Cyclists are made on Bestmed Jock Tour
The 32nd edition of the second-longest running cycle race saw a 299-kilometre three-day event included, from July 17 to 19.
With every race medal worn, again a cyclist is born, goes the motto of the Bestmed Jock Road Race Championship. This year Mbombela played host to the inaugural Bestmed Jock Cycle Tour over the weekend.
The Bestmed Jock Cycle Classique took place on Saturday for amateur riders. This year participants had to enter for the full three stages of the regular Mpumalanga Lowveld route on July 18.
Tour riders completed a similar 140-kilometre course without rest stops in-between. The route took riders from Mbombela via White River to Sabie and back, featuring climbs of 2 900 metres.
This was the only stage of the three days which ultimate overall tour winner Willie Smit (22) did not win, but he retained the yellow jersey throughout.
Local rider Willie Smit the winner of the #BestmedJock Cycle Tour 2015 @LowveldMedia #Lowveld #cycling pic.twitter.com/dc1rCmn3Ae
The Tour started with a 26,93-kilometre individual time trial to Kaapsehoop on July 17. The EuropcarSA rider posted the fastest time, winning in 57:34:62. Nico Bell of RECM and another Mbombela native, was second in 58:22:86. MTN-Qhubeka’s Stefan de Bod rounded out the podium with a time of 58:49:44.
The three riders would remain on the podium throughout the tour. Smit told Lowvelder that the time trial had been tough.
“It takes a lot out of you, because you give a 100 per cent the whole way.”
On Saturday Smit retained the yellow jersey after finishing third. EuropcarSA teammate Ryan Gibbons won the stage in a time of 4:00:46 ahead of Bonitas speedster Herman Fouché. Smit topped the general classification in 4:58:16, followed by Bell with 04:59:08 and De Bod with 04:59:35.
Altech-Autopage’s Pieter Seyffert walked away with the red king of the mountain jersey after taking the first two sprint primes and the king of the mountains hotspots on Spitskop and Long Tom Pass.
Final stage of the #BestmedJock tour about to start at Mbombela Stadium @LowveldMedia #jock #cycling pic.twitter.com/hw6PCD0qEv
The third stage featured 3 100 metres of vertical climbing and covers the original route from Mbombela to Kaapmuiden and Barberton before finishing back in the province’s capital after 132 kilometres.
https://vine.co/v/e6W1h7UMJwU
After conquering the mountain passes such as Spitskop, Long Tom Pass, Boulders and Hilltop, Smit finished in an overall winning time of 08:52:45, followed by Bell in 08:53:51 and De Bod with 08:54:08. De Bod was also named best young rider.
Johnny Koen, former professional rider and now freelance MC, says the former South African student champion Smit should be on the Tour de France.
“He has the ability to take part in that tour. He is head and shoulders above the riders here.”
The former Springbok cyclist Mark Spencer (43) soloed to victory in the 150km Classique. The current national road champion in the 40 to 44 age group won two of the three stages en route to the overall title in a time of 04:28:19.
“It’s such a great race for us. During the winter months there’s not really much on the calendar, so this is a good goal to train through the winter for.”
