Top cyclists honoured at prize-giving
RIDERS of the 39th annual Cape Town Cycle Tour were honoured at a prize-giving ceremony at the Cullinan Hotel yesterday.
The oldest competitor in the race, 85-year-old Edward Thomlinson, finished the 109km ride in around six hours. It was his 33rd Cycle Tour. “I won my age group last year and again this year, so I’m very happy,” he said. Thomlinson added that he didn’t train excessively, only riding three to four times a week in preparation for the tour.
He said while he didn’t find the race difficult, it was tiring.
George De Gouveia, 46, and his partner Malcolm Barker, 36, won the tandem bike category in a time of 2:53:24. De Gouveia said out of his 19 Cycle Tours, he has only ridden alone once. He said it was difficult but he was used to it and had worked hard preparing for the race.
“When you set yourself goals and prepare well, it is always good to win,” he said.
He said he won the shortened race last year, which was cut to 47km due to the South Peninsula fires, but this year’s race was far more enjoyable because it ran the full distance.
De Gouveia said they would be back next year to defend their title, and aim for a hat-trick.
He was pleased his partner had agreed to ride with him again.
In the women’s tandem race, Karin Pieterse and Patrys Pieterse crossed the line first in a time of 3:53:16.
The blind tandem race was won by Heinrich Jordaan and Eugene Kotze in 3:18:21.
Stuart McCreadie was the first hand cyclist over the line in a time of 3:29:17. The youngest winners that finished the race were U14 cyclists Benjamin Brown, 3:12:50, and Ashleigh Mayhead, 3:32:50.
Clint Hendricks, of Paarl, won the men’s elite race while An-Li Kachelhoffer clinched first place in the women’s elite category.
More than 35 000 cyclists took part in this year’s event.