, and climbing out the valley via the Unitrans 'Iconic Climb'.
Since 2024 KAP sani2c 'OG' has been a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Category 2 marathon stage race.
The men's race showed us what stage racing is all about: teamwork, well-matched riders and good communication.
The Imbuko ChemChamp 'A' pair were able to extend their lead by working together, separating as little as possible, and staying focused on each other in the bunch (03:20:54).
It was not easy for them to get away, with the top six teams surging and shifting between places multiple times, though Marc Pritzen broke away and rode much of his race solo upfront.
This effort placed Team Honeycomb 226ers' in a strong position for Pritzen and Wessel Botha to secure second for the day (03:22:03), also claiming second on GC.
PYGA Euro Steel, Insect Science Cycling and the young Imbuko ChemChamp 'B' team, were riding together towards the finish, but Philip Buys and Michael Foster managed a last effort to claim third place (03:24:03).
Arno Du Toit, Keagan Bontekoning, Lood Goosen and Rudi Koen crossed together coming fourth and fifth respectively (03:24:16).
Toyota Specialised (Travis Stedman and Johan van Zyl) maintained their fifth place on the GC with their sixth place (03:28:22).
Joubert says: 'We crossed the line solo again and extended our lead. It was a well-executed day. We broke away, took our time, and made it count when it mattered. We had a comfortable gap after yesterday, so we sat with the others until Iconic and saw how it played out. Once we noticed they were starting to fade, we made our move. I think we're the only team riding fully together. In stage racing, you both need to get over the line fast, and that means working as a unit.'
Nortje agrees: 'We've got a good partnership. We don't need to talk on the bike – we just know when it's time to go, when one of us is suffering, or when to turn it up. That sync is what makes us work. It was hard; they nearly caught us, but we had the legs to ride away again. I drilled it on one of the climbs, got a gap, and once that happens, you just put your head down and go.'
Du Toit says: 'The guys were going pretty hard early on- it was punchy and explosive. I didn't feel great through the valley, and when we hit Iconic, I just didn't have the firepower to go with them. It's a long effort, so we kept it steady. On top of the District Road there was about a two-minute gap. I was feeling good, told Keagan to hang on, and I pushed as deep as I could on the fast, rolling sections. I managed the climb well and we got back to the group after about 15 km of chasing.
'Then the fireworks started, and we missed a turn on a high-speed section. We were just behind PYGA, and I was not paying attention. We heard the marshall shouting and realised we'd missed it. Lost about 40 seconds. Had to restart the chase, get the motivation up, and in the end, we nearly closed it back to PYGA. It was a big effort.'
Pritzen says: 'Today was much better than yesterday. Wessel really rocked up with good legs. Unfortunately, the last time we hit the Imbuko boys, it was just a bit much for him, so I waited, hoping we could get them back on the flats. But the guys up front were strong. Kudos to them, and to my team-mate for making a big comeback.'
Botha says it was a good day for him and Pritzen: 'The Umko drop is always special – super cool going down there today. Not too much dust, so we could really enjoy it. We tried to close the gap to the Imbuko boys, but they were strong at the end. We still had a good finish and sit second overall now. I am happy with that.'
Foster says they put in a good effort: 'Marco and Tristan set a strong pace on the hills. I got to the front and tried to slow things down, but it's hard on a climb. Then I went back to Phil and we worked together really well to the finish, rolling with each other. The guys were just too fast today, but we gave it a solid go. You've got to work together and use your strengths.'
Buys says: 'The pace was high, faster than last year. Everyone was fighting for position early on. I was in a good spot before Iconic, slowed down a bit leading into it, knowing the real effort was coming. But the split didn't happen there – it came on the rolling hills after Iconic, where the speed really picked up. If you lose 10 seconds there, it becomes exponential. I'm happy with my ride, but the result just wasn't what we hoped for. The attacks were one too many.' Sam Sanders and Sarah Hill now have a solid lead on GC, having taken the stage over seven minutes ahead of Bianca Haw and Danielle Du Toit. Image: Maryann Shaw
Efficient Infiniti Racing's Sarah Hill and Samantha Sanders claimed the leaders' jerseys at Jolivet after taking the win at Stage 2 in the women's race in a time of 04:15:08.
They take the lead in the General Classification as well, having capitalised on the misfortunes of Safari Essence Titan's Bianca Haw and Danielle Du Toit, who punctured after 38km and ultimately finished seven minutes 22 seconds behind Hill and Sanders (04:22:30).
Just 29 seconds later, third placed Cherise Willeit and Ila Stow of Toyota Fortress (04:22:59) crossed the line after a powerful performance, despite having to deal with their own puncture.
Although Haw and Du Toit had chased them down and passed them, Stow and Welleit hung on and made the pair work hard for their second place.
