Dlamini and Impey on top of world
• The two cyclists score firsts for SA as old hand wins Tour Down Under while debutant wins King of the Mountains category
Pride, some small relief and immense joy fought for space on the faces of Daryl Impey and Nicholas Dlamini as they stood on the podium of the Tour Down Under in Adelaide.
Pride, some small relief and immense joy fought for space on the faces of Daryl Impey and Nicholas Dlamini as they stood on the podium of the Tour Down Under in Adelaide, having capped a glorious day for South African cycling.
Impey was crowned the overall winner, his first win in a World Tour stage race and the first by a South African. Dlamini took home the King of the Mountains competition, a category he had led since the first of the six stages of the seasonopening race.
It was the first time a black South African had won a major category jersey in a World Tour. It was also Dlamini’s debut as a fully fledged professional in the World Tour.
“Coming into the race, I didn’t expect to win it, but sometimes the stars line up and everything goes well,” said Impey, the 33-year-old from the south of Johannesburg who rides for the Australian-based MitcheltonScott team.
“I worked really hard in the off season and I’m happy to get the win. The win goes to my family in SA, they have sacrificed a lot and I dedicate this to them.” Impey, who became the first South African to wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France in 2013, said Dlamini had impressed in his first race with Team Dimension Data.
Impey finished with the same overall time as Australian Richie Porte (BMC) but led the ochre leader’s jersey competition on a countback of stage positions. Porte was also second to Dlamini, who won the King of the Mountains by 12 points.
“There’s a lot more to expect from South Africans,” said Impey. “I mean, Nick Dlamini in his first race was fantastic. The whole of SA can be proud of him. It’s gutsy to go up the road for four days in your first World Tour race and still take it to the World Tour riders as well.”
The township of Capricorn in Muizenberg may be looking for a street to name after Dlamini — now its most famous son — after his performance this week. The 22-year-old got into breaks in four of the six stages, winning important points in the King of the Mountains jersey with a tactical nous that belies his age.
Dlamini’s talent impressed Stephen Roche, the former Tour de France winner and World Champion, during the Cape Rouleur event around the Western Cape some years ago, when the teenager was mixing it with professionals on his borrowed, heavy, steel-framed bike.
“Never would I have thought I’d race on the highest level of cycling against the best in the world and been able to win the King of the Mountain's jersey on my first World Tour debut as a professional,” said Dlamini.
“A big congrats to Daryl Impey for taking the overall win. He’s really a great guy to look up to. I think I learned a lot in just one week of racing so going forward I think I will still improve a lot. As a team, this was a great start to our season and I feel we will also just get better as the season progresses.”
Impey now leads the World Tour standings, another first for a South African, with Team Dimension Data’s Dutch rider, Tom-Jelte Slagter, in third. Impey, who has been a domestique for his Australian team since he joined them, will take on a leader’s role this season.
“The Ardennes is the next big target. I’d love to win the [South African] national championships next month,” said Impey.
“That’s something I’ve not done and there are some stages in races like Catalunya that suit me. Then there is the Ardennes, and Amstel Gold will be a big focus,” said Impey. “We’ll take it day by day but the team has so much depth to it.”