Hoffman wants revenge
THE BCX team, led by motivated team leader Nolan Hoffman, are looking for revenge in tomorrow’s aQuellé Tour Durban, presented by Bridge Fund Managers.
Last year Bradley Potgieter from the RoadCover team caused something of an upset when he was able to sprint out of a breakaway group and grab the title from BCX’s David Maree with Herman Fouche completing the podium.
This year the three-time race winner and BCX team leader Hoffman is determined to get the tactics right and will be hoping his teammates can set him up for the sprint to the line.
“For me the Tour Durban is always one of the highlights of the racing year,” said Hoffman. “I always love racing in KZN and the Tour Durban is always a race I want to win. We are super motivated to win again, particularly after losing last year.
“Our ambition is always to win, but I hope to bounce back from the disappointment of last year.
“I lost a bit of weight recently, but have picked some of that back up again preparing for the track champs, but that is not a concern for me.
“I had a good track champs with three gold medals and I know that if I come off a good track champs I always am confident that my speed is there. A sprinter has to get the wins to get the confidence and I have had some good wins on the track and at Emperors Palace Classic last weekend so I am very confident.”
The route of the race lends itself to a bunch sprint with the only significant climb of the race coming soon after the start as the riders head up to Pinetown on the M7, within a few kilometres of the start at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
If a breakaway manages to get clear on that climb the bunch, and BCX in particular, is likely to manage the gap so they can reel them in on the rolling roads to and from Ballito. The turn is just before the popular coastal town and while some of the short climbs are testing for the thousands of amateurs who ride the event, they are nothing more than attack points for the pros.
Last year BCX allowed a break on one of those hills to stay clear, but that was because they felt Maree could win from that breakaway group, a mistake they are unlikely to make again.
With Hoffman in superb form, the former World Track Championship silver medallist’s team will be keen to set him up for a fourth win at this race.
BCX have not brought a full team to Durban for the race, but with a six-rider squad they are likely to be the dominant force. Hoffman’s lieutenants on Sunday will be Maree, 2014 champion Reynard Butler, Wesley Eslick, Steven van Heerden and Calvin Beneke.
Durban cycling fans will be hoping Genasys Technologies’ Ryan Harris can pull off an upset.
The 19-year-old Durban boy was the runner up to Hoffman at Emperors Palace Classic, only losing out in the sprint for the line, and he will be looking to go one better this weekend and give his local fans something to celebrate at the finish at Moses Mabhida Stadium
Another KZN rider to watch is Brendon Davids who last year finished seventh shortly before committing himself to a transition from mountain biker to road rider.
Davids confirmed that decision with a win at the 94.7 Cycle Challenge later in the year. Since then he has signed with the RoadCover team and proved that he has a bright future on the road with a string of good results on tar, including a win in the KZN Summer Series stage race late last month.
Davids’ best hope for a win will probably be from a solo break, but he is more likely to be working with Willie Smit to set up the win for either 2016 Cape Town Cycle Tour winner Clint Hendricks or defending champion Potgieter.
Another speedster who will be hoping to freelance his way to a win will be Cycling Box’s Tyler Day. Day was third at the Emperors Palace Classic, behind Hoffman and Harris, but without strong team support the 27-year-old will have to use other teams and position himself well to pull of the win.
The main 105km road race will start from Moses Mabhida Stadium at 6.30am, with the leaders expected to return to the stadium at about 8.45am. The 55km cyclocross event will start at 9am and the 45km fun ride will set off at 9.15am.