SPEEDING AHEAD: Entries have opened for the 2024 Herald Cycle Tour, one of the Eastern Cape's most iconic cycling festivals. Photo: Richard Pearce

With entries for the 38th edition opening today, The Herald Cycle Tour again stakes its claim as one of South Africa’s most iconic cycling festivals.

The event will be staged over two weekends early next year. The MTB races at the Addo Polo Club are penned in for February 11 and the road events at Pollok Beach in Gqeberha for February 17 and 18.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is returning as title sponsor for a third consecutive year.

The Herald and Weekend Post editor Rochelle de Kock invited cyclists and their families to join the festivities.

“At the 2023 event we encouraged families to come out in numbers and it was a big success,” she said.

“We are hoping that next year will be even better and are calling on the Bay community to come out to not only support the riders, but also to enjoy a fun- filled day.”

The Herald Cycle Tour had a positive economic impact on the city, benefiting both the hospitality sector and small businesses that formed part of the organising team, she added.

It is also a vehicle to raise funds for charities and foundations. This year’s beneficiaries are The Herald Christmas Cheer Fund, Smile Foundation, Reach for a Dream and Uthando Youth Cycling Academy.

Charmaine Williams, the municipality’s director for sports, recreation, arts and culture, said the City would ensure that traffic, metro police and other related services would work together to deliver a successful event.

“It is the second-oldest cycling classic [in the country], having started in 1986 and boasting a longstanding tradition of delivering a memorable cycling experience for all riders,” she said, adding that it drew participants from across the country.

“Our unique tourism attractions in the form of our cultural and heritage assets, as well as our beaches, natural environment and services offered to event organisers, make Gqeberha and the province a preferred destination to host sporting events.”

The Herald Cycle Tour traditionally attracts some 3 000 participants.

The 80km Extreme is the feature event on the off-road programme. Riders can also compete in the 60km Adventure, 30km Leisure, 5km Kiddies’ Ride and 500m Toddlers’ Dash.

The road events are noted for the 106km Classic on the Sunday. It is supported by the 55km Adventure, which is aimed at age-group riders and tandems.

The 2km Kiddies’ Ride and 500m Toddlers’ Dash take place the previous day.

Those who tackle both the MTB and road feature races will compete for the Ultimate Quest title.

The race village will offer a range of stalls and activities, including family picnic zones, family tent, beer garden, kids’ play park, live entertainment and the Standard Bank VIP lounges.

Numerous businesses are supporting the 2024 event, including the Eastern Cape Motors Group, Standard Bank, Powerade, Town Lodge Group, Relay EMS, Talisman Hire & K&W, Trek and Cyclo Pro, Thule, Wayne Pheiffer Cycles, Coimbra Cycle Centre and Goshawk.

Entrants can support Helmet Heroes, which is a safety programme designed for those who commute by bicycle in the Walmer Township area. They can make a token donation on entry or drop off a preloved helmet at registration.

Entries close at midday on February 5. To enter and for more information, visit www.heraldcycletour.co.za.

For other queries, email The Herald’s marketing manager Berna Ulay-Walters at ulayb@theherald.co.za.

Theuns van der Bank won the 106km men's race at The Herald Cycle Tour, hosted by Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, after breaking away in the latter stages of the race on Sunday. Photo: Richard Pearce

Cape Town riders took the honours in both the men's and women's races at the Herald Cycle Tour road race at Pollok Beach in Summerstrand on Sunday.

Realty Dynamix rider Theuns van der Bank sprinted his way to the finish line, coming in at two hours, 35 minutes and 21 seconds to capture his first-ever Herald Cycle Tour victory.

The 37-year-old from Cape Town was followed by Nolan Hoffman in 2:35:36 in second, with Wynand Hofmeyr third in 2:35:37.

Capetonians took first and second place in the women's race as Hayley Preen bagged her second Herald Cycle Tour gold medal in a time of 3:01:09.

The battle for second was between Maroesjka Matthee (3:03:16), also from Cape Town, and local rider Juanita Mackenzie (3:03:17), with the Cape cyclist edging home by a split second.

Van der Bank said he first competed in the Herald Cycle Tour 20 years ago, but had been inconsistent.

The full-time teacher said he was happy to finally break his podium duck.

"The event was well-organised and tough," he said.

"It was quite a flat course.

"I knew it was just one climb that can split the race but, unfortunately, there was a rider [Daniel Loubser] ahead so we could not split up, we needed to keep the numbers strong in the bunch.

"So one rider got away and the numbers stayed together over the climb.

"Luckily it was not very windy so it counted in favour of the bunch.

"The rider had two minutes on us.

"We had to work quite hard to bring Cronje back but we did with 20 minutes to go.

