With 2 minutes 31 seconds to play with in Stage 3 of the KAP sani2c, Matt Beers and Tristan Nortje of Toyota-Specialized (02:40:48) only had to stick to the wheels of their closest rivals to ensure overall victory during the 86 kms between Jolivet Farm and Scottburgh Golf Club. Imbuko {Type} Dev’s Marco Joubert and Wessel Botha made a valiant effort to make a break, but Beers and Nortje did not give them an inch, until a sprint finish gave a stage win to the Imbuko {Type} Dev A team (02:40:44).
With a cool cloudy start to the day and a descent into the Umkomaas Valley without sun in their eyes, the top riders at KAP sani2c’s 92 km Queen’s Stage, focused on getting to the front of the bunch before the real challenge of making a break, either before or during the Iconic Climb at the 60 km mark. It was Matt Beers and Tristan Nortje of Toyota Specialized who were able to make the break and now have an overall lead of 2 minutes 31 going into tomorrow’s final stage. They finished in 03:16:51. Imbuko {Type} Dev’s Marco Joubert and Wessel Botha (03:19:28) were second, and Insect Science’s Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning were third (03:22:21).
As is common on day one of the KAP sani2c, sprint finishes decided the top four places, with Marco Joubert and Wessel Botha of Imbuko {Type} Dev A (02:52:40) a mere 4.6 seconds ahead of Matt Beers and Tristan Nortje of Toyota-Specialized (02:52:45).
It will come as no surprise that the 19th edition of the KAP sani2c Race will put on a show of exciting racing, with some of South Africa’s top teams lining up for a fast and furious 265 kms from Underberg to Scottburgh on Thursday. With live coverage on @_sani2c Instagram stories, all eyes will be on the start line at Glencairn Farm near Underberg.
KAP sani2c is known for its sizable prize purse and 2023 is no exception, with R 550 000 up for grabs across the various categories. The top three men’s teams and the top three women’s teams will receive equal prize money, as well as the top three Young Guns men and women.