Janice Fourie and Roxanne Kemp of EPT Racing placed fourth (04:44:45), riding most of the day on their own after a pile-up saw many riders in the women's leading group crash in the first 6km. This separated the leading three teams from the rest of the UCI women. Sadly, yesterday's fourth placed team Tshenolo Pro Cycling Team's Sonica Klopper was seriously injured and she and team-mate Tania Bugarin Ortez were forced to pull out of the race.
Fourie says the crash happened at speed when riders in the front of the group had to brake hard: 'Everyone tried to avoid it, but with so many of us together, it just took us down. It was high speed. Once things settled, we got clear and rode into fourth. We had a team behind us early on, but after Water Point 1 (39km), we pulled away and ended up riding alone for most of the day. The climb was tough – especially not knowing how far behind us the others were.'
Haw acknowledged that she had not stuck to their game plan of having a free ride down the Umko Drop: 'I think the pace was too hot early on – we should've backed off a bit. But no one was taking the front, so I did.
'After our puncture, we caught Cherise and Ila, and then they just sat behind us. They didn't make it easy – it was cool racing with such strong women's teams.'
Du Toit says: 'It was a disappointing day with some bad luck. We tried to take control after that and play catch-up, but it was a hard effort. Toward the end, we just paced ourselves as best we could, and in the last few kilometers we managed to break away from third (Stow and Welleit). So we're grateful for that final push. A tough day, but still a fun one. The Umkomaas drop was spectacular.'
Sanders noted that it's never nice when competitors have a mechanical: 'But that's racing. We worked to open a gap and had to fight to maintain it. Bianca and Danielle are so strong, so it wasn't handed to us. We had to go flat-out, but we got the job done. At the end of the day, it's about how badly you want it. You've got to dig deep, especially against athletes of this calibre.'
Hill says she came to sani2c to win, after coming second many times: 'Racing against such a strong field makes it special. The difference between the top teams is small – anything can happen: a sprint, a cramp, a fall. I'm so grateful for Sam. She pulled us through. When I wanted to rest, she said no, and that made me stronger. I'm still learning what it means to be a professional racer, even now.'
The partnership of Stow and Welleit combines technical mountain bike skills of Stow, with Welleit's strong racing experience, which Stow says she was grateful for today: 'Cherise is such a great racer – she knows when to go. At one point, we were losing the gap, she just said, 'One effort, Ila.' I thought I was going to die, but I put my head down. I'd go to war with her any day. It was a hard day trying to hold on, but we did.'
Welleit says: 'It was unfortunate that Bianca and Danielle had a puncture. We dangled a bit behind Sarah and Sam, then we also had a sidewall cut (puncture). Luckily, Ila's technical skills are solid – we plugged it quickly and got going again. When Bianca and Danielle passed us, I knew we had to stay with them – there was still a lot of open road left. We tried to help with the pacing, but there wasn't much in the tank. The level of racing among the women has been incredible.'
Imbuko ChemChamp have a three minute and 50 second advantage as they go into the third and final stage, racing to the coast on Saturday, while the Efficient Infiniti Racing team can afford to just hold onto their rivals and maintain their three minute and 13 second advantage to win overall.
All KAP sani2c 'OG' riders leave Jolivet Farm on Saturday morning and travel 86km to Scottburgh Golf Club, with 1 042 metres of climbing. Imbuko ChemChamp A (Marco Joubert / Tristan Nortje) – 03:20:54 Team Honeycomb 226ers (Marc Pritzen / Wessel Botha) – 03:22:03 PYGA Euro Steel (Philip Buys / Michael Foster) – 03:24:03 Insect Science Cycling (Arno Du Toit / Keagan Bontekoning) – 03:24:16 Imbuko ChemChamp B (Lood Goosen / Rudi Koen) – 03:24:16 Efficient Infiniti Racing (Sarah Hill / Samantha Sanders) – 04:15:08 Safari Essence Titan Racing (Bianca Haw / Danielle Du Toit) – 04:22:30 Toyota Fortress (Cherise Willeit / Ila Stow) – 04:22:59 TEAM EPT RACING (Roxanne Kemp / Janice Fourie) – 04:44:45 Index Efficient Infinity (Steph Wohlters / Sanchia Malan) – 04:51:22 Imbuko ChemChamp A (Tristan Nortje / Marco Joubert) – 07:01:58 Team Honeycomb 226ers (Wessel Botha / Marc Pritzen) – 07:05:48 Insect Science Cycling (Keagan Bontekoning / Arno Du Toit) – 07:07:21 PYGA Euro Steel (Philip Buys / Michael Foster) – 07:08:05 Toyota Specialized (Travis Stedman / Johan Van Zyl) – 07:14:06 Efficient Infiniti Racing (Samantha Sanders / Sarah Hill) – 08:55:40 Safari Essence Titan Racing (Bianca Haw / Danielle Du Toit) – 08:58:53 Toyota Fortress (Ila Stow / Cherise Willeit) – 09:11:58 TEAM EPT RACING (Janice Fourie / Roxanne Kemp) – 09:48:20 Index Efficient Infinity (Steph Wohlters / Sanchia Malan) – 09:59:32
