Van Zyl ‘tames’ his 7th Cape Epic
MTB rider, BJ van Zyl tamed his 7th Absa Cape Epic last Sunday when he and his team mate, André van den Berg of Mokopane finished the gruelling eight-day stage race known for its rough terrain.
Van Zyl told the Herald that the Epic is called “untamed” for a very good reason. “This year’s Epic was exceptionally challenging as no spectators were allowed over the eight days due to Covid-19 regulations established at the start of the race.” Van Zyl said that stages 5 and 6 also had a lot of rain with wind and bitter cold. “But it remains a breathtaking event, which will hopefully return to normal in March,” he said. “I am just so thankful to have had the ability to finish and for the support of my wife Daléne.” He finished the 607km with a 14 076m alt climb in a combined time of 42:55.
Alan Gordon, from the professional team, Insect Science, was the only other rider from Tzaneen to participate. He unfortunately had to withdraw after the third stage on Tuesday after he fell ill. His team mate, CP van Wyk, had to finish the stage without him. They also had to withdraw as a team.
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Gordon told the Herald on Monday that he has recovered fully and will ride the Gravelotte Gravel Grinder this weekend. His next stage race is the Sabie Experience next weekend, he said. Gerhard Booysen, founder and owner of Insect Science and the Insect Science MTB team, told the Herald he is extremely proud of the performance of the whole Insect Science team.
“Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning worked hard to be ready for the Epic and those efforts paid off – it was incredible to see them on the podium for the All Africa jersey.” Du Toit and Bontekoning also finished sixh overall on stage 6 – the team’s best finish on a stage at the Epic. Booysen said the results are part of a bigger team effort. “Although Alan had to pull out of the race early on due to illness, he and CP provided excellent support to Keagan and Arno in the first few days; and our mechanic Dick Rood made sure the bikes were in top condition each day.”
He said the Insect Science team has steadily grown and that the results from the Cape Epic will inspire more great things from the riders and the rest of the team in the future.Booysen, along with team rider Sydney Swart and Tzaneen cyclist, Donnevan Beukes surprised the team with a visit over the weekend to give them some added support.
