Girdlestone, Oberholzer power to solo victories at Tshwane Classic
An elated Dylan Girdlestone at the finish line after putting in a powerful display to win the Tshwane Classic, presented by Jacaranda FM and Sun Time Square.
Dylan Girdlestone (Office Guru) put in a powerhouse display in the final 10km to claim a solo victory in the second edition of the Tshwane Cycle Classic, presented by Jacaranda FM and Sun Time Square at the Voortrekker Monument today.
The men’s race was aggressive from the outset and 15 riders had dislodged themselves by the time the peloton reached the start of the famous Tom Jenkins ascent at the Union Buildings.
The steep climb, which presents itself 10km before the finish, blew the group apart and Girdlestone led an escape group of four riders over the summit. He managed to gain a small lead and then put the hammer down through the streets of the city centre to stay away until the finish, winning in a time of 2 hours 9 minutes and 33 seconds.
He was followed home by Marc Pritzen, also on his, own 6 seconds behind, with Casper Kruger rounding off the podium a further 14 seconds back.
Carla Oberholzer crosses the finish line to claim a convincing victory in the second edition of the Tshwane Classic, presented by Jacaranda FM and Sun Time Square.
The women’s race saw an equally strong performance from Demacon’s Carla Oberholzer. She attacked on Tom Jenkins Drive and put daylight between her and a group of 8 women who started the climb together.
She won the race in a time of 2 hours 38 minutes and 50 seconds – 52 seconds ahead of Kim le Court de Ballot who narrowly edged out Juanita Venter for second spot.
It was as convincing as you’ll get and Oberholzer displayed excellent form to leave no doubt as to who the strongest woman on the day was.
The Tshwane Classic created a carnival atmosphere in Pretoria today with 6800 riders taking to the streets for the second edition of the event, which saw significant growth this year.
Tshwane Executive Mayor Solly Msimanga was also on the start line, putting his bicycle through its paces in the 20km ride. “This race is very important to the city,” commented Msimanga before starting his ride.
“We would like cyclists to feel safe in our city and this event portrays our commitment and strong drive to non-motorised forms of transport.”
“We were really privileged today with such a large field taking part,” added raced founder Mauritz Meyer.
“We would like to thank the Tshwane Metro and Pretoria’s residents for accommodating this special race once a year. It was amazing to see how accommodating and patient motorists were today.
“It’s clear that the event has captured the hearts of Pretoria residents and we are extremely privileged to play a part in something special which brings the people of the city together.
“It is such a wonderful way to showcase the city and display Pretoria’s delightful capacity for hosting mass participation sports events,” he concluded.
Results:
Elite Men:
- Dylan Girdlestone 02:09:33
- Marc Pritzen 02:09:39
- Casper Kruger 02:09:53
- Alexander Worsdale 02:09:53
- Myles van Muschenbroek 02:09:59
Elite Women:
- Carla Oberholzer 2:38:50
- Kim le Court de Ballot 02:39:42
- Juanita Venter 02:39:42
- Zanri Rossouw 02:39:50
- Sanet Coetzee 02:40:18
Junior Men:
- Damon Fouche 02:10:57
- Callum Ormiston 02:14:15
- Tiano da Silva 02:14:21
Veteran Men 30-39:
- Adolph Krige 02:16:38
- Werner Roux 02:16:39
- Egon Campbell 02:16:40
Veteran Men 40-49:
- Jacques Fullard 02:21:12
- David Labuschagne 02:21:20
- Martyn Davies 02:21:25
Veterans Men 50+:
- Samuel de Swardt 02:27:21
- Johan Pienaar 02:27:25
- Andre Calteaux 02:27:28
