ProTouch’s Mitchell Eliot was happy with the collective effort of his team after winning the 118km Loskop Road Race in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, yesterday.
Eliot and teammates James Fourie, Myles van Musschenbroek, Jayde Julius, Tiano da Silva and Gustav Basson finished in first to sixth place respectively.
“I’m really stoked to have won. It was a huge team effort. [And] there will only be better things to come,” Eliot told In the Bunch today.
ProTouch’s Mitchell Eliot (pictured) was happy with the collective effort of his team after winning the 118km Loskop Road Race in Middelburg yesterday. Photo: Robert Ward
In a somewhat watered down field, Eliot knew ProTouch had the biggest presence in the race, saying “we came here knowing we will win and it was just a matter of who in the team would take it”.
“My team gave me the win, with Tiano finishing as the first junior rider,” he said.
“There were a few good riders from Sampada and Proud Beginners Cycling, who all made the racing really positive.”
Eliot said the team made a move early in the race, which comprised only one or two lengthy drags.
“All six of us managed to make it into a 15-man breakaway about 10 to 15km in.
“We then took control and created a gap of between one-and-a-half and two minutes.
“At about the 45km mark Myles and Jayde attacked and got away from the breakaway group. Shortly after that, I jumped across and the rest of the team followed.
“It was then pretty much a team time-trial to the finish,” he said, adding however that Sampada were giving chase throughout.
He said it was quite a challenge to drive the break which enabled his team to create the initial gap.
“After that it was just about following wheels and being in the right place at the right time.
“The route never actually suited me. It was a bit flat, but at least I had a powerful team to tow me to the line,” he added.
The team will now turn their focus to the Tour de Maurice, which takes place in Mauritius from September 10 to 15.
