Cape Pioneer Trek concluded
The final stage of the Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen, saw the 2023 general classification titles wrapped up by the teams who had worn the yellow and pink first ascent leaders jerseys since the Prologue.
In total the final day on Saturday 9 September, took in 64 kilometres of racing and 1 200 metres of climbing, before returning to Oudtshoorn for a celebration of the Race with Soul at the Queens Hotel finish line.
The racing, in the UCI men’s field in particular, was far more interesting. Even on Saturday's Stage 6 race when Valley Electrical Toyota took stage honours and Imbuko Giant wrapped up the overall title in the men’s competition, while Efficient Infiniti Insure completed their clean sweep of stage wins to secure the general classification victory.
Stage 6 took the teams from Langenhoven Gimnasium past the magnificent finish line in the centre of Oudtshoorn, into Chandelier Game Lodge’s private nature reserve. Home to the Hell of the South’s start the reserve’s rocky roads were smoother after the work done to counter the effects of this winter’s heavy rains. The route did include a new singletrack loop which was as harsh as Klein Karoo mountain biking can be, and which had riders enquiring in concerned fashion if it would be added to the Momentum Medical Scheme Attakwas Extreme course.
In the UCI women’s race, Kim le Court and Samantha Sanders had an entertaining final stage. “We got really lucky today and got to ride with a giraffe running ahead of us for a couple of kilometres,” Sanders smiled. “Coming from Mauritius I’m still amazed and get really excited when I see big game like that,” Le Court laughed. “That was the highlight of the entire race for me! It reminded me of riding in Botswana earlier this year.”
The 2023 Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen, is likely the last edition in the event’s current format. Dryland Event Management will be making an exciting announcement in the coming months, as they unveil their plans for a rejuvenated race. What will undoubtedly remain is the fierce racing, challenging routes and the event’s famous Race with Soul spirit, which forms the guiding principle behind every decision the organisers take.
“We have big plans for 2024,” said Henco Rademeyer, of Dryland.
“There are more routes we need to incorporate and places we haven’t visited for many years or have never been to. I know I speak for Momentum Medical Scheme, Biogen and all our other sponsors, as well as Dryland when I say; we can’t wait to share them with you.”