Cyclists end sani2c in Scottburgh

Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje (Imbuko ChemChamp A) and Sarah Hill and Sam Sanders (Efficient Infiniti Racing) are the 2025 KAP sani2c champions.

KAP sani2c came to an exhilarating end in Scottburgh last weekend.

The event is known as the fastest stage race in the country, and the winning men’s team general classification time this year is over 18 minutes faster than last year’s race.

This gives some indication of how fast the racing was in the men’s race, with the top teams being neck and neck for much of the race. Joubert and Nortje were consistently stronger over the three longer days though and took a deserved overall win.

The women’s race was more competitive than in recent years, with eight UCI women’s teams registering. The increase in speed and competition this year can in part be attributed to the KAP sani2c ‘OG’ race being a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Category 2 marathon stage race since 2024.

At the start of the 86km final stage, PYGA Euro Steel had a gap of 44 seconds to Insect Science Cycling in third place on the GC. At Kenard Climb, after 34km, Philip Buys had pushed to the front of the lead group that now comprised PYGA Euro Steel, Imbuko ChemChamp, Honeycomb 226ers and Insect Science.

At the top of ‘Work to be done’ climb in Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve (Umdoni area) at 39km, it looked as if Marco Joubert was going to make a break for it, but by 45km at Mtagati Bush, Philip Buys had reasserted his place at the front and Marco Joubert had fallen ten seconds off the back.

Insect Science Cycling then suffered a mechanical, losing significant time, providing just the opportunity that PYGA Euro Steel had hoped for.

By the 58km Water Point 2, Honeycomb 226ers had pulled to the front and by Ricky’s Rail at 64km, all three of the top teams were back together. At this point the three teams went through a muddy section and Philip Buys and Michael Foster both went over the handlebars in a bad fall.

Despite getting themselves up and back on the trail, they were 30 seconds off the back at the 72km mark. Their goal of a stage win out of reach, they turned their attention to keeping a significant gap between them and the fourth placed Insect Science pair to ensure the podium overall.

At Highway Singletrack, 9km from the finish, a sprint finish between the top two teams looked likely. But Honeycomb 226ers, hungry for the stage win, surged in the last few kilometres and finished in 02:41:58. Imbuko ChemChamp crossed the line after 02:42:19, 21 seconds after Honeycomb 226ers, but had a comfortable three minute lead over them for the overall win. PYGA Euro Steel finished third in 02:42:57.

In the women’s race final stage, the top three women’s teams were set for battle, but Efficient Infiniti Racing finishing in 03:17:40, were the most powerful team. Cherise Welleit and Ila Stow of Toyota Fortress (03:18:55) made them work hard for the victory. Toyota Fortress came a strong second on the stage but Bianca Haw and Danielle du Toit of Safari Essence Titan Racing (03:20:21) took second place overall among the women.

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