Muddy trails did not dampen spirits, but certainly added to the final-day drama on Stage 5 of the 2026 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen. The early hours of Saturday, 26 September, brought steady drizzle and the risk of already swollen rivers flooding. Fortunately, a window in the weather opened just before the stage was due to start, and clearing skies buoyed the already exuberant mood. For Efficient Infiniti Insure’s Sarah Maré and Samantha Sanders, as well as Marc Pritzen and Felix Stehli of the Honeycomb 226ers, the day would get even better as they wrapped up the titles with stage victories.
Lilian Baber (leading) and Chloé Hopf were the revaluations of the event as they forged an entertaining and well-matched stage racing partnership. Photo by Oakpics.com
Traditionally, the final stage of the Race with Soul takes riders into Chandelier Game Reserve, south of Oudtshoorn, for a day where wildlife sightings and spectacular riding thrill in equal measure. Chandelier does also pose risks, however, as the rocky trails have been known to inflict punctures. Though the rain made the gravel road segments leading to the reserve very slippery, in the park moisture settled any dust and perhaps made the racing safer.
Or safer, at least for those at the front of the bunch. Arno du Toit thought he was riding close enough to the front of the group, but the Insect Science man still got caught up in a crash. “Thabiso [Zindela] slid into Arno [du Toit], and they both crashed before the climbing in Chandelier started,” Zindela’s Pump for Peace Abashovi teammate, Unathi Nxumalo, explained. “I broke my wrist a few months ago and have only recently come back to racing,” Du Toit elaborated. “I had to fall on my forearm to protect my wrist and got a bit hurt in that crash. Once we got up, we chased back to the leaders to help Wessel [Botha] and Jan [Withaar], but as soon as we made it back the attacking started, and we got dropped.”
Pritzen and Stehli had controlled the pace for the first half of the 66-kilometre route, then increased the tempo on the homebound leg of the loop. Lood Goosen was suffering after a near sleepless night, and Toyota Specialized Imbuko followed Insect Science off the back of the lead group. Pump for Peace Abashovi remained at the sharp end, following the Honeycomb 226ers, Insect Science Safari Essence, and Cape Vulture Nature Reserve teams.
Wessel Botha and Jan Withaar were excluded from the battle for stage honours by a minor mechanical inside 10 kilometres to go. Then Zindela and Nxumalo put in an acceleration which was countered by Pritzen, Stehli, Herman Fourie, and Keegan Tullis. With the bunch whittled down to two teams, a sprint seemed inevitable until Tullis was brought to an abrupt halt. “My back wheel hooked a wire hidden in the mud and next thing I was flying through the air,” the Cape Vulture Nature Reserve rider retold. “That was just indicative of our luck this week! We’ve been close, been competitive, but we’ve had mechanicals, and Herman got sick yesterday.” “We’ll keep trying though; that big win can’t be far off,” Fourie promised.
With Fourie and Tullis waylaid, Pritzen and Stehli could coast onto the Oudtshoorn High School Fields, sit up, and celebrate their fourth stage win and the overall title. The Honeycomb 226ers put in a perfect performance over the five days, with their only non-victory coming from a second place to Toyota Specialized Imbuko in a sprint. After a commanding win on Stage 1, where they gained 8 minutes and 5 seconds, a run of three sprint finishes saw Pritzen and Stehli maintain their buffer, before adding time over their main rivals again on Stage 5. In total the Honeycomb 226ers final margin of victory was 9 minutes and 28 seconds over Insect Science Safari Essence.
Cape Vulture Nature Reserve finished second on Stage 5, 38 seconds ahead of Pump for Peace Abashovi. Withaar and Botha were fourth on the final day, 1 minute and 19 seconds down, while securing second overall. Ignatius du Preez and Lood Goosen were fifth, to wrap up third in the general classification for Toyota Specialized Imbuko. Du Toit and Bontekoning were fourth in the final standings, ahead of Nxumalo and Zindela, who leapfrogged the Tshenolo Pro Cycling team to claim fifth.
Where Pritzen and Stehli had been near perfect, Maré and Sanders were entirely flawless. The Efficient Infiniti Insure team had gained 16-, 8-, 4-, and 6-minutes plus change on the first four stages and took a commanding 36-minute lead into the final day. Once again, Maré and Sanders proved too powerful for the Hollard Summerplace Racing and Cycle Nation Enza Construction teams.
