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CYCLING NEWS - The pair claimed the First Ascent yellow leaders’ jerseys after dominating the UCI Men’s race aboard their 32-inch-wheeled Stoll Bikes.
In the UCI Women’s race, three-time defending champion Samantha Sanders and teammate Sarah Maré also lived up to their pre-race billing, winning by 16 minutes and 32 seconds on a demanding and technical opening stage.
Starting beside the Indian Ocean at ANEW Resort Wilderness on Tuesday, 22 September, riders faced cool and misty conditions before the clouds cleared and temperatures climbed to around 32° C.
The route across the Outeniqua Mountains featured three major climbs and approximately 1 800 metres of elevation gain, with the toughest section coming between kilometres 35 and 58.
Sanders and Maré strike early
Sanders and Maré made their move earlier than planned after the first major climb.
“At the summit of the first climb we looked around and saw the other teams were a bit disjointed,” Sanders said.
The Efficient Infiniti Insure teammates attacked before the first singletrack section and quickly opened a gap.
By Water Point 1 at the 35km mark, they were already four-and-a-half minutes ahead.
Hollard Summerplace Racing’s Chloé Hopf and Lilian Baber emerged as their closest challengers. Baber said her cross-country background helped her cope with the steep, rocky climbs.
“We got away from the Safari Essence Titan Racing team near the bottom of the singletrack climb, and then rode our own pace to the summit,” she said.
Hopf and Baber ultimately finished second, while Safari Essence Titan Racing’s Danielle du Toit and Roxanne Kemp took third.
Sanders and Maré continued extending their advantage to cross the finish line 16 minutes and 32 seconds ahead of their nearest rivals.
Du Toit acknowledged that it had been a difficult opening day but remained focused on the stages ahead.
“There are still four big days ahead, and despite today being tough, we are looking forward to Stage 2 tomorrow. The race is far from over,” she said.
Pritzen and Stehli dominate the men’s race
The UCI Men’s race saw a similarly decisive move from Pritzen and Stehli.
An early setback for Insect Science Safari Essence came when Jan Withaar dropped his chain on the first climb. Teammate Wessel Botha stayed with the Honeycomb 226ers group while Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning helped Withaar regain contact.
But once the racing reached the first singletrack, Pritzen and Stehli accelerated.
“I went super hard on that singletrack,” Pritzen said. “It was wet and grassy, so it was hard to keep momentum. Once we got away, we just went all in.”
The main climb proved particularly demanding, with riders battling for traction on loose terrain.
At Water Point 1, Pritzen and Stehli already held a 98-second advantage over the chasing group.
That gap grew dramatically on the next singletrack climb, with the Honeycomb 226ers pair more than six minutes clear by the summit.
Pritzen credited their Stoll Bikes P32s and their unusual 32-inch wheels with helping them negotiate the challenging terrain.
“The 32-inch wheels were an advantage today,” he said. “They roll over obstacles so easily and provided lots of grip on the loose terrain on the climb and on the descent to the finish.”
Pritzen and Stehli eventually crossed the line in 2:59:27, finishing 8 minutes and 5 seconds ahead of Insect Science Safari Essence’s Jan Withaar and Wessel Botha.
Toyota Specialized Imbuko’s Ignatius du Preez and Lood Goosen finished third, while Insect Science’s Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning took fourth.
Stage 2 could shake up the standings
While the men’s leaders established a sizeable advantage on Stage 1, the gaps behind them remain relatively tight, setting up an intriguing battle over the remaining stages.
Stage 2 takes riders on a 73km route starting and finishing at Louvain, with approximately 1 500 metres of climbing.
The course is front-loaded with climbing and could potentially end in a sprint finish, giving the chasing teams another opportunity to gain time.
Cycling fans can follow live updates from the 2026 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, on the @capepioneer Instagram account and the Cape Pioneer Facebook page.
Stage 1 results
UCI Men
- Honeycomb 226ers: Marc Pritzen & Felix Stehli - 2:59:27
- Insect Science Safari Essence: Jan Withaar & Wessel Botha - 3:07:32 (+8:05)
- Toyota Specialized Imbuko: Ignatius du Preez & Lood Goosen - 3:09:19 (+9:52)
- Insect Science: Arno du Toit & Keagan Bontekoning - 3:10:42 (+11:09)
- Pump for Peace Abashovi: Unathi Nxumalo & Thabiso Zindela - 3:11:15 (+12:48)
UCI Women
- Efficient Infiniti Insure: Samantha Sanders & Sarah Maré - 3:49:14
- Hollard Summerplace Racing: Chloé Hopf & Lilian Baber - 4:05:47 (+16:32)
- Safari Essence Titan Racing: Danielle du Toit & Roxanne Kemp - 4:26:30 (+37:15)
- Absolute Motion: Silke Bester & Luzaan Durand - 4:49:10 (+59:56)
- Cycle Nation Enza Construction: Rachel Seaman & Bianca Botha - 5:08:07 (+1:18:53)
Full results are available through the Cape Pioneer results platform.
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