Defending champion Kim le Court expects a tightly contested race when the Cape Town Cycle Tour gets under way on Sunday.
Le Court, of Demacon MaxWax, last year surprised herself by winning the classic, the biggest one-day cycle race in the world based on participant numbers.
Demacon MaxWax Racing’s Kim le Court all smiles after winning the Cape Town Cycle Tour last year. Photo: Facebook/@DemaconLadies
She is again heading into the event unsure of what to expect, but said she and the team have only one objective in mind: to rack up another victory.
“I think the race will be tough this year, but our goal as a team is always to win no matter what race,” Le Court told In the Bunch today.
“More and more women are [beginning] to come to light and the peloton this year seems to be much stronger. Anything can happen in the race.
“Of course it will be amazing to win again for the team. But as usual we’ll trust each other in whatever decision we make and we’ll talk a lot during the race.”
The Mauritian added that depending on how the race played out, there could be several strong contenders.
She and the team did not take part in the Tour of Good Hope this week due to full-time work and family commitments and financial constraints.
Her teammates for the Cape Town classic will be Lynette Burger, Carla Oberholzer, Heidi Dalton and Azulde Britz.
Le Court said she was delighted to again be among the women’s only starting batch for the 78km race, an innovation started last year.
“We deserve it,” she said. “The distance is less, but regardless, I’m very proud and happy about being able to race in our own race.”
Her team had a wide range of abilities, Le Court added. “We have all types of riders in our team – climbers, sprinters, puncheurs and domestiques.
“We’re always confident going into races. We have to keep a positive mindset. But like I said, anything can happen.”