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The South African
11-05-2025
- The South African
Imbuko ChemChamp and Efficient Infiniti Racing crowned sani2c champions
Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje (Imbuko ChemChamp 'A') and Sarah Hill and Sam Sanders (Efficient Infiniti Racing) are the 2025 KAP sani2c champions. sani2c is known as the fastest stage race in the country, and the winning men's team general classification time this year is over 18 minutes faster than at last year's race. This gives some indication of just how fast the racing was in the men's race, with the top teams being neck and neck for much of the race. Joubert and Nortje were consistently stronger over the three longer days though and took a deserved win overall. The women's race was a lot more competitive than in recent years, with eight UCI women's teams registering to race. The increase in speed and competition this year can in part be attributed to the KAP sani2c 'OG' race being a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Category 2 marathon stage race since 2024. Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje (Imbuko ChemChamp A) finished second to Honeycomb 226ers on Stage 3 in Scottburgh, but take the top step in the General Classification. Image: Anthony Grote At the start of Saturday's 86km final stage, PYGA Euro Steel had a gap of 44 seconds to Insect Science Cycling in third third place on the GC, and Philip Buys said they were hoping to capitalise on any mistakes, as the fast day of racing was unlikely to provide opportunities to break away. At Kenard Climb, after 34km, Philip Buys had pushed to the front of the lead group that now comprised PYGA Euro Steel, Imbuko ChemChamp, Honeycomb 226ers and Insect Science. At the top of 'Work to be done' climb in Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve at 39km, it looked as if Marco Joubert was going to make a break for it, but by 45km at Mtagati Bush, Philip Buys had reasserted his place at the front and Marco Joubert had fallen 10 seconds off the back. Arno Du Toit, of Insect Science, says: 'We were definitely quite strong today, especially considering that we burned quite a lot of matches early on, with Keagan dropping a chain. Everyone only has so many times they can push really deep. And we had to use it really early.' Insect Science Cycling then suffered a mechanical, losing significant time, providing just the opportunity that PYGA Euro Steel had hoped for. Bontekoning says: 'Just after Vernon Crookes, on the descent, Arno hit something, broke his wheel and punctured the tyre. We had dealt with a dropped chain in the first two kilometres, so we had already had to chase back to the group once.' By the 58km Water Point 2, Honeycomb 226ers had pulled to the front and by Ricky's Rail at 64km, all three of the top teams were back together. At this point the three teams went through a very muddy section and Philip Buys and Michael Foster both went over the handlebars in a bad fall. Despite getting themselves up and back on the trail, they were 30 seconds off the back at the 72km mark. Their goal of a stage win out of reach, they turned their attention to keeping a significant gap between them and the fourth placed Insect Science pair to ensure the podium overall. At Highway Singletrack, 9km from the finish, a sprint finish between the top two teams looked likely. But Honeycomb 226ers, hungry for the stage win, surged in the last few kilometres and finished in 02:41:58. Imbuko ChemChamp crossed the line after 02:42:19, 21 seconds after Honeycomb 226ers, but had a comfortable three minute lead over them for the overall win. PYGA Euro Steel finished third in 02:42:57. Pritzen says: 'They [Imbuko ChemChamp 'A'] have been doing a phenomenal job throughout the year. We enjoy racing against them, and at the end of the day, they make us all better. The level in South Africa is really increasing now, and it's thanks to them that we are all pushing ourselves a little bit harder, trying to be better every single time we line up with them.' Joubert says of their future plans: 'We're going to race marathon champs in two weekends time, and then take take a bit of a break. It's been a really good first half of the season, and I am just stoked with how it's been going with Tristan and the new team set up.' Sam Sanders and Sarah Hill (Efficient Infiniti Racing) broke free of second placed Cherise Willeit and Ila Stow Toyota Fortress to cross the finish line alone. Image: Anthony Grote In Saturday's stage, the top three women's teams were set for battle, but