Arno du Toit (left) and Keagan Bontekoning (second from left) won Stage 3 of the 2024 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen in a seven team sprint. Photo by Oakpics.com.
After two days of near misses Insect Science stood atop the Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, on Thursday, 3 October 2024.
Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning outfoxed and outsprinted six other teams in a chaotic run in to Langenhoven Gymnasium, in Oudtshoorn, to win the day. In the women’s race, Samantha Sanders and Danielle Strydom made it a perfect three from three, at the conclusion of Stage 3, for Efficient Infiniti Insure.
Stage 3 was the longest of the race, but one which was expected to be an easier day. It did however not pan out as smoothly; as a number of riders went down in dramatic crashes, suffered punctures or simply baked in the searing African sun. After two cool days on the coast and a cold night in the Langkloof the crossing into the Klein Karoo brought temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.
Bianca Haw continued her dominance in the solo woman’s category and enjoyed the technical dual track descents of the route from Louvain to Oudtshoorn. Photo by Oakpics.com.
The racing was hot and cold however, as the men’s field surged up climbs before relaxing on the gravel road links. Julian Jessop, of Valley Electrical Insect Science, and Halalisani Ndebele, of Team Coopetto, both suffered two punctures. While Hayley Smith endured an unfixable sidewall puncture. Jessop and Ndebele were waylaid by their repairs. Smith had to run her bike up a climb to the first water point, where the race’s neutral service mechanics were able to put a new tyre on her rear rim.
The first of the fallers was Gilbert Kekae. The Tshenolo Pro Cycling Team man’s rear tyre burped on a rocky dual track and he was high-sided dramatically over the handlebars. Rossouw Bekker, of Valley Electrical Titan Racing and Rogan Smart also crashed, but did themselves no serious damage. The same cannot be said for Jaedon Terlouw.
Team ACT’s Pieter Korkie (leading) and Keegan Tullis (second wheel) made the racing in the final 15 kilometres. Photo by Oakpics.com.
“I wheelied through a river and put my front wheel down in the mud,” the PYGA Euro Steel rider explained. “As I put it down it slipped out from under me.” This piece of misfortune caused the race leader to fall heavily on his left hand and left him favouring it for at least 50 kilometres.
“It wasn’t bad enough to stop, so I’ll carry on!” he promised. The PYGA Euro Steel team performed some running repairs on Terlouw’s hand, strapping two fingers together with insulation tape, at Water Point 2, 45 kilometres into the stage. Thereafter he used every opportunity to raise his hand from the handlebar to reduce the pressure on it. “The rocky tracks hurt it a bit, but I’d been told once before to keep an injury elevated, so every chance I got on the district roads I did that. I don’t think it’ll affect me tomorrow though,” Terlouw concluded.
Seven teams summited the final climb, at the 75 kilometre mark, together setting up a thrilling sprint finish. Photo by Oakpics.com.
The on and off pace of the day suited Terlouw. He, and his teammate, Pieter du Toit, were content to leave the pace making to their rivals and Insect Science duly obliged for much of the day. Once seven teams summited the final climb together they Arno du Toit and Bontekoning were happy to let others make the racing. Pieter Korkie and Keegan Tullis took up the mantle and Korkie even slipped off the front of the group, but Tullis was unable to bridge across.
“We know this run in pretty well, having done it a few times,” Arno du Toit smiled. “We knew when to accelerate and managed to get ourselves into a good position ahead of the PYGA [Euro Steel] team.” This smart positioning was enough to ensure Insect Science took stage honours, just ahead of the overall race leaders, Imbuko’s Rudi Koen and Lood Goosen, Team ACT, Valley Electrical Titan Racing, Imbuko Toyota Specialized and FuelX’s Wayne van der Walt and Johan de Villiers.
Smith’s misfortune in the women’s race put her and Sanchia Malan out of the running for the day’s podium places. Ahead Sanders and Strydom eased into the stage and then rode away from their Efficient Infiniti Insure stablemates, Stephanie Wohlters and Kelsey van Schoor. “With a big day coming up tomorrow we didn’t want to burn matches unnecessarily but we also didn’t want to go too easy,” Sanders noted. “Now it’s all about keeping the weight off the legs, recovering well, and preparing for that big climb tomorrow.”
