GEORGE NEWS - A local young cyclist, Cronje Beukes (21), made the Garden Route proud by winning the inaugural Garden Route Giro six-day gravel stage race on Saturday 18 April, against a strong field that included some of South Africa's top cyclists and international competitors.

The race started at the Jakkalsvlei Private Cellar in Herbertsdale on Monday 13 April. 

Leaving Knysna for the finish at Anew Resort Wilderness on Saturday, the race followed the Seven Passes road - a 75km route with 1 100m of climbing.

"Honestly, it feels like I've been dreaming this week," said an elated Beukes. "Last year was a tough year for me, me breaking my leg and struggling with the recovery afterwards. Thursday was a year to the day after that accident, so winning that stage solo meant a great deal."

Beukes delivered a standout performance riding solo. Despite being the only rider without team support, he repeatedly animated the race, and he used his climbing strength to break the field on stage 6. 

He attacked on the approach to Phantom Pass, dropped his rivals on the climb and went clear to secure a decisive victory.

Over the six-day event, Beukes dominated the general classification, winning by eight minutes 28 seconds over Marco Joubert. His climbing ability also earned him the Rosa First Ascent Climbers' jersey after collecting 57 points, along with prize winnings for his stage and overall success.

His aggressive racing style proved too strong for the larger teams as he consistently forced the pace and prevented organised chase efforts from forming.

On the women’s stage 6 podium at the 2026 Garden Route Giro are Vera Looser, Lisa Bone, Mariëlle Trouwborst, Cherise Willeit and Catherine Kruger. Photo: Shift Media Co

Mariëlle Trouwborst from the Netherlands was crowned the winner of the elite women's race after some punctures had slowed her down on stages 3 and 5. She produced a similarly dominant display as Beukes', attacking early on the final stage and riding clear on Phantom Pass. 

She maintained her advantage to secure both the stage win and overall title, built on consistent climbing performances throughout the week.

Behind her, South African Lisa Bone held on to second overall, while the Namibian-born Vera Looser secured third place on the final general classification standings after a tight battle for the podium. 

Bone secured the intermediate sprint title and the First Ascent Velo Jersey, which also carried a R25 000 reward.

Ignatius du Preez was similarly recompensed for his sprint successes. Both Trouwborst and Beukes rode away with R100 000 for their victories, and an additional R25 000 for securing the Rosa First Ascent Climbers' jerseys. 

This takes their haul for the Garden Route Giro to R125 000 each, which the men's race winner will likely use to finance his dream of racing in Europe during the South African winter.

Cronje Beukes (left) attacked Phantom Pass, just 10km into the stage, to distance Wessel Botha (centre) and Marco Joubert (right).Mariëlle Trouwborst celebrates her win. Photo: Shift Media Co‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’