New champions crowned in Tshwane Classic
The second Tshwane Classic cycle race which has been completed on Sunday in the streets in and around Pretoria, was again a huge success and it seems the race is now established as one of the biggest in the country.
Dylan Girdlestone and Carla Oberholzer were crowned at the Voortrekker Monument on Sunday as the new champions of the Tshwane Classic cycling race.
Girdlestone from the Office Guru team put in a powerhouse display in the final 10km to claim a solo victory in the second edition of this exciting race in a time of 2 hours 9 minutes and 33 seconds.
The men’s race was aggressive from the outset and 15 riders had dislodged themselves by the time the peloton reached the start of the famous Tom Jenkins ascent at the Union Buildings.
The steep climb, which presents itself 10km before the finish, blew the group apart and Girdlestone led an escape group of four riders over the summit. He managed to gain a small lead and then put the hammer down through the streets of the city centre to stay away until the finish.
He was followed home by Marc Pritzen, also on his own six seconds behind, with Casper Kruger rounding off the podium a further 14 seconds back.
The women’s race saw an equally strong performance from Oberholzer in the colours of the Demacon team. She attacked on Tom Jenkins Drive and put daylight between her and a group of eight women who started the climb together.
She won the race in a time of 2 hours 38 minutes and 50 seconds – 52 seconds ahead of the first local girl, Kim le Court from Pretoria, who narrowly edged out Juanita Venter for second spot.
It was as convincing as you’ll get and Oberholzer displayed excellent form to leave no doubt as to who the strongest woman on the day was.
The Tshwane Classic created a carnival atmosphere in Pretoria on Sunday with 6800 riders taking to the streets for the second edition of the event, which saw significant growth this year.
Tshwane Executive Mayor Solly Msimanga was also on the start line, putting his bicycle through its paces in the 20km ride.
“This race is very important to the city. We would like cyclists to feel safe in our city and this event portrays our commitment and strong drive to non-motorised forms of transport,” said Msimanga before starting his ride.
The founder of the Tshwane Classic, Mauritz Meyer, said they were really pleased and privileged with such a large field taking part. He also stressed that it is such a wonderful way to showcase the city and display Pretoria’s delightful capacity for hosting mass participation sports events.
“We would like to thank the Tshwane Metro and Pretoria’s residents for accommodating this special race once a year. It was amazing to see how accommodating and patient motorists were today. It’s clear that the event has captured the hearts of Pretoria residents and we are extremely privileged to play a part in something special which brings the people of the city together,” Meyer concluded.
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