Geldenhuys, Preen reign supreme in The Herald Cycle Tour
ROARING THEM ON: Cheered on by an exuberant crowd, Team RDX rider Hanro Geldenhuys, right, claims gold in The Herald Cycle Tour Road Race yesterday, with teammate Joshua Louw coming in a close second after a sensational sprint finish in Summerstrand. Hayley Preen of Freewheel Cycology dominated the course to close out her race almost eight minutes ahead of the rest of the field. Photo: Richard Pearce
Champagne showers, celebrations and cheering fans set the tone for an exhilarating 38th instalment of The Herald Cycle Tour Road Race in Gqeberha at the weekend.
A sensational sprint finish in Summerstrand on Sunday allowed supporters to experience the competitive spirit of the more than 1,200 cyclists from across the country who lined up along Pollok Beach at dawn.
Throughout the day, riders and spectators filled the race village and lined the 106km course, with little space to move at the start-finish chute for the 2024 event as hundreds of people cheered, clapped and snapped pictures.
On the racing front, Team RDX rider Hanro Geldenhuys and Hayley Preen of Freewheel Cycology, both from Cape Town, finished in contrasting styles to claim their first and third Herald Cycle Tour road race titles, respectively.
Outstanding teamwork by the RDX riders saw Geldenhuys clinch his maiden men’s crown in a time of 2:31:54.
He edged ahead by a whisker in the final few metres of a bunch sprint to the finish to claim his first HCT 106km Coastal Classic event in a time of two hrs, 31 mins and 54 secs.
In true photo-finish style, the next two positions were split by a fraction of a second as Joshua Louw and Emile van Niekerk claimed silver and bronze, and the top five riders all finished within a second of one another.
It was a much easier affair for defending champion Preen as she crossed the line in just under three hours to add a third HCT women’s crown to her list of triumphs.
The 25-year-old cyclist’s time of 2:59:46 was nearly eight minutes ahead of second placed Juanita MacKenzie and Layla Schwellnus, who recorded times of 3:07:25 and 3:07:28 respectively.
Geldenhuys was pleased with his maiden appearance in the famous race.
“We came in with a plan — we were going to race a bit more defensively and try to take control at the finish.
“The team kept the pace high. From about 10km out we had guys doing a lot of work at the front.
“From about 4km to go, myself and Joshua moved up — the guys took beautiful care of us, maybe dropped me off a little too early,
“The plan came together today, the stars aligned and the team got away with an awesome result,” the 24-year-old said.
Preen, meanwhile, said it was a wonderful day for racing with “no wind out on the beautiful course”.
“I attacked it at about 15km in, and from there to the end it was me on my own. It was a long and lonely day out.
“I did have a bit more of a gap this year so I could relax and just see it home.”
Preen arrived in the Bay on the back of a strong showing at the SA Road Cycling Championships recently.
“I didn’t necessarily know what I was going to do very early in the race. I just tried to take note of the pace and work from there.
“There are some good climbs, so it was either I attack there or way later on the course.”
Arena Holdings Eastern Cape general manager Ryan Megaw said it was wonderful to see how the event had grown over the years.
“It’s amazing to see the cyclists coming out in their numbers to enjoy the day.
“It was a beautiful day for racing in Gqeberha and we have to thank all of our sponsors for giving us the opportunity to make this race something that really makes a difference in the city.
“We hope to keep attracting the top elite cyclists to our shores and continue the standard of growth the event has seen in the last few years,” he said.
Nelson Mandela Bay sports, recreation, arts and culture political head Bassie Kamana thanked the cyclists and supporters for being part of the event.
“The sport of cycling was the biggest winner today [Sunday]. It is partnerships like this between the private and public sectors which allow proper development to be achieved,” he said.
“Everybody is a champion, regardless of whether or not you finished the race today, because the goal of events like this is about participation of all.”
Veteran competitor Keith Meyer, 66, said he was pleased to cross the finish line to complete his 15th The Herald Cycle Tour road race.
“I have had better results before but I think I never really had the legs today.
“Being from the city, I always enjoy being a part of this race. I enjoy cycling because it keeps me fit and healthy, and I will certainly be back next year,” Meyer said.
For full results, visit the 2024 Herald Cycle Tour social media pages.
Leading results for the 106km event:
Men: 1 Hanro Geldenhuys 2:31:54, 2. Joshua Louw 2:31:54, 3. Emile van Niekerk 2:31:55, 4. Raynard Butler 2:31:55, 5. Nolan Hoffman 2:31:55.
Women: 1 Hayley Preen 2:59:46, 2. Juanita MacKenzie 3:07:30, 3. Layla Schwellnus 3:07:33, 4. Kelsey van Schoor 3:07:36, 5. Julie Walker 3:14:18.