First-off. What a fantastic race, and a wonderful day, in no small part due to the warm sunny weather we experienced!
The professional field was exceptionally strong today. Many pro riders remained behind very late in the season to compete for the legendary R200 000.00 in prize money for crossing the line first! Lining up, we had the South African Road Champion, Reinhardt Janse van Rensburg (Lotto Soudal), Marc Pritzen (Honeycomb), Travis Stedman (Qhubeka), defending champion, all the big names on the road cycling scene, as well as a few mountain bikers to overturn the apple cart: Gert Heyns (Pyga Eurosteel) and Pieter du Toit (Imbuko{type}dev), to name a few.
In the ladies’ race, Mauritian champion, Kim le Court (Efficient Infiniti Insure) was in the running. Namibian champion, Vera Looser, SA U/23 champion, Frances Janse van Rensburg (Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime), and seasoned riders, Jo van de Winkel and Cherise Willeit (Sandton City) all competed for the coveted prize purse.
The live coverage of the race via SuperSport and Facebook made it possible to follow the action as it unfolded. No solo breakaways this year, but punchy attacks reeled back quickly, kept the race interesting and brutal. It was nail-biting bunch sprints in the men’s and the ladies’ races to determine the winners.
The SA champion Reinhardt Janse van Rensburg (Lotto Soudal) emerged victorious over Marc Pritzen (Honeycomb) in second and mountain biker, Gert Heyns (Pyga Eurosteel) in third.
The Namibian champion, Vera Looser, beat Tiffany Keep (Valley Electrical Titan Racing) to the line with Kim le Court in third.
But the heroes were every cyclist who made it to the start line. For some, it was a year-long journey to fitness. Some were new to cycling and achieved personal victories no less momentous than standing on a podium. Some rode their bikes to raise awareness and funds for a noble cause. Whatever their reasons for riding – they, you, were the hero of the day!
And it truly was a celebration of the vibrant City of Joburg, who came together and danced, and raced and owned the streets! The VIBE Zones and water points along the way were pumping with energy, enthusiasm and positive vibes.
We are honoured and grateful for the lengths our partners went to, to add value to this iconic event in the heart of Joburg. Without them, it would have been nearly impossible to pull off such a momentous feat. Thank you, Virgin Active, 947 Radio and the City of Johannesburg, and every single partner who contributed even in the smallest way.
Let’s put up our feet for a couple of days, and then we’ll start organising next year’s event…
We’ll be back better and bigger next year. Who’s in?