Efficient Infiniti Racing finishing in 03:17:40, were the most powerful team. Cherise Willeit and Ila Stow of Toyota Fortress (03:18:55) made them work hard for the victory. Toyota Fortress came a strong second on the stage, but Bianca Haw and Danielle Du Toit of Safari Essence Titan Racing (03:20:21) took second place overall among the women. Sam Sanders and Sarah Hill needed only to stick with Bianca Haw and Danielle Du Toit to ensure their seven minute overall lead was not lost. At the top of the first big climb of the day, Clint's Climb at 12km, all three of these teams were together, but with Bianca Haw pushing to the front. By 39km, Du Toit appeared to be struggling and was a bit off the back while her team-mate Haw hung on the wheels of the front two. As Sam Sanders says: 'Today we knew we would have to defend, but I thought there would be some action on Clint's time [12km]. And I think maybe Dani and Bianca wanted to go, but I saw Dani didn't have legs, and I thought, well, attack is the best defence. So I just started tightening the screws, and slowly everyone fell off, except for the two amazing ladies from Toyota Fortress, and Sarah. I just tried to keep the pace high. Knowing the route helps. I know that the climbs aren't super long, so you can really dig deep, and know you can recover a little bit.' Six kilometres later at Mtagati Bush, Haw and Du Toit were about 30 seconds back from the leading two. Stow and Willeit were briefly in the lead at Rocky Bay Trails at the 72km mark, and a sprint finish in the women's race seemed inevitable. But Sam Sanders' strength and experience kicked in and Efficient Infiniti Racing was able to cross the finish line a minute and 15 seconds ahead of Stow and Willeit. Haw and Du Toit came third on the stage. This meant that Sanders and Hill won the KAP sani2c by six minutes. Janice Fourie and Roxanne Kemp of EPT Racing placed fourth. Cherise Willeit says: 'This was so intense, I think pain level was very close to childbirth. We hung on to the Sam Sanders Express today. And what a phenomenal, phenomenal ride from the Efficient Infiniti ladies. They were so, so strong. We just tried to keep the gap to Bianca and Danielle. An incredible level of racing.' Ila Stow says: 'Riding with Cherise, she is so motivating and encouraging, and pushing me to another level, like I have not pushed the level before.' Bianca Haw acknowledged that they did not have the power needed today: 'We burned loads of matches on day two, and we didn't know how we would react today, but on the first climb, I could see it was going to be a super hard day. The others were all on fire. So we just hung in as long as we could, and then lost them at Vernon Crookes [39km]. And then the gap actually stayed the same, we could see them, but we couldn't catch them.' Danielle Du Toit says: 'Unfortunately, my legs didn't pitch to the party today, so I struggled on the steep climbs, and I just hung on. I made Bianca take the reins, tried to lose as little time as possible, to try and catch them. We unfortunately couldn't.' MEN Team Honeycomb 226ers (Wessel Botha / Marc Pritzen) – 02:41:58 Imbuko ChemChamp A (Tristan Nortje / Marco Joubert) – 02:42:19 PYGA Euro Steel (Philip Buys / Michael Foster) – 02:42:57 Insect Science Cycling (Keagan Bontekoning / Arno Du Toit) – 02:45:31 Imbuko ChemChamp B (Lood Goosen / Rudi Koen) – 02:51:36 WOMEN Efficient Infiniti Racing (Samantha Sanders / Sarah Hill) – 03:17:40 Toyota Fortress (Ila Stow / Cherise Willeit) – 03:18:55 Safari Essence TitanRacing (Bianca Haw / Danielle Du Toit – 03:20:21 TEAM EPT RACING (Janice Fourie / Roxanne Kemp) – 03:48:15 Index Efficient Infinity (Steph Wohlters / Sanchia Malan) – 04:16:19 MEN Imbuko ChemChamp A (Tristan Nortje / Marco Joubert) – 09:44:18 Team Honeycomb 226ers (Wessel Botha / Marc Pritzen) – 09:47:46 PYGA Euro Steel (Philip Buys / Michael Foster) – 09:51:03 Insect Science Cycling (Keagan Bontekoning / Arno Du Toit) – 09:52:53 Imbuko ChemChamp B (Lood Goosen / Rudi Koen) – 10:11:52 WOMEN Efficient Infiniti Racing (Samantha Sanders / Sarah Hill) – 12:13:21 Safari Essence TitanRacing (Bianca Haw / Danielle Du Toit) – 12:19:14 Toyota Fortress (Ila Stow / Cherise Willeit) – 12:30:53 TEAM EPT RACING (Janice Fourie / Roxanne Kemp) – 13:36:35 Index Efficient Infinity (Steph Wohlters / Sanchia Malan) – 14:15:52 For more information and full results, visit Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
10-05-2025
- The South African
Another day of tight racing on Stage 2 of sani2c
