Pritzen and Stehli Roll into Yellow on 32-Inch Wheels at Cape Pioneer

Cape Pioneer
The first climb, 15 kilometres into the race, did not split the UCI Men’s field. Photo by Oakpics.com.

The 2026 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen, kicked off with commanding performances on Stage 1. On a grueling 66-kilometer course from Wilderness to Louvain featuring 1,800 meters of climbing, both the men’s and women’s pre-race favorites made early, decisive moves across the Outeniqua Mountains to claim victory.

Honeycomb 226ers Dominate Men’s Field

In the UCI Men’s race, Marc Pritzen and Felix Stehli of Honeycomb 226ers delivered a dominant display to seize the first First Ascent yellow leaders’ jerseys. Racing aboard 32-inch-wheeled Stoll Bikes, the pair launched their decisive attack 20 kilometers into the stage on wet, slippery singletrack up Duiwelskop.

Pritzen noted that the larger 32-inch wheels provided a crucial advantage on the steep, loose terrain, delivering extra traction on the climbs and speed on the descents.

Behind them, the chase group fragmented as Jan Withaar (Insect Science Safari Essence) suffered an early dropped chain. Though Withaar and teammate Wessel Botha fought back into contention, they could not match Pritzen and Stehli’s blistering pace. Honeycomb 226ers crossed the finish line in 2:59:27, building an impressive 8-minute and 5-second lead over second-place Withaar and Botha. Toyota Specialized Imbuko’s Ignatius du Preez and Lood Goosen rounded out the podium in third (+9:52).

Sanders and Maré Charge Ahead in Women’s Race

Three-time defending champion Samantha Sanders and her Efficient Infiniti Insure teammate Sarah Maré lived up to their billing as favorites in the UCI Women’s race. The duo launched an early attack at the summit of the stage’s first major climb after spotting disjointed chasing teams.

Powering through the singletrack section uninterrupted, Sanders and Maré established a four-and-a-half-minute lead by the 35-kilometer mark and continuously pulled away from the field. They claimed the stage win in 3:49:14 with a dominant margin of 16 minutes and 32 seconds.

Roxanne Kemp (pictured) and Danielle du Toit endured a challenging day out, but remain optimistic for the stages to come. Photo by Oakpics.com.

Hollard Summerplace Racing’s Chloe Hopf and Lilian Baber capitalized on the steep, rocky singletrack climbs to break away from the rest of the field, securing second place. Safari Essence Titan Racing’s Danielle du Toit and Roxanne Kemp persevered through a tough day to take third.

Stage 2 presents a 73-kilometer loop starting and finishing at Louvain, packed with 1,500 meters of elevation. Because the major climbing is heavily front-loaded into the first half of the route, the fast-rolling flat section towards the end could set up an exciting sprint finish into the race village.

Route Twist and Record Field Set Stage for Spectacular 2026 Cape Pioneer

Stage 1 Results

UCI Men’s Stage 1

  1. Honeycomb 226ers: Marc Pritzen & Felix Stehli (2:59:27)
  2. Insect Science Safari Essence: Jan Withaar & Wessel Botha (3:07:32 | +8:05)
  3. Toyota Specialized Imbuko: Ignatius du Preez & Lood Goosen (3:09:19 | +9:52)
  4. Insect Science: Arno du Toit & Keagan Bontekoning (3:10:42 | +11:09)
  5. Pump for Peace Abashovi: Unathi Nxumalo & Thabiso Zindela (3:11:15 | +12:48)

UCI Women’s Stage 1

  1. Efficient Infiniti Insure: Samantha Sanders & Sarah Maré (3:49:14)
  2. Hollard Summerplace Racing: Chloé Hopf & Lilian Baber (4:05:47 | +16:32)
  3. Safari Essence Titan Racing: Danielle du Toit & Roxanne Kemp (4:26:30 | +37:15)
  4. Absolute Motion: Silke Bester & Luzaan Durand (4:49:10 | +59:56)
  5. Cycle Nation Enza Construction: Rachel Seaman & Bianca Botha (5:08:07 | +1:18:53)