"After coming here for years, I've at last got onto the podium.

"This is probably my ninth or 10th one and my first time on the podium.

"I am glad I can tick that box at least," he said.

Preen, 24, of Team Freewheel Cycology, said she was happy to be back on top after finishing in fourth place in 2022.

"The race was really good, and the weather this year was much better than last year when we were pretty much being blown off our bikes.

Hayley Preen took an imposing solo victory in the 106km women's event at The Herald Cycle Tour, hosted by Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, on Sunday. Photo: Richard Pearce

"I went solo from about 15km into the race so I was on my own until the end, which was about 90km.

"It was a hard race — I am tired now but I am very happy to take the win," she said.

"This is my second Herald Cycle Tour win.

"The course was good.

"There were some rolling hills in the beginning, which is where I got away, and then it was pretty flat.

"There was one climb 40km from the end, and it was just flat until the finish."

Uthando Youth Cycling Academy members, who are beneficiaries of the Herald Cycle Tour, had the opportunity to rub shoulders with and gain some words of advice from former SA cricketer Makhaya Ntini, SA and multi-Herald Cycle Tour winner Hoffman and former EP Rugby life coach Brad Verreynne, among others.

During the pop-up motivational session which took place at Pollok Beach on Saturday, Standard Bank provincial head, consumer client coverage Eastern Cape, Unathi Maqalekane, also provided some encouragement.

"In our understanding as a bank, the youth is our future as a country.

"[They are] getting involved in a whole lot of things outside the values we want to see just because they have less to do that is inspiring them, keeping them safe and away from what we do see in the country in teams of crime, and so on.

"So where you find a foundation like Uthando really doing the best they know how in terms of taking these kids out of the streets and really investing in their future and identifying them as talent, we can only back them up," he said.

Clint Hendricks will be hunting down a second The Herald Cycle Tour title on Sunday. The Team Enza rider won the race in 2018.

Team Enza cyclist Clint Hendricks will be looking to reclaim the title he won five years ago when he lines up for the 37th edition of The Herald Cycle Tour road race in Gqeberha on Sunday.

After suffering a mechanical issue that forced him out of last year's contest, the Paarl-based rider will be going all out for a podium finish in 2023.

Sunday's road programme, hosted by the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, is anchored by the 106km Classic for various racing categories, with the 55km Adventure for age groups and tandems completing the action-packed day.

The 2km Kiddies' Ride and 500m Toddlers' Dash are scheduled for Saturday.

"I always look forward to coming back to race here in Gqeberha, and it is certainly one of my favourite races on the calendar," Hendricks, the 2018 Classic winner, said.

The 31-year-old said preparations leading up to the event had been a bit of a rollercoaster, with many ups and downs along the way.

"I have got some racing in the legs, so hopefully everything comes together on the day.

"If it comes down to a sprint finish, hopefully I can do something, because I can see myself getting onto the podium, as that is always the first goal of the team.

"In terms of my conditioning, I wouldn't say I am at my peak just yet, but I think I can pull off something special."

Meanwhile, 2020 women's winner, Hayley Preen, will be looking for a big return to the podium after coming home in fourth at last year's event.

The 24-year-old, who will be racing as an individual under the banner of Team Freewheel Cycology, was feeling good ahead of her third appearance at the race.

"Having raced and won it in 2020, it was the first big win of my career, so it will always be a special race for me and hopefully I can manage to get back to the podium again," she told HeraldLIVE.

Preen felt the race could come down to a sprint, but added that a number of factors could play a role in the final outcome.

"It will obviously be a bit more tricky racing as an individual, especially with a team like Reach for Rainbows, because they are quite a strong team.

"I think the faster and harder we race, the better it will be for me in the end."

At the SA Cycling championships last weekend, she won the criterium before placing well in the road race.

"I raced the crit, time trial, and the road race, and in the crit, I won the sprint and beat Maroeskja [Mathee], so that has given me some confidence," she said.

The cycle tour, which traditionally attracts about 3,000 entrants, is positioned as a festival with options for the whole family.

The race village will offer a bigger and better family experience, with family picnic zones where fans are encouraged to bring their own food baskets. Also on offer are a family tent, a beer garden, a kids' play park, onstage live entertainment and VIP lounges.

The event has drawn support from a wide range of businesses, including Eastern Cape Motors Group, Standard Bank, Powerade, Radisson Blu Hotel, Relay EMS, Talisman Hire & K&W, Trek and Cyclo Pro, Thule, Wayne Pheiffer and Coimbra and Goshawk.

The cycling extravaganza also generates funds for the Smile Foundation, Reach for a Dream, The Herald Christmas Cheer Fund and Uthando Youth Cycling Academy.