Racing into the Kings Harvest Academy finish after three hours 20 minutes and 54 seconds, nearly five minutes faster than the first team across the line last year, Tristan Nortje and Marco Joubert (Imbuko ChamChamp) extended their overall lead by one minute and 10 seconds. Meanwhile, Sam Sanders and Sarah Hill of Efficient Infiniti Racing claimed the leaders' jerseys in the women's race (04:15:08), also taking the lead in the General Classification. The 'Queen Stage' was a challenging 96km with 1 896m of elevation, and includes a spectacular descent into the Umkomaas Valley, before cross-crossing the Umkomaas River multiple times over floating bridges, and climbing out the valley via the Unitrans 'Iconic Climb'. Since 2024 KAP sani2c 'OG' has been a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Category 2 marathon stage race. The men's race showed us what stage racing is all about: teamwork, well-matched riders and good communication. The Imbuko ChemChamp 'A' pair were able to extend their lead by working together, separating as little as possible, and staying focused on each other in the bunch (03:20:54). It was not easy for them to get away, with the top six teams surging and shifting between places multiple times, though Marc Pritzen broke away and rode much of his race solo upfront. This effort placed Team Honeycomb 226ers' in a strong position for Pritzen and Wessel Botha to secure second for the day (03:22:03), also claiming second on GC. PYGA Euro Steel, Insect Science Cycling and the young Imbuko ChemChamp 'B' team, were riding together towards the finish, but Philip Buys and Michael Foster managed a last effort to claim third place (03:24:03). Arno Du Toit, Keagan Bontekoning, Lood Goosen and Rudi Koen crossed together coming fourth and fifth respectively (03:24:16). Toyota Specialised (Travis Stedman and Johan van Zyl) maintained their fifth place on the GC with their sixth place (03:28:22). Joubert says: 'We crossed the line solo again and extended our lead. It was a well-executed day. We broke away, took our time, and made it count when it mattered. We had a comfortable gap after yesterday, so we sat with the others until Iconic and saw how it played out. Once we noticed they were starting to fade, we made our move. I think we're the only team riding fully together. In stage racing, you both need to get over the line fast, and that means working as a unit.' Nortje agrees: 'We've got a good partnership. We don't need to talk on the bike – we just know when it's time to go, when one of us is suffering, or when to turn it up. That sync is what makes us work. It was hard; they nearly caught us, but we had the legs to ride away again. I drilled it on one of the climbs, got a gap, and once that happens, you just put your head down and go.' Du Toit says: 'The guys were going pretty hard early on- it was punchy and explosive. I didn't feel great through the valley, and when we hit Iconic, I just didn't have the firepower to go with them. It's a long effort, so we kept it steady. On top of the District Road there was about a two-minute gap. I was feeling good, told Keagan to hang on, and I pushed as deep as I could on the fast, rolling sections. I managed the climb well and we got back to the group after about 15 km of chasing. 'Then the fireworks started, and we missed a turn on a high-speed section. We were just behind PYGA, and I was not paying attention. We heard the marshall shouting and realised we'd missed it. Lost about 40 seconds. Had to restart the chase, get the motivation up, and in the end, we nearly closed it back to PYGA. It was a big effort.' Pritzen says: 'Today was much better than yesterday. Wessel really rocked up with good legs. Unfortunately, the last time we hit the Imbuko boys, it was just a bit much for him, so I waited, hoping we could get them back on the flats. But the guys up front were strong. Kudos to them, and to my team-mate for making a big comeback.' Botha says it was a good day for him and Pritzen: 'The Umko drop is always special – super cool going down there today. Not too much dust, so we could really enjoy it. We tried to close the gap to the Imbuko boys, but they were strong at the end. We still had a good finish and sit second overall now. I am happy with that.' Foster says they put in a good effort: 'Marco and Tristan set a strong pace on the hills. I got to the front and tried to slow things down, but it's hard on a climb. Then I went back to Phil and we worked together really well to the finish, rolling with each other. The guys were just too fast today, but we gave it a solid go. You've got to work together and use your strengths.' Buys says: 'The pace was high, faster than last year. Everyone was fighting for position early on. I was in a good spot before Iconic, slowed down a bit leading into it, knowing the real effort was coming. But the split didn't happen there – it came on the rolling hills after Iconic, where the speed really picked up. If you lose 10 seconds there, it becomes exponential. I'm happy with my ride, but the result just wasn't what we hoped for. The attacks were one too many.' Sam Sanders