All smiles for Danielle Strydom (left) and Samantha Sanders (right) after a third stage victory of the 2024 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen. Photo by Oakpics.com.
With three wins from three stages the Efficient Infiniti Insure team take a 44 minute lead into the Queen Stage. Fortress Real Estate Investments’ Ila Stow and Katie Lennard hold the third podium spot, behind Wohlters and Van Schoor. Megan Scribante and Nicola Freitas leapfrogged Index Bell Racing, after Smith’s puncture, into fourth on the women’s general classification standings. Further back just 2 minutes and 48 seconds separate First Ascent’s Tarryn Povey and Roxanne Kemp from the SHEOVITA team of Jessica Wilkinson and Rebecca van Huyssteen.
In the men’s race PYGA Euro Steel hold a 52 second advantage over Insect Science. That is all but guaranteed to change on the Swartberg Pass. “We’ve seen big gaps develop on Swartberg,” Bontekoning reflected. “Tomorrow is probably the decisive stage.”
Samantha Sanders (leading) and Danielle Strydom made it three from three on Stage 3 to extend their general classification lead to 44 minutes. Photo by Oakpics.com.
To see if those words will prove prophetic on the 84 kilometre long stage, with 2 100 metres of climbing, follow the action by liking the Cape Pioneer Facebook page or by following @capepioneer on Instagram. For more information visit www.capepioneer.co.za.
2024 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen:
Men’s Stage 3 Results:
- Insect Science Cycling: Arno Du Toit & Keagan Bontekoning (3:25:14)
- PYGA Euro Steel: Pieter Du Toit & Jaedon Terlouw (3:25:15 | +1)
- Imbuko: Rudi Koen & Lood Goosen (3:25:17 | +2)
- Team ACT: Pieter Korkie & Keegan Tullis (3:25:18 | +3)
- Valley Electrical Titan Racing: Rossouw Bekker & Cronje Beukes (3:25:19 | +4)
Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, Men’s Stage 3 Podium (from right to left): Lood Goosen, Rudi Koen, Keagan Bontekoning, Arno du Toit, Pieter du Toit and Jaedon Terlouw. Photo by Oakpics.com.
Women’s Stage 3 Results:
- Efficient Infiniti Insurance: Danielle Strydom & Samantha Sanders (4:06:09)
- Efficient Infiniti Pirtek: Stephanie Wohlters & Kelsey van Schoor (4:11:11 | +5:02)
- Fortress Real Estate Investments: Ila Stow & Katie Lennard (4:20:32 | +14:23)
- First Ascent: Tarryn Povey & Roxanne Kemp (4:23:27 | +17:18)
- Science2Sport: Megan Scribante & Nicola Freitas (4:28:24 | +22:15)
Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, Women’s Stage 3 Podium (from right to left): Ila Stow, Katie Lennard, Danielle Strydom, Samantha Sanders, Stephanie Wohlters, and Kelsey van Schoor. Photo by Oakpics.com.
Men’s General Classification after Stage 3:
- PYGA Euro Steel: Pieter Du Toit & Jaedon Terlouw (9:21:00)
- Insect Science Cycling: Arno Du Toit & Keagan Bontekoning (9:21:52 | +52)
- Valley Electrical Titan Racing: Rossouw Bekker & Cronje Beukes (9:29:44 | +8:44)
- Imbuko Toyota Specialized: Johan Van Zyl & Wessel Botha (9:30:06 | +9:06)
- Imbuko: Rudi Koen & Lood Goosen (9:38:26 | +17:26)
Women’s General Classification after Stage 3:
- Efficient Infiniti Insurance: Danielle Strydom & Samantha Sanders (11:41:23)
- Efficient Infiniti Pirtek: Stephanie Wohlters & Kelsey van Schoor (12:25:27 | +44:04)
- Fortress Real Estate Investments: Ila Stow & Katie Lennard (12:49:03 | +1:07:40)
- Science2Sport: Megan Scribante & Nicola Freitas (13:09:09| +1:27:46)
- Index Bell Racing: Sanchia Malan & Hayley Smith (13:18:29 | +1:37:06)
For the full results from the 2024 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, click here.
