Another day of tight racing at stage 2 of KAP sani2c
Jolivet Farm. 9 May 2025. Racing into the Kings Harvest Academy finish after three hours 20 minutes and 54 seconds, nearly five minutes faster than the first team across the line last year, Tristan Nortje and Marco Joubert (Imbuko ChamChamp) extended their overall lead by one minute and 10 seconds. Sam Sanders and Sarah Hill of Efficient Infiniti Racing claimed the leaders’ jerseys in the women’s race (04:15:08), also taking the lead in the General Classification.
(from left) Tristan Nortje and Marco Joubert retain their lead in the General Classification and take a second stage win for Imbuko ChemChamp
The ‘Queen Stage’ is a challenging 96 kms with 1 896m of elevation, and includes a spectacular descent into the Umkomaas Valley, before cross-crossing the Umkomaas River multiple times over floating bridges, and climbing out the valley via the Unitrans ‘Iconic Climb’.
(from left) Sam Sanders and Sarah Hill now have a solid lead on GC, having taken the stage over seven minutes ahead of Bianca Haw and Danielle Du Toit
Since 2024 KAP sani2c ‘OG’ has been a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Category 2 marathon stage race.
MEN’S RACE
Today’s men’s race showed us what stage racing is all about: teamwork, well-matched riders and good communication. The Imbuko ChemChamp A pair were able to extend their lead by working together, separating as little as possible, and staying focused on each other in the bunch (03:20:54). It was not easy for them to get away, with the top six teams surging and shifting between places multiple times, though Marc Pritzen broke away and rode much of his race solo upfront. This effort placed Team Honeycomb 226ers’ in a strong position for Pritzen and Wessel Botha to secure second for the day (03:22:03), also claiming second on GC.
PYGA Euro Steel, Insect Science Cycling and the young Imbuko ChemChamp B team, were riding together towards the finish, but Philip Buys and Michael Foster managed a last effort to claim third place (03:24:03). Arno Du Toit, Keagan Bontekoning, Lood Goosen and Rudi Koen crossed together coming fourth and fifth respectively (03:24:16). Toyota Specialised (Travis Stedman and Johan van Zyl) maintained their fifth place on the GC with their sixth place (03:28:22).
Rudi Koen of Imbuko ChemChamp B descends the Umko Drop followed closely by teammate Lood Goosen.
Joubert says: “We crossed the line solo again and extended our lead. It was a well-executed day. We broke away, took our time, and made it count when it mattered. We had a comfortable gap after yesterday, so we sat with the others until Iconic and saw how it played out. Once we noticed they were starting to fade, we made our move. I think we're the only team riding fully together. In stage racing, you both need to get over the line fast, and that means working as a unit.”
Nortje agrees: “We’ve got a good partnership. We don’t need to talk on the bike - we just know when it’s time to go, when one of us is suffering, or when to turn it up. That sync is what makes us work. It was hard; they nearly caught us, but we had the legs to ride away again. I drilled it on one of the climbs, got a gap, and once that happens, you just put your head down and go.”
Du Toit says: “The guys were going pretty hard early on- it was punchy and explosive. I didn’t feel great through the valley, and when we hit Iconic, I just didn’t have the firepower to go with them. It’s a long effort, so we kept it steady. On top of the District Road there was about a two-minute gap. I was feeling good, told Keagan to hang on, and I pushed as deep as I could on the fast, rolling sections. I managed the climb well and we got back to the group after about 15 km of chasing.
“Then the fireworks started, and we missed a turn on a high-speed section. We were just behind PYGA, and I was not paying attention. We heard the marshall shouting and realised we’d missed it. Lost about 40 seconds. Had to restart the chase, get the motivation up, and in the end, we nearly closed it back to PYGA. It was a big effort.”
Pritzen says: “Today was much better than yesterday. Wessel really rocked up with good legs. Unfortunately, the last time we hit the Imbuko boys, it was just a bit much for him, so I waited, hoping we could get them back on the flats. But the guys up front were strong. Kudos to them, and to my teammate for making a big comeback.”
