Real team effort as Hoffman wins
CAPE TOWN TOUR: SA STAR SPRINTS TO TITLE HAT-TRICK
Achieving their first main goal of the season, Nolan Hoffman was full of praise for his team-mates yesterday after Team BCX stormed to victory at the 40th edition of the Cape Town Cycle Tour.
With the peloton taking the 109km race to the line, Hoffman was led out by defending champion Clint Hendricks before calling on his swift turn of speed as a former track specialist to launch himself across the line in 2:37:30.
He finished one second clear of mountain bike specialist Sam Gaze of New Zealand, who turned out for the Investec-Songo-Specialised outfit, and Reynard Butler (ProTouch) overcame a couple of punctures to grab third place.
Reclaiming the crown he won in 2014 and 2015, Hoffman became only the fourth man to win the annual contest three times.
“This has been our biggest objective for the year, and coming away with the win was just incredible,” said Hoffman, a former Track World Championships silver medallist and six-time winner of the Amashova Durban Classic.
“The boys rode out of their skins and I’m just really pleased with how it all played out.”
Earlier, Mauritian rider Kim le Court had secured her maiden Cycle Tour title in another bunch sprint.
With the elite women covering a shorter distance than the men (76km) after being given their own start, the Demacon rider triumphed in a late battle for the line in 2:11:50, ending a lengthy drought by becoming the first foreign rider to win the race in 10 years.
She held off a charge from Namibian rider Vera Adrian (DormaKaba), and track cyclist Maroesjka Matthee (Ciovita) secured third spot as the first South African woman home.
“Wow, such an emotional day,” Le Court said.
“This is the one race that everyone wants to win, and I’ve had a year of podiums, so it’s great to finally stand on the top step.”