‘Local’ boy Foster puts his stamp on the KAP sani2c Race Prologue

Himeville. 24 April 2024. The PYGA Euro Steel 2 team, iXopo local Michael Foster and teammate Jaedon Terlouw, won the KAP sani2c Race Prologue at Glencairn Farm near Himeville today in a time of 00:39:31, followed by the PYGA Euro Steel 1 team of Philip Buys and Pieter du Toit (00:40:14). Only one second separated second and third place, Insect Science’s Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning (00:40:15).

 

Sam Sanders and Danielle Strydom of Efficient Infiniti Insure took the win in the women’s race after 48 minutes and 43 seconds of riding. The sani2c team of Frances Janse van Rensburg and Bianca Haw followed just shy of a minute later, (00:49:38) and Bell Equipment’s Hayley Smith and Janice Venter were a further seven minutes behind (00:56:35).

 

The Prologue, limited to UCI registered sani2c riders, covered 16 km with 416 metres of climbing on and around Glencairn Farm. KAP sani2c is now a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Category 2 marathon stage race and points are allocated per rider.

 

Michael Foster (left) and Jaedon Terlouw took the win for PYGA Euro Steel at the KAP sani2c Prologue – photo: Maryann Shaw

 

Foster says the race was less intense than he expected, with it being a smaller field of six men’s teams: “There were less nerves in the bunch. As we went into the trails, it was very quick. On one of the big climbs the other guys seemed to be suffering, so Jaedon and I went to the front and tried to push.”

 

Terlouw says he did not expect to be able to get away from the guys, so this gives them confidence ahead of tomorrow’s first stage: “I think it was about ten kms in, up the rocky climb just after the dam, I saw a few gaps opening and then Michael came past and we just went. It shows that it is possible for us to beat the best guys in SA.”

 

Jaedon Terlouw (left) and Michael Foster – photo: Maryann Shaw

 

Phil Buys says of the youngsters’ win: “I am glad they could edge ahead today, it will be an interesting next few days.”

 

He says it is a big positive to be able to get UCI points locally: “To get these kinds of points, you have to spend R 100 k and go overseas for one race, so this really helps a lot for the guys who target world champs, to get a better seeding there.”

 

Arno du Toit, a bit disappointed, says: “sani2c can be difficult to manage tactically, and I thought we were controlling it pretty well in the first half, it was nice and technical and we kept it safe, and close to the front. Unfortunately Keagan made a mistake and he was dropped, and Pieter dropped behind too. When the PYGA youngsters came past they were riding super strong, and I could hardly hold their wheel. Phil and I were riding together for a couple of kms, and then Pieter and Keagan rejoined. I am really looking forward to sani2c now.”

 

The early stages of the KAP sani2c Prologue took riders along the banks of the Pholela River – photo: Rory Scheffer

 

Bontekoning says he is excited to see how the race will unfold from tomorrow. He says of today’s racing: “Tactically I knew I had to be in front on the single track, which I managed, and I controlled the race really well, but I made a silly mistake and missed a marker, and landed up at the back of the front bunch, and it was quite difficult to move up back to where I was. I think having just come up to altitude, our bodies are still adapting and those hard kicks just took it out of me. Pieter and I were suffering at the back together.”

 

Pieter du Toit agrees: “It was a suffer fest with Keagan and I, trailing behind. I am very glad for the youngsters in the team but now the dice is on, sani is going to be full gas from now.”

 

Jaedon Terlouw climbing during the Prologue - photo: Rory Scheffer

 

The Western Cape youngsters Jean-Pierre du Plessis and Lood Goosen (Flying Young Guns) took a respectable fourth place, two minutes behind third place (00:42:11).

 

Sanders and Strydom are pleased to have taken first place. Sanders recounts where they took the gap from Haw and Van Rensburg: “Just before 5 kms there was a climb and Danielle decided it was time to go, and she burst out of her seat and I followed. We missed a turn at one point but managed to recover. The course was so cool. I can’t believe this is in their backyard. Lots of singletrack and a decent amount of climbing for just 16 kms.”

 

⁠It was all smiles amongst the women at the start of the KAP sani2c Race Prologue. Left of picture is Bianca Haw. Front and right are Sam Sanders and Danielle Strydom – photo: Rory Scheffer

 

Sanders has laid down her approach for the next few days: “You can always have a strategy, but you also have to take it as it comes, but of course it will be balls to the wall every day.”

 

Frances Janse van Rensburg, who placed third in her sani2c debut in 2020, says that Haw was first onto the single track, but after Danielle attacked on the climb the Efficient Infiniti Insure women got ahead, falling back only after they missed a turn: “It was cat and mouse for a bit, but we lost touch on the drags. It was fast and hard, and a bit more technical than I expected,” she said.

 

Smith and Venter were upbeat about their third place. Says Smith: “It was a fun day out, nice and short, just to warm up the legs, I am looking forward to what tomorrow holds. I love these trails and they keep putting in so much work into the event, which is why I keep coming back year after year.”

 

The Race starts at Glencairn Farm tomorrow morning and travels 89 kms with 1 027m of climibing, to finish at Mackenzie Club in iXopo.

 

RESULTS

MEN

PYGA Euro Steel 2 (Michael Foster/Jaedon Terlouw) 00:39:31

PYGA Euro Steel 1 (Phil Buys/Pieter du Toit) 00:40:14

Insect Science (Arno du Toit/Keagan Bontekoning) 00:40:15

Flying Young Guns (Jean-Pierre du Plessis/Lood Goosen) 00:42:11

PYGA Euro Steel 3 (Stephen du Preez/Wian van den Bergh) 00:50:24

Tshenolo Adventure Racers (Zola Ngxakeni/Thabiso Rengane) 00:51:19

 

Sam Sanders (left) and Danielle Strydom won the women’s race for Efficient Infiniti Insure – photo: Maryann Shaw

 

WOMEN

Efficient Infiniti Insure (Sam Sanders/Danielle Strydom) 00:48:43

sani2c (Frances Janse van Rensburg/Bianca Haw) 00:49:38

Bell Equipment (Hayley Smith/Janice Venter) 00:56:35

Tshenolo Adventure Racing (Refilwe Mogorosi/Tania Bugarin Ortiz) 00:58:38

 

The KAP sani2c Race finishes in Scottburgh on Saturday 27 April after a further three days and 265 kms of trails through Kwazulu-Natal farmlands, rural areas, game reserve and indigenous forests.