Maré led Sanders, Chloé Hopf, and Lilian Baber into Chandelier Game Reserve after Rachel Seaman and Bianca Botha had eased off in the neutral zone already; then Sanders put the hammer down. Once the Efficient Infiniti Insure team had distanced Hollard Summerplace Racing, the women in the pink First Ascent jerseys were galloping away to a fifth stage victory.
“The plan was for me to set the tempo today,” Maré laughed. “But when we started climbing in Chandelier, Sammy [Samantha Sanders] must have found that too slow, so she went to the front and drilled it.”
“As the third rider in the Efficient Infiniti Insure team, I’m not the first choice to race stage races, but I feel I’ve had a consistent season, and it was great to get the opportunity to come to the Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, and race alongside a world-class rider like Sam,” Maré said.
Maré is Sanders’ fourth race-winning partner at the Race with Soul, following in the shoes of Kim le Court (2023), Danielle du Toit (2024), and Vera Looser (2025). “I love the riding, I love the gees of the race, Dryland [Event Management] always put together a superbly organised event, and I love that it’s a bit more relaxed, so I get to spend time with the other riders,” Sanders praised.
Hopf and Baber were second on each of the five days. The Hollard Summerplace Racing combination, despite finishing 47 minutes and 33 seconds down, were the revelation of the 2026 edition. “I’ve really enjoyed racing with Lillian [Baber],” Hopf emphasised, clarifying the joke for anyone who had not realised their banter was faux animosity. “Despite Lilly being quite a bit younger than me, we get along really well. And because I’m new in the sport, I’ve been able to learn from her this week.”
“I’m proud of Chloé [Hopf],” Baber laughed. “I had to walk the river crossing today, and Chloé rode it!”
Seaman and Botha fought valiantly to finish the Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen. “I’ve been nursing a stomach bug for the last two days,” Botha confessed on the final finish line, after wrapping up third overall. “It’s been rough. But Rachel [Seaman] was a great teammate and dragged me through.”
“We learnt a lot this week, but mostly we learnt to push through the bad moments and keep going,” Seaman philosophised. “In a way, after Roxy [Roxanne Kemp, of Safari Essence Titan Racing] and Luzaan [Durand, of Absolute Motion] withdrew on Stages 2 and 3, the only pressure was to finish. In a way, it was a safe environment to fail and to learn.”
For mountain biking fans looking to learn more about the 2026 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, the Dryland Event Management YouTube channel features daily highlight videos, while the @capepioneer Instagram handle and Cape Pioneer Facebook page boast photos and reels from the race. To find out more, visit www.capepioneer.co.za.
2026 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, Results
UCI Men’s Stage 5 Results:
- Honeycomb 226ers: Marc Pritzen & Felix Stehli (2:43:19)
- CVNR: Herman Fourie & Keegan Tullis (2:43:49 | +30)
- Pump for Peace Abashovi: Unathi Nxumalo & Thabiso Zindela (2:44:27 | +1:08)
- Insect Science Safari Essence: Jan Withaar & Wessel Botha (2:44:38 | +1:19)
- Toyota Specialized Imbuko: Ignatius du Perez & Lood Goosen (2:47:26 | +4:07)
UCI Women’s Stage 5 Results:
- Efficient Infinity Insure: Samantha Sanders & Sarah Maré (3:20:57)
- Hollard Summerplace Racing: Chloé Hopf & Lilian Baber (3:32:27 | +12:30)
- Cycle Nation Enza Construction: Rachel Seaman & Bianca Botha (3:49:46 | +29:49)
UCI Men’s General Classification Standings after Stage 5:
- Honeycomb 226ers: Marc Pritzen & Felix Stehli (14:43:58)
- Insect Science Safari Essence: Jan Withaar & Wessel Botha (14:53:28 | +9:28)
- Toyota Specialized Imbuko: Ignatius du Perez & Lood Goosen (14:58:03 | +14:04)
- Insect Science: Arno du Toit & Keagan Bontekoning (15:02:42 | +18:44)
- Pump for Peace Abashovi: Unathi Nxumalo & Thabiso Zindela (15:14:30 | + 30:32)
UCI Women’s General Classification Standings after Stage 5:
- Efficient Infinity Insure: Samantha Sanders & Sarah Maré (18:11:51)
- Hollard Summerplace Racing: Chloé Hopf & Lilian Baber (18:59:24 | +47:33)
- Cycle Nation Enza Construction: Rachel Seaman & Bianca Botha (21:11:13 | +02:59:22)
For the full results from the 2026 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, click here.