Marc Pritzen surging ahead down the Umko Drop, Tristan Nortje close behind with Marco Joubert.
Botha says it was a good day for him and Pritzen: “The Umko drop is always special - super cool going down there today. Not too much dust, so we could really enjoy it. We tried to close the gap to the Imbuko boys, but they were strong at the end. We still had a good finish and sit second overall now. I am happy with that.”
Foster says they put in a good effort: “Marco and Tristan set a strong pace on the hills. I got to the front and tried to slow things down, but it’s hard on a climb. Then I went back to Phil and we worked together really well to the finish, rolling with each other. The guys were just too fast today, but we gave it a solid go. You’ve got to work together and use your strengths.”
Buys says: “The pace was high, faster than last year. Everyone was fighting for position early on. I was in a good spot before Iconic, slowed down a bit leading into it, knowing the real effort was coming. But the split didn’t happen there - it came on the rolling hills after Iconic, where the speed really picked up. If you lose 10 seconds there, it becomes exponential. I'm happy with my ride, but the result just wasn’t what we hoped for. The attacks were one too many.”
WOMEN’S RACE
Efficient Infiniti Racing’s Sarah Hill and Samantha Sanders will claim the leaders’ jerseys at Jolivet this evening after taking the win at Stage 2 in the women’s race in a time of 04:15:08. They take the lead in the General Classification as well, having capitalised on the misfortunes of Safari Essence Titan’s Bianca Haw and Danielle Du Toit, who punctured after 38 kms and ultimately finished seven minutes 22 seconds behind Hill and Sanders (04:22:30).
Danielle Du Toit leads the women down the Umko Drop after her partner Bianca Haw. Behind her in view is Sam Sanders.
Just 29 seconds later, third placed Cherise Willeit and Ila Stow of Toyota Fortress (04:22:59) crossed the line after a powerful performance, despite having to deal with their own puncture. Although Haw and Du Toit had chased them down and passed them, Stow and Welleit hung on and made the pair work hard for their second place.
Janice Fourie and Roxanne Kemp of EPT Racing placed fourth (04:44:45), riding most of the day on their own after a pile-up saw many riders in the women’s leading group crash in the first 6 kms. This separated the leading three teams from the rest of the UCI women. Sadly, yesterday’s fourth placed team Tshenolo Pro Cycling Team’s Sonica Klopper was seriously injured and she and teammate Tania Bugarin Ortez were forced to pull out of the race.
Fourie says the crash happened at speed when riders in the front of the group had to brake hard: “Everyone tried to avoid it, but with so many of us together, it just took us down. It was high speed. Once things settled, we got clear and rode into fourth. We had a team behind us early on, but after Water Point 1 (39 kms), we pulled away and ended up riding alone for most of the day. The climb was tough - especially not knowing how far behind us the others were.”
Haw acknowledged that she had not stuck to their game plan of having a free ride down the Umko Drop: “I think the pace was too hot early on - we should’ve backed off a bit. But no one was taking the front, so I did.
“After our puncture, we caught Cherise and Ila, and then they just sat behind us. They didn’t make it easy - it was cool racing with such strong women’s teams.”
Du Toit says: “It was a disappointing day with some bad luck. We tried to take control after that and play catch-up, but it was a hard effort. Toward the end, we just paced ourselves as best we could, and in the last few kilometers we managed to break away from third (Stow and Welleit). So we’re grateful for that final push. A tough day, but still a fun one. The Umkomaas drop was spectacular.”
Sanders noted that it's never nice when competitors have a mechanical: “But that’s racing. We worked to open a gap and had to fight to maintain it. Bianca and Danielle are so strong, so it wasn’t handed to us. We had to go flat-out, but we got the job done. At the end of the day, it’s about how badly you want it. You’ve got to dig deep, especially against athletes of this calibre.”
