Multiple former champion Nolan Hoffman edged Ryan Harris on the line to win the 106km Herald Cycle Tour in Port Elizabeth today.
The official result was delayed for several minutes while the commissaires debated whether the DNS Sports sprinter had impeded Harris, from TEG Procycling, in the sprint. Gustav Basson rounded out the podium.
Riders in action during the Herald Cycle Tour in Port Elizabeth today. Photo: Twitter/@heraldcycletour
In the first quarter of the race, Byron Munton and Louis Visser broke clear of the bunch. Several kilometres later Steven van Heerden, Myles van Musschenbroek and Jason Oosthuizen bridged across to the escapees.
With 56km to go the breakaway group held a 36-second lead, before the gap swelled slightly to 42 seconds just after the halfway mark.
Van Musschenbroek took the King of the Mountains title as the break increased their lead to 1:47. With 30km left, their lead went down to 1:31, as TEG’s Visser and Oosthuizen were at the head of affairs.
Nine kilometres further Oosthuizen and Van Musschenbroek went up the road and, with about 16km to go, the bunch began closing the gap.
Visser then attacked from within the break and created a 24-second lead as his breakaway companions were swallowed in by the bunch. Visser was caught in the final 2km as the bunch strung out and splintered.
Hoffman came out on top in the final sprint to claim his seventh Herald title.
Valley Electrical Titan’s Tiffany Keep won the women’s race in a five-rider final sprint, beating Anriette Schoeman and Frances Janse van Rensburg to the line.
View more results below.
106km
Elite men
1. Nolan Hoffman (DNS Sports) 2:32:14
2. Ryan Harris (TEG Procycling)
3. Gustav Basson (TEG Procycling)
4. Clint Hendricks (ProTouch) 2:32:15
5. Brandon Christians (Alfa Bodyworks-Giant)
6. Jean Jantjies (All4Security) 2:32:17
7. Jason Oosthuizen (TEG Procycling) 2:32:19
8. Kent Main (TEG Procycling) 2:32:27
9. Flavio Venceslau (TEG Procycling) 2:32:30
10. Rocco King 2:32:42
11. David Maree (DNS Sports) 2:32:43
12. George Perrins
13. Ryan Terry (ProTouch) 2:32:44
14. Adriaan Oosthuizen (NMU)
15. Wessel Swanepoel
16. Chris Cronje (Alfa Bodyworks-Giant)
17. Bradley Gouveris
18. Charles McFall 2:32:48
19. Bronwin Adams 2:32:49
20. Ben Fish (Kinetic Pro Cycling) 2:32:54
Elite women
1. Tiffany Keep 3:09:56
2. Anriette Schoeman 3:09:57
3. Frances Janse van Rensburg
4. Liezel Jordaan 3:09:58
5. Yolande de Villiers 3:10:02
6. Maroesjka Matthee 3:15:56
7. Olivia Read 3:15:57
8. Cindy Schwulst 3:16:02
9. Lauren Coleman 3:16:18
10. Linda Basson 3:16:57
11. Juanita Mackenzie 3:17:04
12. Ashleigh Parsons 3:17:06
13. Stacey Hyslop
14. Jean-Marie Roelofse 3:17:17
15. Annette Lemmer 3:18:45
55km
Men
1. Callum McEwan 1:34:02
2. Bradley Bosman 1:34:38
3. Lisakhanya Zweni 1:34:39
4. Caylem Essan 1:36:40
5. Mohammed Shira 1:36:45
Women
1. Charlissa Schultz 1:37:12
2. Ashley Mayhead
3. Mischka Strydom
4. Elize Strydom 1:47:29
5. Andrea de Waal 1:48:55
