Cape Town Cycle Tour

Kim Le Court De Billot won her third Cape Town Cycle Tour title on Sunday while Marc Pritzen took his first win on a cold and rainy day.

Mauritius-born Kim Le Court De Billot (Efficient Insure Infiniti) won her third Cape Town Cycle Tour title on Sunday, while 22-year-old Marc Pritzen (Honeycomb) took his first win in the elite men’s field after two breakaway wins on a cold and rainy day.

The first wet CTCT since 2006 made for terrifically challenging conditions – and exciting racing. Meteorologists promised rain and it arrived early, with the pro riders rolling out on wet roads. Cool conditions might reduce fatigue, but a slick road surface increases risk.

For the pro riders, any wet CTCT is all about managing available grip – and not crashing on those high-speed descents. Race favourite Nolan Hoffman could not equal Willie Engelbrecht’s record of five CTCT wins.

Breakaways rarely have the desired outcome at any CTCT, but a group of leading riders who pulled their collective strategy at Smitswinkel Bay, defended this advantage into Sea Point. The rain increased as this group of four men positioned for the sprint, in the race’s final kilometres.

It was Marc Pritzen, besting his breakaway group in a close sprint to the line – showing great presence of mind in the race’s final meters, despite increasing rain. Pritzen won in a time of 02:37:55, with Sascha Weber second and HB Kruger in third.

Pritzen won last year’s South African road championships in Swellendam and has a 947 Ride Joburg victory to his credit, too. The CTCT title will further enhance his palmarès.

After the women’s event started 15 minutes late because of the gloomy weather, it was first Lill and then Le Court de Billot that opened up the race as they headed down through Ocean View and Masiphumelele.  The pair were eventually caught by the bunch on the lower slopes of Chapman’s Peak, but again split the group on the famous climb.

By the time the women’s field reached Hout Bay the lead group had swelled again, but Preen attacked up Suikerbossie – as she did in 2021 – and took both Le Court De Billot and Lill with her. Lill then set a torrid pace to gap the rest of the field up the infamous climb.

The three worked together until the final kilometre when Le Court De Billot’s superior sprinting saw her add to the titles she won in 2018 and 2021.

The Cape Town Cycle Tour has helped pump half a billion rand into the Western Cape’s economy.

The premier’s office said that the annual event put 3,000 people to work over the past few weeks, which ensured its success. Over 18,000 cyclists took to the Mother City’s roads on Sunday.

Premier Alan Winde said that the Cycle Tour was a major contributor to the domestic economy, where it particularly helped in the recovery of tourism and hospitality sector.

More competitors were allowed to take part this year as COVID-19 restrictions relaxed. Winde reiterated his call for the state of disaster be scrapped for good.