and Sarah Hill now have a solid lead on GC, having taken the stage over seven minutes ahead of Bianca Haw and Danielle Du Toit. Image: Maryann Shaw Efficient Infiniti Racing's Sarah Hill and Samantha Sanders claimed the leaders' jerseys at Jolivet after taking the win at Stage 2 in the women's race in a time of 04:15:08. They take the lead in the General Classification as well, having capitalised on the misfortunes of Safari Essence Titan's Bianca Haw and Danielle Du Toit, who punctured after 38km and ultimately finished seven minutes 22 seconds behind Hill and Sanders (04:22:30). Just 29 seconds later, third placed Cherise Willeit and Ila Stow of Toyota Fortress (04:22:59) crossed the line after a powerful performance, despite having to deal with their own puncture. Although Haw and Du Toit had chased them down and passed them, Stow and Welleit hung on and made the pair work hard for their second place. Janice Fourie and Roxanne Kemp of EPT Racing placed fourth (04:44:45), riding most of the day on their own after a pile-up saw many riders in the women's leading group crash in the first 6km. This separated the leading three teams from the rest of the UCI women. Sadly, yesterday's fourth placed team Tshenolo Pro Cycling Team's Sonica Klopper was seriously injured and she and team-mate Tania Bugarin Ortez were forced to pull out of the race. Fourie says the crash happened at speed when riders in the front of the group had to brake hard: 'Everyone tried to avoid it, but with so many of us together, it just took us down. It was high speed. Once things settled, we got clear and rode into fourth. We had a team behind us early on, but after Water Point 1 (39km), we pulled away and ended up riding alone for most of the day. The climb was tough – especially not knowing how far behind us the others were.' Haw acknowledged that she had not stuck to their game plan of having a free ride down the Umko Drop: 'I think the pace was too hot early on – we should've backed off a bit. But no one was taking the front, so I did. 'After our puncture, we caught Cherise and Ila, and then they just sat behind us. They didn't make it easy – it was cool racing with such strong women's teams.' Du Toit says: 'It was a disappointing day with some bad luck. We tried to take control after that and play catch-up, but it was a hard effort. Toward the end, we just paced ourselves as best we could, and in the last few kilometers we managed to break away from third (Stow and Welleit). So we're grateful for that final push. A tough day, but still a fun one. The Umkomaas drop was spectacular.' Sanders noted that it's never nice when competitors have a mechanical: 'But that's racing. We worked to open a gap and had to fight to maintain it. Bianca and Danielle are so strong, so it wasn't handed to us. We had to go flat-out, but we got the job done. At the end of the day, it's about how badly you want it. You've got to dig deep, especially against athletes of this calibre.' Hill says she came to sani2c to win, after coming second many times: 'Racing against such a strong field makes it special. The difference between the top teams is small – anything can happen: a sprint, a cramp, a fall. I'm so grateful for Sam. She pulled us through. When I wanted to rest, she said no, and that made me stronger. I'm still learning what it means to be a professional racer, even now.' The partnership of Stow and Welleit combines technical mountain bike skills of Stow, with Welleit's strong racing experience, which Stow says she was grateful for today: 'Cherise is such a great racer – she knows when to go. At one point, we were losing the gap, she just said, 'One effort, Ila.' I thought I was going to die, but I put my head down. I'd go to war with her any day. It was a hard day trying to hold on, but we did.' Welleit says: 'It was unfortunate that Bianca and Danielle had a puncture. We dangled a bit behind Sarah and Sam, then we also had a sidewall cut (puncture). Luckily, Ila's technical skills are solid – we plugged it quickly and got going again. When Bianca and Danielle passed us, I knew we had to stay with them – there was still a lot of open road left. We tried to help with the pacing, but there wasn't much in the tank. The level of racing among the women has been incredible.' Imbuko ChemChamp have a three minute and 50 second advantage as they go into the third and final stage, racing to the coast on Saturday, while the Efficient Infiniti Racing team can afford to just hold onto their rivals and maintain their three minute and 13 second advantage to win overall. All KAP sani2c 'OG' riders leave Jolivet Farm on Saturday morning and travel 86km to Scottburgh Golf Club, with 1 042 metres of climbing. Imbuko ChemChamp A (Marco Joubert / Tristan Nortje) – 03:20:54 Team Honeycomb 226ers (Marc Pritzen / Wessel Botha) – 