Imbuko ChemChamp and Efficient Infiniti Racing are KAP sani2c champions
Scottburgh Golf Club. 10 May 2025. Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje (Imbuko ChemChamp A) and Sarah Hill and Sam Sanders (Efficient Infiniti Racing) are the 2025 KAP sani2c champions.
From left: Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje (Imbuko ChemChamp A) and Sarah Hill and Sam Sanders (Efficient Infiniti Racing) are the 2025 KAP sani2c champions.
KAP sani2c is known as the fastest stage race in the country, and the winning men’s team general classification time this year is over 18 minutes faster than at last year’s race. This gives some indication of just how fast the racing was in the men’s race, with the top teams being neck and neck for much of the race. Joubert and Nortje were consistently stronger over the three longer days though and took a deserved win overall.
The women’s race was a lot more competitive than in recent years, with eight UCI women’s teams registering to race. The increase in speed and competition this year can in part be attributed to the KAP sani2c ‘OG’ race being a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Category 2 marathon stage race since 2024.
Men’s race
At the start of today’s 86 km final stage, PYGA Euro Steel had a gap of 44 seconds to Insect Science Cycling in third third place on the GC, and Philip Buys said they were hoping to capitalise on any mistakes, as the fast day of racing was unlikely to provide opportunities to break away.
At Kenard Climb, after 34 km, Philip Buys had pushed to the front of the lead group that now comprised PYGA Euro Steel, Imbuko ChemChamp, Honeycomb 226ers and Insect Science. At the top of ‘Work to be done’ climb in Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve at 39 km, it looked as if Marco Joubert was going to make a break for it, but by 45 kms at Mtagati Bush, Philip Buys had reasserted his place at the front and Marco Joubert had fallen ten seconds off the back.
At the 39km mark, Phil Buys was in front of the lead group up ‘Work to be done’ in Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve. Behind him were (pictured) Marc Pritzen ahead of Wessel Botha, Marco Joubert, Tristan Nortje, with Keagan Bontekoning, Arno Du Toit and Michael Foster, in that order.
Arno Du Toit, of Insect Science, says: ‘We were definitely quite strong today, especially considering that we burned quite a lot of matches early on, with Keagan dropping a chain. Everyone only has so many times they can push really deep. And we had to use it really early.”
Insect Science Cycling then suffered a mechanical, losing significant time, providing just the opportunity that PYGA Euro Steel had hoped for. Bontekoning says: “Just after Vernon Crookes, on the descent, Arno hit something, broke his wheel and punctured the tyre. We had dealt with a dropped chain in the first two kilometres, so we had already had to chase back to the group once.”
By the 58km Water Point 2, Honeycomb 226ers had pulled to the front and by Ricky’s Rail at 64 kms, all three of the top teams were back together. At this point the three teams went through a very muddy section and Philip Buys and Michael Foster both went over the handlebars in a bad fall.
Despite getting themselves up and back on the trail, they were 30 seconds off the back at the 72 km mark. Their goal of a stage win out of reach, they turned their attention to keeping a significant gap between them and the fourth placed Insect Science pair to ensure the podium overall.
At Highway Singletrack, 9 kms from the finish, a sprint finish between the top two teams looked likely. But Honeycomb 226ers, hungry for the stage win, surged in the last few kilometres and finished in 02:41:58. Imbuko ChemChamp crossed the line after 02:42:19, 21 seconds after Honeycomb 226ers, but had a comfortable three minute lead over them for the overall win. PYGA Euro Steel finished third in 02:42:57.
Pritzen says: “They [Imbuko ChemChamp A] have been doing a phenomenal job throughout the year. We enjoy racing against them, and at the end of the day, they make us all better. The level in South Africa is really increasing now, and it's thanks to them that we are all pushing ourselves a little bit harder, trying to be better every single time we line up with them.”
Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje finished second to Honeycomb 226ers on stage 3 in Scottburgh, but take the top step in the GC.
Joubert says of their future plans: “We're going to race marathon champs in two weekends time, and then take take a bit of a break. It's been a really good first half of the season, and I am just stoked with how it's been going with Tristan and the new team set up.”
Women’s Race
In today’s stage, the top three women’s teams were set for battle, but Efficient Infiniti Racing finishing in 03:17:40, were the most powerful team. Cherise Welleit and Ila Stow of Toyota Fortress (03:18:55) made them work hard for the victory. Toyota Fortress came a strong second on the stage but Bianca Haw and Danielle Du Toit of Safari Essence Titan Racing (03:20:21) take second place overall amongst the women.
From left: Sam Sanders and Sarah Hill (Efficient Infiniti Racing) broke free of second placed Cherise Welleit and Ila Stow Toyota Fortress to cross the finish line alone.
