PYGA Euro Steel and Safari Essence Titan Racing take the KAP sani2c 2025 ‘OG’ UCI Prologue
Wednesday 7 May, Glencairn Farm, Himeville – A fast and furious KAP sani2c ‘OG’ UCI Prologue played out over 18.7 kms of freshly cut trails in and around Glencairn Farm.
After heading out past Chep Dam and up Glencairn Hill, teams snaked back through the Race Village at the halfway mark, creating much excitement among the ‘OG’ riders gathered at registration.
Farmer Glen Haw has built new trails around Glencairn to host this year’s Prologue after sani2c became a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Category 2 marathon stage race in 2024.
Men’s Race
PYGA Euro Steel’s Philip Buys and Michael Foster claimed the top step of the podium in a time of 00:41:13, narrowly edging out Team Honeycomb 226ers (Marc Pritzen and Wessel Botha). Pritzen crossed the line first in 00:40:49 after breaking away, but with Botha finishing slightly behind, their team time was recorded as 00:41:16, placing them just two seconds behind PYGA Euro Steel. Imbuko ChemChamp A’s Tristan Nortje and Marco Joubert rounded out the top three in 00:41:17.
After Marc Pritzen broke away, the following bunch stuck together – from left: Philip Buys, Tristan Nortje, Wessel Botha, Michael Foster and Marco Joubert.
Botha said: “Marc and I had ridden the Prologue route yesterday, so we knew exactly which sections we wanted to be ahead on. I did take a slightly wrong turn at one point, and Marc pulled away. He just went for it, and I managed to stick with the bunch. Overall, I’m happy with the result.”
Nortje added: “They went hard on the first climb, but then completely sat up on the downhill. I knew the PYGA guys could do those punchy efforts and then back off, so I tried to keep the pace high throughout. A hard, sustained effort suits us better. It was all about pacing and mind games today.”
Joubert commented: “The route was pretty tricky today – over the 20 km, there was probably only a kilometre where you could really pass. Philip and Michael definitely used that to their advantage as XCO riders. But the time gaps are small, and we’re looking forward to the longer stages ahead – that’s where we are strong.”
Marc Pritzen rode his own race upfront today.
Nortje added: “We didn’t burn too many matches for just a second in the lead. We’re happy with how we rode today, and we’re looking forward to the longer days.”
Foster said: “The Prologue adds a different racing dynamic and definitely keeps things interesting. I wasn’t sure what happened with Marc and Wessel – whether it was a planned tactic or not – but I saw Marc was ahead and I just made sure to get in front of Wessel. That’s what makes stage racing exciting. Phil kept it together perfectly and we nailed the sprint.”
Buys is pleased with the result but knows the effort needs to be sustained over three long days: “That was short with high intensity. Hopefully I’ve got the endurance to match that over the next few days. I think today was a good ride for us. My main goal was to be with the lead group over the first big climb, and then to get into the singletrack first on the second part, where I could control the pace. I eased off a bit, knowing Michael was behind. He’s got the power to surge when he needs to, so I saved a bit for the sprint as there are not a lot of passing opportunities in that second half. Luckily, I still had enough kick to take it."
Not a lot of room to move on the singletrack – Philip Buys (front) holding the group behind Marc Pritzen.
The Insect Science duo of Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning were just off the pace and took fourth, while the young pair Travis Stedman and Johan van Zyl (Team Toyota Specialized) placed themselves firmly in the top five teams who will battle it out over the next three days.
Women’s Race
Safari Essence Titan Racing teammates Bianca Haw and Danielle Du Toit delivered a strong performance to secure victory (00:53:23), though Efficient Infiniti Racing’s Samantha Sanders and Sarah Hill were unlucky to have taken a wrong turn and lost the lead after Glencairn Climb. They made their way back to the lead group and ultimately claimed second place (00:54:50), passing the Toyota Fortress team of Cherise Willeit and Ila Stow. Toyota Fortress were pleased to secure a podium place in a time of 00:55:02.
Bianca Haw (front) knows these trails well, as Glencairn Farm is her home.
Sanders said of their bad luck: “I took a wrong turn and Sarah followed my wheel – we lost quite a bit of time and had to climb back out of the descent. But we didn’t panic. We just rode our way back, and that’s racing – it happens. We’ve still got three days to go. Once we caught up again, we managed to pass Cherise and Ila, opening up a small gap, probably around 20 seconds. Thankfully we didn’t have to sprint, because that grass drag to the line is a real soul-sapper! It was tight racing, but that’s what makes it fun.”
Hill commented on their first race as a team: “Sam is a phenomenal partner and she paced us so well. We’re both technically proficient, we both know sani2c well, and we match up nicely on the bike. I’m looking forward to the next three days.”
Danielle Du Toit (left) and Bianca Haw took advantage of their opportunity to get a gap on Sanders and Hill.
Haw joked about the trails in her backyard: “They really need to work on those switchbacks – they’re super tight! But today was very cool. Sam and Sarah took a bit of a wrong turn – luckily not too far off – and that’s when we made our move and broke away. We knew they’d be coming for us, but that moment disrupted their momentum just enough for us to hold the lead.”
After concerns that she may not be race ready, Du Toit was very pleased with today’s racing: “Thankfully, my legs felt good. Bianca just took the reins – I trusted her completely. She knew exactly what she was doing, so I followed her wheel, and she kept me motivated and the pace strong. It’s really special racing with her on her home soil. I’m just happy we got off to a good start and hope it carries through.”
Sam Sanders (front) leads the women in the early stages, before her wrong turn.
Willeit and Stow were not unchallenged for their third place as the Tshenolo Pro Cycling Team of Tania Bugarin Ortiz and Sonica Klopper (00:55:06) rode an impressive race. They made a valiant attempt in the last stretch to catch third place, but should be satisfied with their performance today.
The scene is set for an exciting three days of racing to follow. Leaving Glencairn tomorrow morning, the full ‘OG’ field will ride 89 kms to Mackenzie Club.
UCI Prologue Results
Men
- PYGA Euro Steel (Philip Buys / Michael Foster) – 00:41:13
- Team Honeycomb 226ers (Marc Pritzen / Wessel Botha) – 00:41:16
- Imbuko ChemChamp A (Tristan Nortje / Marco Joubert) – 00:41:17
- Insect Science Cycling (Arno du Toit / Keagan Bontekoning) – 00:41:38
- Toyota Specialized (Travis Stedman / Johan van Zyl) – 00:41:50
Women
- Safari Essence Titan Racing (Bianca Haw / Danielle Du Toit) – 00:53:23
- Efficient Infiniti Racing (Samantha Sanders / Sarah Hill) – 00:54:50
- Toyota Fortress (Cherise Willeit / Ila Stow) – 00:55:02
- Tshenolo Pro Cycling Team 1 (Tania Bugarin Ortiz / Sonica Klopper) – 00:55:06
- TEAM EPT RACING (Roxanne Kemp / Janice Fourie) – 00:57:06
Follow the race on Instagram stories (@_sani2c) and highlights reels, and catch full highlight videos and race reports each evening at www.sani2c.co.za
KAP sani2c Adventure: 7–9 May
KAP sani2c ‘OG’: 8–10 May, with Prologue 7 May for UCI registered riders.