Chris Jooste intends to test himself and ‘ride smart’ when he competes in the 115km Knysna Cycle Tour tomorrow.
Jooste, the only member of the BCX team to take part, wants to use the event to measure his progress after not racing for almost two months.
Chris Jooste intends to test himself and ‘ride smart’ when he competes in the 115km Knysna Cycle Tour. Photo: Team BCX
“It’s in the middle of my off-season, so the race will be a good test to see if my hard work during the break has been paying off,” Jooste told In the Bunch today.
“It will provide a good indication of whether I am on the right path for the spring races.
“I’d like to see if I’ve made any improvement over the last two months when I had the opportunity to work on some of my weaknesses.
“Racing alone, it will be quite interesting to see if I can achieve something.”
Jooste, who made headlines when he won the inaugural Tshwane Classic in November last year and backed it up with a win in stage two of the Mpumalanga Tour in January, said he was looking forward to racing “in my home province” again.
“Being based in Johannesburg with BCX, I do not get many opportunities to race down here,” he explained.
“I grew up racing in the Southern Cape and took part in this race as a junior a few times, but the last time was in 2014.
“The route is a little different now, but I still know everything about the course. I am excited to take part.”
The 22-year-old feels the race will offer a “good balance” of strengths. “There will be opportunities for climbers, the hard men as well as the sprinters.
“There is quite a distance between the last climb and the finish. It will suit me, because it normally ends up in a smaller group going for the line, with the strong riders moving ahead.
“I feel I have a good chance, but it will be in the balance. One should not be over-eager, because mind games could play a big part in the race.”
Being up against opponents riding for their teams, Jooste said he would have to “ride smart”.
“It will be up to me to play my cards well to get a good result. I trust myself and know what I can do, but it can be difficult when you have two or three guys against you.”