03:22:03 PYGA Euro Steel (Philip Buys / Michael Foster) – 03:24:03 Insect Science Cycling (Arno Du Toit / Keagan Bontekoning) – 03:24:16 Imbuko ChemChamp B (Lood Goosen / Rudi Koen) – 03:24:16 Efficient Infiniti Racing (Sarah Hill / Samantha Sanders) – 04:15:08 Safari Essence Titan Racing (Bianca Haw / Danielle Du Toit) – 04:22:30 Toyota Fortress (Cherise Willeit / Ila Stow) – 04:22:59 TEAM EPT RACING (Roxanne Kemp / Janice Fourie) – 04:44:45 Index Efficient Infinity (Steph Wohlters / Sanchia Malan) – 04:51:22 Imbuko ChemChamp A (Tristan Nortje / Marco Joubert) – 07:01:58 Team Honeycomb 226ers (Wessel Botha / Marc Pritzen) – 07:05:48 Insect Science Cycling (Keagan Bontekoning / Arno Du Toit) – 07:07:21 PYGA Euro Steel (Philip Buys / Michael Foster) – 07:08:05 Toyota Specialized (Travis Stedman / Johan Van Zyl) – 07:14:06 Efficient Infiniti Racing (Samantha Sanders / Sarah Hill) – 08:55:40 Safari Essence Titan Racing (Bianca Haw / Danielle Du Toit) – 08:58:53 Toyota Fortress (Ila Stow / Cherise Willeit) – 09:11:58 TEAM EPT RACING (Janice Fourie / Roxanne Kemp) – 09:48:20 Index Efficient Infinity (Steph Wohlters / Sanchia Malan) – 09:59:32 Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
09-05-2025
- The South African
Imbuko ChemChamp and Safari Essence Titan Racing take Stage 1 wins at sani2c
Imbuko ChemChamp 'A' team's Tristan Nortje and Marco Joubert showed why they podiumed at the Cape Epic, stamping their authority on Stage 1 of the KAP sani2c 'OG' in a time of 02:59:46. Bianca Haw and Danielle Du Toit had another strong day for Safari Essence Titan Racing, finishing in 03:42:59 and extending their overall lead to just over four minutes. The 'OG' riders left Glencairn on Thursday morning to race 89km to Mackenzie Club in Creighton, near Ixopo. KAP sani2c is now a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Category 2 marathon stage race, attracting a much larger elite field this year. Imbuko ChemChamp 'A' finished about a minute and a half clear at the line. Insect Science Cycling's Keagan Bontekoning and Arno Du Toit (03:01:26) rode consistently to maintain pressure, resulting in PYGA Euro Steel slowing in the final 15km. Despite a surge from Marc Pritzen and Wessel Botha (Team Honeycomb 226ers), who took third (03:02:28), Insect Science secured second place on the stage and climbed to second overall on GC. PYGA Euro Steel placed fourth in a time of 03:02:47. Marco Joubert was really happy with how they rode: 'We made it tough for ourselves and everyone else. From about 12km in, we pushed hard wherever the course allowed and got a gap. Riding in a group at high speed is always easier, but Tristan and I work well together, so we kept the pressure on, and the gap grew.' Tristan Nortje said their goal was to make the race hard from the start: 'We knew it would be a three-hour day, not a 40-minute prologue. We pushed hard from the first singletrack and the teams split up – one rider with us and their partner behind – so we just kept the pressure on, hoping the elastic would snap. The pace was so high that even gaining 20 to 30 seconds was difficult. But we knew that after two hours, things would crack. It ended up being mostly just us, riding at 30km/h. It wasn't easy, but it worked.' Bontekoning said: 'When we hit the first singletrack at 13km, I was just behind Michael. Like yesterday, he couldn't hold the front group, which opened a gap. That meant Wessel and I were behind and had to work hard to close it. We rode with PYGA Euro Steel for most of the day. Specialized came back at points, but dropped off again. With about 15km to go, Phil seemed to be struggling, so I just kept the pace up. We were able to gain a bit, and I'm happy with second today. It was a hard day with a lot of gap closing, but I feel fresh and ready for tomorrow.' PYGA Euro Steel was disappointed to lose their podium spot. Philip Buys said: 'I suffered today, made a mistake and ended in a rut – just when Imbuko ChemChamp attacked. From there, I was on the limit and spent a lot of energy getting back to them. I paid for that effort in the last 15km.' Michael Foster added: 'We're obviously a bit disappointed that we couldn't hold onto the yellow jersey. Marco and Tristan set a really hard pace on the climb just after the Pevensey Road. We tried to chase, but it took too much effort to both bridge and stay there. Philip was struggling, so we stayed with Insect Science, but they got ahead after the second water point and the pace was too much. Marc and Wessel caught us on the final descent. We're still motivated to go hard tomorrow – there's a lot of time that can be gained on one good day.' Wessel Botha says it was not a perfect day: 'We had to chase back after a big crash and a couple of wrong turns. But we kept fighting and made up time from fifth to third. There's still a