CYCLING NEWS - Toyota Specialized Imbuko’s Ignatius du Preez and Lood Goosen claimed victory in a dramatic sprint finish on stage 2 of the 2026 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, on Wednesday.
The pair edged out race leaders Marc Pritzen and Felix Stehli of Honeycomb 226ers after throwing their bikes across the finish line at Louvain Guest Farm in the Langkloof.
Du Preez was awarded the victory after UCI commissaires reviewed footage of the finish.
The 73km stage included 1 500m of climbing, with about 1 000m of the ascent coming within the first 25km. Wet ground left by the winter rains added to the challenge.
The leading men’s teams stayed together for much of the stage before the racing intensified in the final kilometres.
Pritzen and Stehli finished in the same time as Du Preez and Goosen, while Insect Science Safari Essence’s Jan Withaar and Wessel Botha were third, one second behind.
Despite the stage result, Pritzen and Stehli retained the overall men’s lead after two stages. They are 8min 6sec ahead of Withaar and Botha, with Du Preez and Goosen a further 1min 46sec behind.
Women’s race
Efficient Infiniti Insure continued its dominance in the UCI Women’s race, with Samantha Sanders and Sarah Maré claiming their second consecutive stage victory.
The pair finished in 3:37:01, 8min 21sec ahead of Hollard Summerplace Racing’s Chloé Hopf and Lilian Baber.
Cycle Nation Enza Construction’s Rachel Seaman and Bianca Botha finished third in 3:49:38.
Sanders and Maré extended their overall lead to 24min 54sec over Hopf and Baber. Danielle du Toit and Roxanne Kemp remain third overall.
Stage 3 will take riders from Louvain to Langenhoven Gimnasium in Oudtshoorn on Thursday. The 92km route includes 1 400m of climbing, with the toughest ascent coming within the first 11km. Riders will then face rocky dual tracks and river crossings.
Bianca Botha (leading) had a superb day on Stage 2, racing to third alongside Rachel Seaman for Cycle Nation Enza Construction.
The depth of the Insect Science squad has Arno du Toit (leading) in fourth overall after two days, alongside Keagan Bontekoning (back), while aiding Jan Withaar (centre) and Wessel Botha (unpictured) to second in the general classification standings.
Ignatius du Preez (centre) and Lood Goosen (left) were never off the front of the bike race on stage 2 of the Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen.
UCI Men
Ignatius du Preez and Lood Goosen – Toyota Specialized Imbuko, 2:51:16
Marc Pritzen and Felix Stehli – Honeycomb 226ers, 2:51:16
Jan Withaar and Wessel Botha – Insect Science Safari Essence, 2:51:17
Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning – Insect Science, 2:51:30
Herman Fourie and Keegan Tullis – Cape Vulture Nature Reserve, 2:53:16
UCI Women
Samantha Sanders and Sarah Maré – Efficient Infiniti Insure, 3:37:01
Chloé Hopf and Lilian Baber – Hollard Summerplace Racing, 3:45:22
Rachel Seaman and Bianca Botha – Cycle Nation Enza Construction, 3:49:38
Danielle du Toit and Roxanne Kemp – Safari Essence Titan Racing, 3:58:46
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