Stage 1 of the 2025 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, took riders from Wilderness on the Garden Route coast to Louvain in the Langkloof. The 84 kilometre course included a sapping 2 250 metres of climbing, which tested even the freshest of legs. Tristan Nortje and Travis Stedman proved the strongest climbers on the opening day, distancing the Honeycomb 226ers on the ferocious Duiwelskop ascent. In the UCI Women’s race, the final climb proved pivotal too, as it granted Vera Looser and Samantha Sanders the opportunity to express their dominance on the day over their Efficient Infiniti Insure teammates Sarah Hill and Steph Wohlters.
Starting for the first time in Wilderness, the fifteenth edition of the Race with Soul got underway from the Wilderness Hotel under clear skies on Tuesday, 30 September. The mercury soon rose from mild to warm, before becoming hot near midday. The racing followed a similar pattern, becoming increasingly intense as the stage progressed.
Early Drama: Punctures Shake the Pack
The early phases were hardly drama-free, however. A large group charged through the first 35 kilometres together, and the first to falter did so due to punctures. Rudi Koen double flatted and, fixing his punctures, exhausted his and Imbuko ChemChamp teammate, Lood Goosen’s, supply of plugs and CO2 canisters. Michael Foster’s puncture was even worse. The PYGA Euro Steel man rode over a piece of wire, which punctured his tyre and rim tape. This left him nursing his bike to the feed zone to change the wheel. It took Foster and Jaedon Terlouw nearly half an hour to remedy the issue, effectively putting them out of the running for general classification honours in this year’s race.
While PYGA Euro Steel and Imbuko ChemChamp were enduring punctures, the Honeycomb 266ers kept the pressure on the pedals. “Everyone knew the final two climbs were going to be decisive, so there was no point in pushing too hard, too early,” Wessel Botha explained. “The front group kept up a steady pace, and a few people tried moves, but nobody really went all out until that singletrack climb.”
Near the 60 kilometre mark, the pace intensified, and the lead group, which had been six teams strong, was rapidly whittled down to just Toyota Imbuko Specialized ChemChamp, Insect Science, and
the Honeycomb 226ers. “I didn’t attack on the singletrack climb, I just made sure I was at the front so I could set a controlled tempo,” Botha revealed. This tempo was enough to distance Summerplace Racing, Tshenolo Racing, and Insect Science Azimuth initially, and then force Arno Du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning from the wheels, too.
Men’s Race: Duiwelskop Decides the Day
When the singletrack gave way to rough dual track, Toyota Imbuko Specialized ChemChamp took over the pace making. “We got away once, then Honeycomb [226ers] fought back to us, then we got away again and made the move stick,” Stedman retold, explaining how he and Nortje established their lead. With Pritzen struggling near the summit, Nortje and Stedman were able to rapidly separate themselves from the chasers and gain time on the steepest ramps.
Pressing home their advantage, they descended to Louvain as rapidly as they could, while remaining relatively safe. Crossing the line, Nortje and Stedman celebrated their stage victory and were surprised to see the size of the gaps behind them. Botha and Pritzen finished 4 minutes and 6 seconds down, with Insect Science a further 3 minutes back in third.
“This is actually the first time I’ve led a stage race, so it’ll be special to wear the yellow jersey tomorrow,” Stedman smiled.
Women’s Race: Looser & Sanders Assert Dominance
The first wearers of the UCI Women’s pink First Ascent leaders’ jerseys are no strangers to the honour. Looser and Sanders are the most decorated women in the field, yet they were unsure of how their form would stack up. Sanders is making her comeback from injury and said her focus pre-race was on getting strong enough to survive the rugged terrain rather than just being fit enough to race her bike for five days.
After a steady start to the stage, the first attack of the race came from Hill and Wohlters, Sanders’ Efficient Infiniti Insure teammates. “Sarah [Hill] and Steph [Wohlters] attacked on the first climb and got a little gap. We were in a group with Safari Essence Titan Racing, Fortress [Real Estate Investments], and Summer Sky [Racing],” Sanders noted. “But Bianca [Haw] wasn’t happy with our teammates up the road, and she closed the gap. Doing so put us in a position to counter and get away with Sarah and Steph.”
“We rode so nicely with our teammates,” Hill added. “I think they might have been waiting for us a bit, but it was great to work together for the middle phases of the race.”
When Sanders and Looser decided to accelerate, they rapidly built up a significant advantage on the Duiwelskop climb. “I expected to cramp at some point in the stage, and I did on the last climb,” Wohlters confessed. Efficient Infiniti Insure 1 powered over the summit and descended to victory in the Langkloof, winning by 18 minutes. Efficient Infiniti Insure 2 were second, 3 minutes and 3 seconds ahead of Bianca Haw and Danielle du Toit, of Safari Essence Titan Racing.
Looking Ahead: Stage 2 Challenges
Looser and Sanders will thus wear pink on Stage 2, which features an out-and-back course from Louvain. The route includes 1 800 metres of climbing in 88 kilometres. Adding distance to the familiar trails of the Langkloof, the day begins by heading northwest towards Herold before doubling back and ascending Duiwelskop from the north and dropping into a hidden valley. Dual and singletrack through fynbos keep the mid-phases of the stage interesting before broad district roads allow for tactics to come into play in the finale.
To stay up-to-date with all the action from the race, follow @capepioneer on Instagram or like the Cape Pioneer Facebook page. More information on the event can be found at www.capepioneer.co.za.
2025 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, Results
UCI Men | Stage 1:
- Toyota Imbuko Specialized ChemChamp: Travis Stedman & Tristan Nortje (3:35:08)
- Honeycomb 226ers: Wessel Botha & Marc Pritzen (3:39:14 | +4:06)
- Insect Science: Arno du Toit & Keagan Bontekoning (3:42:11 | +7:03)
- Summerplace Racing: Ignatius du Preez & Herman Fourie (3:52:36 | +17:28)
- Imbuko ChemChamp: Lood Goosen & Rudi Koen (3:57:13 | +22:05)
UCI Women | Stage 1:
- Efficient Infiniti Insure 1: Vera Looser & Samantha Sanders (4:30:34)
- Efficient Infiniti Insure 2: Sarah Hill & Steph Wohlters (4:48:37 | +18:03)
- Safari Essence Titan Racing: Bianca Haw & Danielle du Toit (4:51:40 | +21:06)
- Fortress Real Estate Investments: Ila Stow & Chloe Bishop (5:04:46 | +34:12)
- Summer Sky Racing: Lilian Baber & Karlise Scheepers (5:23:35 | +53:01)
