Nolan Hoffman and Carla Oberholzer will be out to defend their titles when the Bestmed Satellite Classic cycling road race takes place on Saturday.
The 110km feature event near Hartbeespoort Dam in North West Province will see cyclists from around the country assessing their condition at this stage of the season on a challenging route, which includes the infamous Hekpoort climb.
BCX cyclist Nolan Hoffman will be out to defend his title when the Bestmed Satellite Classic 110km race takes place near Hartbeespoort Dam in North West Province on Saturday. Photo: Jetline Action Photography
Following his success in the recent Tour de Windhoek, Hoffman said he always liked to be in good shape at the start of October.
“I will be aiming to push hard in the Satellite to see where I am in terms of my conditioning,” added the Cape Town Cycle Tour champion.
“A win would be good for the confidence and that is a key element for sprinters.”
Although he will be among the favourites, Hoffman said BCX had a powerful unit.
“All of us will be putting our hands up, but the guys are there to help each other.
“We have a young guy like Chris Jooste, as well as Steven van Heerden, so we definitely have a few cards to play.”
Oberholzer, riding for Demacon Ladies Team, she was “quite nervous” after a cold winter in Clarens in the Free State, but was fired up to retain the title.
“We always race to win and I would love to defend the title,” said the SA road race champion. “I have only been out on the road in the last week, so I’m not quite sure of my form at this stage.”
The 31-year-old has a string of victories under her belt this year, including most recently the Bestmed Jock Classic and the trapNET 360.
