The 2023 Old Mutual Wealth Double Century took place in warm conditions, from Swellendam, on Saturday, 25 November. A steady, if not stiff, headwind made record and personal best chasing difficult, but did not stifle the racing. DMS & Co went out fast and overcame punctures to key riders to win the title in commanding fashion. Paceline won the women’s race, while Private Client Holdings raced to a stellar third place overall, en route to victory in the mixed category.
The 202 kilometre route, which is raced in a team time trial format, took 260 teams and 2 780 riders from Swellendam on a loop through the Klein Karoo and Breede River Valley back to Swellendam. Famous climbs on the course included the Tradouw and Op de Tradouw Passes, as well as the smaller but no less ferocious Three Stooges, in the final 20 kilometres. Between the early and final climbs the course alternated between rolling roads and high-speed flat drags along the Breede River.
“It felt like it was headwind all day,” Matthew Daneel, of Joey’s Vleisprodukte, puffed on the finish line. “We need to speak to the weatherman. That was rough.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Lidl Trek superstar, Jasper Stuyven who rode for the Old Mutual Wealth sponsored LPC squad. “It got a bit hard at the end,” the 2021 Milan-San Remo winner laughed. “It was warm and it was a long day. The final was a bit harder than I’d anticipated, especially after some long pulls earlier.”
Even the race winners had their difficulties. DMS & Co were the final team off the line, but rode the first 50 kilometres hard in order to put themselves in a good position in relation to their rivals. Yet, as Kent Main, pointed out they were never certain that they were in the lead on the time charts. “It was brutal,” Main confessed. “Every time I think I have the pacing and nutrition dialled the Old Mutual Wealthy Double Century catches me. It was hot and it was a long day. But we had some very strong guys in our team, luckily. It’s always good to be back at this race, but it’s even better to be finished.”
“I had a puncture on the first stage, and had to change it and chase back, so I didn’t really have a rest at the first feed zone,” Main continued. “It catches up with you. Chris [Jooste] punctured on the second stage so he had to chase back too. Things like that and this race in general take their toll on the body. You have to be on good form if you want to do well here.”
Main and his teammates – Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Keanan Roodt, Gustav Basson, Willie Smit, Gert Heyns, Jaco Venter, Chris Jooste and Eric Kros – stopped the clock in 4 hours, 49 minutes and 43 seconds. Rouleur Tritans Racing posted the second-best time on the day, 10 minutes and 43 seconds slower than the winners. Mik Wertheim Aymes, Matt Trautman, Marc Kourie, Ewert Kleyhhans, Raymond Wagener and Travis Johnston made up the second placed team.
The ride of the day was arguably achieved by the Private Client Holdings team. The mixed category winners were just 6 seconds off the second placed team, Rouleur Tritans Racing’s, time. Alice Towers, Frances Janse van Rensburg, Zanri Rossouw and Hayley Preen helped Lucas Towers, Kai von During, Matthew Leppan, Kelton Miller, Rogan Smart, Cameron MacNair and Tiano da Silva to a dominant category win, and a historic overall achievement. Their ride was made more impressive by the fact that they earned a Charles Milner medal, for finishing with their full compliment of 12 riders.
“I rode last year with a men’s team and I’d say this year, in a mixed team, was arguably even harder,” Smart smiled. “The Old Mutual Wealth Double Century is always fun… especially when you race with a great bunch of riders like I did today.”
Private Client Holdings were joined on the mixed category podium by the Wine Lands Mixed and Hit Squad teams. With the second placed team finishing 14 minutes behind the winners and the next team crossing the line 20 minutes down.
In the women’s race the Paceline team set out with a similar plan and intensity to the DMS & Co squad. They started fast and caught their closest rivals on the road. The loss of a couple of team members nearly derailed the Paceline team’s early good work, but they rallied and closed out the final 50 kilometres in dominant fashion. “It was a tough day out, but it was amazing to see how the women in our team worked together,” Ila Stow praised. “It’s inspiring to see the women’s racing like this, the riders giving everything and sacrificing themselves for the team. We had a good day out, there were highs and lows but we didn’t let that bother us. We just carried on and stuck to the game plan.”
The women who crossed the line to secure the victory were: Layla Schwellnus, Kylie Hanekom, Ila Stow, Catherine Pellow-Jarman, Sarita Louw, and Charlissa Schultz. Their winning time was 6 hours, 9 minutes and 52 seconds. Cape Multisport Club were second, 3 minutes and 11 seconds back, with the Tiletoria women in third.
2023 Old Mutual Wealth Double Century Results:
Open Teams:
- DMS & Co (4:49:43)
- Rouleur Tritans Racing (5:00:26 | +10:43)
- Private Client Holdings Mixed (5:00:32 | +10:49)
Men’s Teams:
- DMS & Co (4:49:43)
- Rouleur Tritans Racing (5:00:26 | +10:43)
- East City Cycles (5:03:51 | +14:08)
Women’s Teams:
- Paceline (6:09:52)
- Cape Multisport Club Ladies (6:13:03 | +3:11)
- Tiletoria (6:54:18 | +44:26)
Mixed Teams:
- Private Client Holdings Mixed (5:00:32)
- Wine Lands Mixed (5:14:48 | +14:16)
- Hit Squad (5:20:31 | +19:59)
For the full results from the 2023 Old Mutual Wealth Double Century click here. For more information on the race visit www.doublecentury.co.za.