gap, but it's not over. We'll keep pushing over the next two days.' Marc Pritzen said: 'The crash and wrong turns didn't help, but to come back and grab third – it's not a bad day. The last 20km were key, and Wessel was super strong pulling on the flats and drags. That helped us catch up when we started seeing the guys in front. The longer, harder stages are still to come, and we're looking forward to making a move. Mountain biking is never over until it's over.' The race is far from decided, with two more days of tight racing still to come. Danielle Du Toit and Bianca Haw had a strong day to claim the first stage and extend their lead. Image: Maryann Shaw It was another strong, focused day for Safari Essence Titan Racing's Bianca Haw and Danielle Du Toit, who finished in 03:42:59. They now hold a four-minute overall lead – a tough gap for second-placed Efficient Infiniti Racing (03:45:42) to close, but in stage racing, anything can happen. The Toyota Fortress team of Ila Stow and Cherise Willeit lost time due to a wrong turn, but were determined to hold onto third place, pushing hard to make up ground. They crossed the line in 03:53:56. Sonica Klopper and Tania Bugarin Ortiz (Tshenolo Pro Cycling Team) were pleased to retain fourth (03:59:08), and Roxanne Kemp and Janice Fourie (EPT Racing) stayed in the top five with a time of 04:06:28. Danielle Du Toit said: 'We had no strategy going in. At one point Bianca took the front and was clearly putting in a big effort. When we looked back and saw a gap, we knew we had to commit and go for it. It's tough to hold back on such a fast day. I just trusted Bianca and kept momentum in every pedal stroke. She even gave me a push at one stage – she's incredibly strong.' Bianca Haw said: 'The plan was to see how things unfolded. I ended up on the front, slowed the pace, but then noticed Sam and Sarah and realised we had to go. Once you're out of sight, it becomes real – it was motivating, especially catching some of the UCI guys.' Sarah Hill said: 'Just after 75km, I started cramping badly. There's not much you can do when that happens, and Sam was amazing. She slowed down and paced me home.' Samantha Sanders said: 'We raced well and tried to keep the tempo high from the start to shake up the bunch. We worked hard to open gaps, but couldn't drop Bianca and Danielle. It wasn't for lack of trying. Tomorrow's another day – we'll go again.' Ila Stow said: 'We took a wrong turn near Water Point 2 and lost about three minutes, but we regrouped and stayed focused. The route was long and tough, always pushing, even on the flats, but Cherise kept us steady all day. We tried to stay with Bianca and the Efficient team as long as we could, but they were just too strong.' Cherise Willeit said: 'That wrong turn was frustrating – we climbed the hill in the wrong direction and had to backtrack. It could've been worse, but Ila stayed calm and helped us look on the bright side.' Tania Bugarin Ortiz said: 'My partner Sonica was so strong today – I couldn't stay on her wheel and she had to slow down for me, so I'm very happy we kept fourth place. It was a fast, hard race, and I loved it.' The 86km Queen Stage on Friday descends into the Umkomaas Valley and climbs the Unitrans Iconic Climb, finishing at the Kings Harvest Academy after 1 896m of climbing. Riders overnight at Jolivet Farm. KAP sani2c Adventure: 7-9 May KAP sani2c 'OG': 8-10 May, with Prologue 7 May for UCI registered riders. Imbuko ChemChamp A (Tristan Nortje / Marco Joubert) – 02:59:46 Insect Science Cycling (Keagan Bontekoning / Arno Du Toit) – 03:01:26 Team Honeycomb 226ers (Marc Pritzen / Wessel Botha) – 03:02:28 PYGA Euro Steel (Michael Foster / Philip Buys) – 03:02:47 Toyota Specialized (Travis Stedman / Johan Van Zyl) – 03:03:42 Safari Essence Titan Racing (Bianca Haw / Danielle Du Toit) – 03:42:59 Efficient Infiniti Racing (Samantha Sanders / Sarah Hill) – 03:45:42 Toyota Fortress (Ila Stow / Cherise Willeit) – 03:53:56 Tshenolo Pro Cycling Team 1 (Sonica Klopper / Tania Bugarin Ortiz) – 03:59:08 TEAM EPT RACING (Roxanne Kemp / Janice Fourie) – 04:06:28 1. Imbuko ChemChamp A (Tristan Nortje / Marco Joubert) – 03:41:04 2. Insect Science Cycling (Keagan Bontekoning / Arno Du Toit) – 03:43:05 3. Team Honeycomb 226ers (Marc Pritzen / Wessel Botha) – 03:43:44 4. PYGA Euro Steel (Philip Buys / Michael Foster) – 03:44:01 5. Toyota Specialized (Travis Stedman / Johan Van Zyl) – 03:45:33 1. Safari Essence Titan Racing (Bianca Haw / Danielle Du Toit) – 04:36:22 2. Efficient Infiniti Racing (Samantha Sanders / Sarah Hill) – 04:40:32 3. Toyota Fortress (Ila Stow / Cherise Willeit) – 04:48:58 4. Tshenolo Pro Cycling Team 1 (Sonica Klopper / Tania Bugarin Ortiz) – 04:54:14 5. TEAM EPT RACING (Janice Fourie / Roxanne Kemp) – 05:03:34 Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
