Having lost an hour with a puncture on Stage 1 of the Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, PYGA Euro Steel might be out of the general classification battle, but they earned redemption with a stage win on the second day of the 2025 race. Wednesday, 1 October, also saw Efficient Infiniti Insure add a second victory to enhance their lead in the UCI Women\u2019s race. The 83-kilometre-long route, which started and finished in Louvain, was fraught with danger, given the dry and dusty trails, but all who gained an advantage on the day did so by the strength of their legs.<\/p>\n
Header Image: Danielle du Toit (leading) and Bianca Haw rode to second position on the day and reduced Efficient Infiniti Insure 2\u2019s advantage by 69 seconds. Photo by Oakpics.com.<\/em><\/p>\n Strength was required on Stage 2, especially in the first 50 kilometres of the race. The trails were dry and dusty, with a fine powder hiding rocks and ruts, or being kicked into the air to further obscure riders\u2019 vision. \u201cYou had to be at the front of the group or close your eyes and hope for the best,\u201d Tristan Nortje joked about the visibility at times.<\/p>\n For the most part, the top teams navigated the trickiest sections without incident. Cronje Beukes, of Tshenolo Racing 2, crashed but was able to continue. Steph Wohlters punctured, later, but it did not cost her and Sarah Hill a position on the trail. \u201cWe went through a nasty ditch and I slowed right down to get through safely, then heard the knock of a rim on the rock behind me. Looking back, I saw Steph [Wohlters] had punctured,\u201d Vera Looser explained. \u201cI\u2019d actually had a small puncture earlier, which meant that my tyre was a bit soft,\u201d Wohlters elaborated. \u201cSo it hit straight through onto the rim and we had to stop to bomb it.\u201d<\/p>\n At the time, the two Efficient Infiniti Insure teams were together, ahead of Safari Essence Titan Racing on the trails. The puncture cost Wohlters and Hill an easier ride on the gravel roads, into a rising headwind, later in the stage. That in turn allowed Bianca Haw and Danielle du Toit to reel in second position. \u201cWe got into a good rhythm on the gravel road and kept passing teams,\u201d Haw said. \u201cDanielle [du Toit] and I were working nicely together, and when I saw a team which looked like Steph [Wohlters] and Sarah [Hill] ahead, I told myself we had to catch them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey went past us and put us under pressure,\u201d Hill allowed. \u201cBut there was no way I was giving up second on the general classification, so we dug deep to limit our time losses.\u201d<\/p>\n Looser and Samantha Sanders had no such concerns. Once they were alone at the front, they pushed on and worked to extend their overall lead with a second stage win. In so doing, Efficient Infiniti Insure 1 added 6 minutes and 26 seconds to their advantage over Safari Essence Titan Racing and 7 minutes and 35 seconds over Efficient Infiniti Insure 2. Haw and Du Toit\u2019s second place on the day gained them 69 seconds on Wohlters and Hill. The gap between second and third in the UCI Women\u2019s category thus drops to 1 minute and 57 seconds.<\/p>\n In the UCI Men\u2019s race PYGA Euro Steel, the Honeycomb 226ers, Toyota Imbuko Specialized ChemChamp, and Insect Science managed to establish a gap on the chasing pack, led by Tshenolo Racing 1, Summerplace Racing, and Imbuko ChemChamp on the first significant climb of the day, just after the 20 kilometre mark. Near the summit, Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning had to let the other three teams go, as the pace was slightly too high for the Insect Science pair to handle.<\/p>\n \u201cWe rode our own pace and weren\u2019t too concerned, because we knew they would ease up later,\u201d Bontekoning stated. \u201cWe got back to the group before the second feed zone, and then it became a tactical race on the gravel roads back to Louvain.\u201d<\/p>\n After Du Toit had kept the pace steady into the headwind, Michael Foster and Jaedon Terlouw attacked on as the four teams swept off the gravel and onto a dual track through Louvain\u2019s pastures. Marc Pritzen and Wessel Botha were able to close the gap, but Tristan Nortje and Travis Stedman, along with the Insect Science team, were not. The men in the yellow First Ascent leaders\u2019 jerseys fought to ensure they did not cede time to the Honeycomb 226ers, while Pritzen and Botha raced PYGA Euro Steel for victory.<\/p>\n \u201cMichael [Foster] went ahead up the road, and I was able to hide on Marc [Pritzen] and Wessel [Botha\u2019s] wheels,\u201d Terlouw smiled. \u201cInto the headwind on the final kicker that helped me save energy for an attack around them. I managed to bridge up to Michael, and we could win the stage. After yesterday\u2019s puncture and time loss, this is a revenge of sorts. But I\u2019d love to add more stage wins to our tally over the coming days too.\u201d<\/p>\n The day\u2019s result allowed Pritzen and Botha to reduce Nortje and Stedman\u2019s advantage to 3 minutes and 36 seconds. Du Toit and Bontekoning remain in third, gaining time on Summerplace Racing in fourth on the general classification. Imbuko ChemChamp remains fifth.<\/p>\n Stage 3 is the mid-point of the 2025 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen. The 98 kilometre course will take the riders from Louvain, in the Langkloof, to Oudtshoorn via Chandelier Game Reserve. Despite it being the longest route of the race, it is also the day with the second least climbing, at just 1 500 metres of accumulated elevation gain. Rocky dual tracks provide reasons aplenty to remain vigilant throughout the stage, however, as punctures and mechanicals are always a risk in Chandelier.<\/p>\n To stay up-to-date with all the action from the race, follow\u00a0@capepioneer<\/a>\u00a0on Instagram or like the\u00a0Cape Pioneer<\/a>\u00a0Facebook page. More information on the event can be found at\u00a0www.capepioneer.co.za<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2025 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, Results<\/strong><\/p>\n UCI Men | Stage 2:<\/em><\/p>\n UCI Women | Stage 2:<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n UCI Men\u2019s General Classification after Stage 2:<\/em><\/p>\n UCI Women\u2019s General Classification after Stage 2:<\/em><\/p>\n To view the full results from the 2025 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n
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