The men’s and women’s races of the Cape Town Cycle Tour on Sunday are expected to be tightly contested affairs as speculation grew today regarding who the favourites are among the participating professionals.
Current men’s champion Nolan Hoffman will be back to try to defend his title.
He will be representing his newly formed self-managed team, Team Enza from DNS Sports. The set-up is his, David Maree’s and Steven van Heerden’s start-up sports management company.
Nolan Hoffman, now riding for Team Enza, celebrating his victory moments after crossing the line in the Cape Town Cycle Tour last year. Photo: Toby Ginsberg
An experienced and successful sprinter, Hoffman has shown fine form of late, having recently won the Herald Cycle Tour and stage one of the Tour of Good Hope earlier this week.
They will however be up against some of the bigger outfits in SA cycling such as the ProTouch Continental team, which includes 2016 winner Clint Hendricks and last year’s runner-up Reynard Butler.
TEG Procycling are also expected to provide stiff competition in the form of highly regarded sprinters Ryan Harris and Gustav Basson.
Alfa Bodyworks-Giant will also be targeting the 109km race, which is in their home province.
They are likely to bank on young prospect Byron Munton, who won the Stellenbosch Cycle Tour in January.
“The Cape Town Cycle Tour win is a priority for our team so we will give it our all on the day,” Munton said.
“Depending on how the race plays out, we will decide who we ride for.”
The Investec Songo Specialized mountain-bike outfit, comprising New Zealander Sam Gaze, who finished third last year, and South African cross-country ace Alan Hatherly, are among the dark horses.
Candice Lill, a well-known mountain-biker, is also set to take part in the women’s race. The women will have their own starting batch again after it was introduced last year.
Lill, like Hatherly, comes off the back of winning the Cape Town Cycle Tour MTB event last weekend and she said she was eagerly anticipating a different type of challenge on Sunday.
“I cannot wait to race on Sunday,” she said. “Road racing is not my strength but my Cape Epic partner Adelheid Morath will be there, so we will be working hard for a solid result.
“There are some very strong teams this year and the racing is going to be fast and tactical,” Lill said, identifying Demacon MaxWax Racing, which includes last year’s winner Kim le Court, as posing a major threat.
Cycle Nation, in the form of Ride for Sight winner Michelle Benson and experienced riders Joanna van de Winkel and Juanita Venter, are also expected to make the racing.
Multiple Cycle Tour champ Anriette Schoeman and strong climber Catherine Colyn are also set to take part, while Welsh track star and Olympic gold medallist Elinor Barker could also be in the mix.
