Cyclists Kent Main and Tiffany Keep beat the stiff south easterly through Simon’s Town and up Smitswinkel to emerge victorious in the 46th edition of the Cape Town Cycle Tour on Sunday.
Main slipped off the front of a select group inside the final km and time trialled to the line, while in the women’s race, Keep edged out S’annara Grove with a bike throw on the line to claim victory by a tyre’s width after a fiercely contested sprint.
“I’ve got goosebumps,” Main said.
“It’s amazing. It was an amazing race. It was super hard right from the beginning but I think how tough it was actually worked in our favour. It’s amazing to have won it.”
At the foot of the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive climb, Grove set the pace up Little Chappies before Keep countered on Chapman’s Peak proper.
Only South African road champion Carla Oberholzer could follow the DAS Hutchinson Brother UK’s rider’s tempo.
Once Keep, Grove, Oberholzer and Vera Loose reached Beach Road in Sea Point it was clear that the race would be determined by a sprint.
“We didn’t know who got it,” Keep confessed.
“It was super, super close. S’annara jumped me with about 100m to go and I had to work quite hard to get back to her wheel. So, yes, I’m really, very, happy with that.”
Men’s results:
- Kent Main: RKC Collective (2:31:21)
- Charlie Aldridge: Cannondale Factory Racing (2:31:35 | +14)
- Alan Hatherly: Cannondale Factory Racing (2:31:36 | +15)
- Jaco Venter: MadMacs (2:31:36 | +15)
- Luke Moir: Cube Factory Racing XC (2:31:36 | +15)
Women’s Results:
- Tiffany Keep: DAS Hutchinson Brother UK (2:12:01)
- S'annara Grove: Doltcini O’Shea Cycling Team (ST)
- Vera Looser: Efficient Infiniti Insure (ST)
- Carla Oberholzer: Santon City Cycle Nation (ST)
- Jo van de Winkel: Sandton City Cycle Nation (2:12:16 | + 15)
Meanwhile, organisers said a record-breaking, close onto 30 000 cyclists took part in yesterday’s tour.
“We’d like to praise every finisher,” Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust director, David Bellairs, said.
“From those of you who knock off a 100km ride without any stress, to the riders who experience the Cycle Tour as a significant personal challenge.
“This race wouldn’t be possible without you and the gracious people of Cape Town who open the streets to us.
“It’s wonderful to see so many people on bikes, because the event started in 1978 to raise awareness of the need for safe cycling routes.
“Cape Town has in recent years become a very cycling-friendly city and it’s very rewarding to see.”
By 4pm yesterday there were recorded no fatalities.