Defending champion Simon Andreassen is back to take on the 2017 MTO Champions’ Race in Kayamandi on March 15.
The MTO Champions’ Race is often used as a final high intensity work-out ahead of the Cape Epic, which kicks off on March 19.
Christoph Sauser, Jaroslav Kulhavý, Ariane Lüthi and Annika Langvad have gone from MTO Champions’ Race victories to Cape Epic glory in the past.
The most decorated rider in the field is arguably Jaroslav Kulhavý, who teamed up with Christoph Sauser for the Cape Epic in the colours of Investec-songo-Specialized.
Defending champion Simon Andreassen is back to take on the 2017 MTO Champions’ Race on March 15. Photo: Ewald Sadie
In Kulhavý’s absence for the 2016 event, Andreassen claimed the MTO Champions’ Race title.
For 2017 the presence of Kulhavý on the start line makes him the clear favourite, but the likes of U23 World Champion Sam Gaze, South Africa’s Olympian Alan Hatherly and Sauser himself will all be highly motivated to take the crown.
Flying the flag for the local teams are Waylon Woolcock (Team BCX Cycling) Nico Bell and Gawie Combrick (NAD Pro MTB) and songo.info’s very own Lwazi Ntshakaza, Theo Ngubane, Thando Klass and Lorenzo le Roux.
The women’s race had a particularly cosmopolitan field with competitors hailing from afar afield as Bermuda and Norway.
Defending champion Ariane Lüthi will once again be the woman to beat.
Facing up against Lüthi will be triathlete Flora Duffy, Esther Süss, Candice Lill, Vera Adriaan and Hielke Elferink.