Sam Sanders (front) and Sarah Hill enjoy the Umko Drop followed closely by Cherise Welleit and Ila Stow.
Hill says she came to sani2c to win, after coming second many times: “Racing against such a strong field makes it special. The difference between the top teams is small - anything can happen: a sprint, a cramp, a fall. I’m so grateful for Sam. She pulled us through. When I wanted to rest, she said no, and that made me stronger. I’m still learning what it means to be a professional racer, even now.”
The partnership of Stow and Welleit combines technical mountain bike skills of Stow, with Welleit’s strong racing experience, which Stow says she was grateful for today: “Cherise is such a great racer - she knows when to go. At one point, we were losing the gap, she just said, “One effort, Ila.” I thought I was going to die, but I put my head down. I’d go to war with her any day. It was a hard day trying to hold on, but we did.”
Welleit says: “It was unfortunate that Bianca and Danielle had a puncture. We dangled a bit behind Sarah and Sam, then we also had a sidewall cut (puncture). Luckily, Ila’s technical skills are solid - we plugged it quickly and got going again. When Bianca and Danielle passed us, I knew we had to stay with them - there was still a lot of open road left. We tried to help with the pacing, but there wasn’t much in the tank. The level of racing among the women has been incredible.”
The last ride to the sea
Imbuko ChemChamp have a three minute and 50 second advantage as they go into the third and final stage, racing to the coast tomorrow, while the Efficient Infiniti Racing team can afford to just hold onto their rivals and maintain their three minute and thirteen second advantage to win overall.
All KAP sani2c ‘OG’ riders leave Jolivet Farm tomorrow morning and travel 86 km to Scottburgh Golf Club, with 1042 metres of climbing.
RESULTS STAGE 2 UCI RACE
MEN
1. Imbuko ChemChamp A (Marco Joubert / Tristan Nortje) – 03:20:54
2. Team Honeycomb 226ers (Marc Pritzen / Wessel Botha) – 03:22:03
3. PYGA Euro Steel (Philip Buys / Michael Foster) – 03:24:03
4. Insect Science Cycling (Arno Du Toit / Keagan Bontekoning) – 03:24:16
5. Imbuko ChemChamp B (Lood Goosen / Rudi Koen) – 03:24:16
WOMEN
1. Efficient Infiniti Racing (Sarah Hill / Samantha Sanders) – 04:15:08
2. Safari Essence Titan Racing (Bianca Haw / Danielle Du Toit) – 04:22:30
3. Toyota Fortress (Cherise Willeit / Ila Stow) – 04:22:59
4. TEAM EPT RACING (Roxanne Kemp / Janice Fourie) – 04:44:45
5. Index Efficient Infinity (Steph Wohlters / Sanchia Malan) – 04:51:22
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
MEN - GC
1. Imbuko ChemChamp A (Tristan Nortje / Marco Joubert) – 07:01:58
2. Team Honeycomb 226ers (Wessel Botha / Marc Pritzen) – 07:05:48
3. Insect Science Cycling (Keagan Bontekoning / Arno Du Toit) – 07:07:21
4. PYGA Euro Steel (Philip Buys / Michael Foster) – 07:08:05
5. Toyota Specialized (Travis Stedman / Johan Van Zyl) – 07:14:06
WOMEN - GC
1. Efficient Infiniti Racing (Samantha Sanders / Sarah Hill) – 08:55:40
2. Safari Essence Titan Racing (Bianca Haw / Danielle Du Toit) – 08:58:53
3. Toyota Fortress (Ila Stow / Cherise Willeit) – 09:11:58
4. TEAM EPT RACING (Janice Fourie / Roxanne Kemp) – 09:48:20
5. Index Efficient Infinity (Steph Wohlters / Sanchia Malan) – 09:59:32
You can follow the race on KAP sani2c Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/_
For more information visit www.sani2c.co.za