Sam Sanders and Sarah Hill needed only to stick with Bianca Haw and Danielle Du Toit to ensure their seven minute overall lead was not lost. At the top of the first big climb of the day, Clint’s Climb at 12 kms, all three of these teams were together, but with Bianca Haw pushing to the front. By 39 kms Du Toit appeared to be struggling and was a bit off the back while her teammate Haw hung on the wheels of the front two.
As Sam Sanders says: “Today we knew we would have to defend, but I thought there would be some action on Clint's time [12 kms]. And I think maybe Dani and Bianca wanted to go, but I saw Dani didn't have legs, and I thought, well, attack is the best defense. So I just started tightening the screws, and slowly everyone fell off, except for the two amazing ladies from Toyota Fortress, and Sarah. I just tried to keep the pace high. Knowing the route helps. I know that the climbs aren't super long, so you can really dig deep, and know you can recover a little bit.”
Six kilometres later at Mtagati Bush, Haw and Du Toit were about 30 seconds back from the leading two. Stow and Welleit were briefly in the lead at Rocky Bay Trails at the 72 km mark, and a sprint finish in the women’s race seemed inevitable. But Sam Sanders’ strength and experience kicked in and Efficient Infiniti Racing was able to cross the finish line a minute and 15 seconds ahead of Stow and Welleit. Haw and Du Toit came third on the stage. This meant that Sanders and Hill won the KAP sani2c by six minutes. Janice Fourie and Roxanne Kemp of EPT Racing placed fourth.
Front to back: Sam Sanders and Sarah Hill were unstoppable up front for most of the day, as seen here in Vernon Crookes, though Ila Stow and Cherise Welleit were able to move ahead for a section on Rocky Bay Trails, after the 72 km mark.
Cherise Welleit says: “This was so intense, I think pain level was very close to childbirth. We hung on to the Sam Sanders Express today. And what a phenomenal, phenomenal ride from the Efficient Infiniti ladies. They were so, so strong. We just tried to keep the gap to Bianca and Danielle. An incredible level of racing.”
Ila Stow says: “Riding with Cherise, she is so motivating and encouraging, and pushing me to another level, like I have not pushed the level before.”
Bianca Haw acknowledged that they did not have the power needed today: “We burned loads of matches on day two, and we didn't know how we would react today, but on the first climb, I could see it was going to be a super hard day. The others were all on fire. So we just hung in as long as we could, and then lost them at Vernon Crookes [39km]. And then the gap actually stayed the same, we could see them, but we couldn’t catch them.”
Danielle Du Toit says: “Unfortunately, my legs didn't pitch to the party today, so I struggled on the steep climbs, and I just hung on. I made Bianca take the reins, tried to lose as little time as possible, to try and catch them. We unfortunately couldn't.”
Results - Stage 3
MEN
1. Team Honeycomb 226ers (Wessel Botha / Marc Pritzen) – 02:41:58
2. Imbuko ChemChamp A (Tristan Nortje / Marco Joubert) – 02:42:19
3. PYGA Euro Steel (Philip Buys / Michael Foster) – 02:42:57
4. Insect Science Cycling (Keagan Bontekoning / Arno Du Toit) – 02:45:31
5. Imbuko ChemChamp B (Lood Goosen / Rudi Koen) – 02:51:36
WOMEN
1. Efficient Infiniti Racing (Samantha Sanders / Sarah Hill) – 03:17:40
2. Toyota Fortress (Ila Stow / Cherise Willeit) – 03:18:55
3. Safari Essence TitanRacing (Bianca Haw / Danielle Du Toit - 03:20:21
4. TEAM EPT RACING (Janice Fourie / Roxanne Kemp) – 03:48:15
5. Index Efficient Infinity (Steph Wohlters / Sanchia Malan) – 04:16:19
Final General Classification (After Stage 3)
MEN
1. Imbuko ChemChamp A (Tristan Nortje / Marco Joubert) – 09:44:18
2. Team Honeycomb 226ers (Wessel Botha / Marc Pritzen) – 09:47:46
3. PYGA Euro Steel (Philip Buys / Michael Foster) – 09:51:03
4. Insect Science Cycling (Keagan Bontekoning / Arno Du Toit) – 09:52:53
5. Imbuko ChemChamp B (Lood Goosen / Rudi Koen) – 10:11:52
WOMEN
1. Efficient Infiniti Racing (Samantha Sanders / Sarah Hill) – 12:13:21
2. Safari Essence TitanRacing (Bianca Haw / Danielle Du Toit) – 12:19:14
3. Toyota Fortress (Ila Stow / Cherise Willeit) – 12:30:53
4. TEAM EPT RACING (Janice Fourie / Roxanne Kemp) – 13:36:35
5. Index Efficient Infinity (Steph Wohlters / Sanchia Malan) – 14:15:52
For more information and full results visit www.sani2c.co.za