Entrants can also support the Helmet Heroes initiative, introduced for the first time this year, which is aimed at educating and providing protection for those who commute by bicycle.

Organisers have set themselves the target of distributing 100 helmets to people on the race route.

Rogan Smart on his way to victory in sweltering weather during the 80km Extreme MTB Challenge at Addo on Sunday. Photo: Richard Pearce

It was a case of third time's a charm as Plettenberg Bay's Rogan Smart sprinted to the finish line to win his first Herald Cycle Tour Mountain Bike race in his third attempt at the Addo Polo Club on Sunday.

The event, held in association with the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, saw the 25-year-old professional, who finished third in 2022, cross the line in a time of three hours, 20 minutes and 12 seconds to claim his best result in the popular event.

He was followed closely by Stuart Marais, who came in at 3:20:18, while Adriaan Oosthuizen was third with a time of 3:20:27.

Meanwhile, in the women's race, Karla Stumpf made an impressive debut at the Herald Cycle Tour by beating Gqeberha's star veteran and multiple Herald Cycle Tour winner Anriette Schoeman, cruising to the finish line in 3:44:58.

Schoeman settled for second place (3:53:59), while Olivia Read claimed third (4:06:08).

Smart fell behind after suffering a puncture just 40km into the race but battled his way to the front to eventually win.

"This is my third Herald Cycle Tour race," Smart said.

"The route is always similar but different every year as well. There are always new single tracks, but it's hard because they took out the one big climb in the middle which was supposed to make it easier.

"The race is still hard, it's just flat, fast and there are lots of hard grass patch sections.

"It also has nice open roads so it does lean well to group riding.

"There were three of us for the last 30km, and then it was a sprint.

"I had no plan coming into the race.

"I haven't felt very well lately so I was happy to just come here and train a little bit but it worked out all right."

Smart said the Herald Cycle Tour would help put him in competitive shape for the PE to Plett race taking place at the end of February.

Claiming her first Herald Cycle Tour win, Stellenbosch's Stumpf, 21, said she would definitely be back in 2024 to defend her title.

"I didn't expect it [the win] but felt good and I just went with it.

"The weather was very humid. I am not quite used to it but I am just glad that I am finished now.

"The course was super cool. I love all the single tracks and the climbs were also really nice.

"My highlight of the race was the single track coming down from the Zuurberg Mountain Village.

"There was some stiff competition in the race. There were two women in front of me at the start and then somehow I caught them.

"I will definitely come back next year, this race is so cool. I am excited already for next year," she said.

The Herald Cycle Tour road race takes place this coming weekend.

AMONG FAVOURITES: Gqeberha's Anriëtte Schoeman is eager to rise to the challenge in the 80km Extreme mountain bike race at The Herald Cycle Tour, hosted by Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, at Addo on Sunday. Image: Supplied

Despite precious little competitive racing under her belt of late, local cycling star Anriette Schoeman is looking forward to saddling up for The Herald Cycle Tour Mountain Bike race in Addo on Sunday.

Hosted by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, the race starts and finishes on the fields of the Addo Polo Club, with hundreds of avid mountain bikers tackling the plethora of challenges that await them on the course.

Headlining the mountain bike programme will be the 80km Extreme distance, supported by the 60km Adventure, 30km Leisure, 5km Kiddies' Ride and 500m Toddlers' Dash.

The mountain bike routes wind through the picturesque Addo bushveld and ensure riders experience some of SA's finest single-track trails, topped off with stunning views over the vast Addo region.

Schoeman, a multiple winner of the HCT road race, said though she was not at her usual race sharpness, she looked forward to being part of one of her favourite races on the calendar.

"Coming from a road background, I am not always too keen on a lot of technical stuff, but the HCT is very balanced, it has a good mix of gravel roads and single track, so it is a tough day out but if you ride clever and manage yourself, it is actually enjoyable," Schoeman said.

Having been out of competitive racing for a prolonged period, Schoeman said she had no clear expectations for Sunday's challenge.

"I will be really happy if I can get a podium, I don't have too many expectations going into Sunday's race, being out of the competitive saddle for so long, I cannot accurately pinpoint where I am at.

"Being a competitive sportsperson, I will give my best once the start gun fires," she said.

Meanwhile, Rogan Smart is using the race to pinpoint where he is at as he looks ahead to his first Cape Epic later in the year.

TESTING CHALLENGE: Mossel Bay professional rider Rogan Smart, front, is looking forward to testing his fitness levels in Sunday's 80km Extreme mountain bike race Herald Cycle Tour, hosted by Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, in Addo. He is tracked by eventual 2022 HCT mountain bike winner Marco Joubert. Image: SUPPLIED

"I may not come into this race at my absolute freshest, but our focus is on bigger races later this year and this is a great way to kick off a busy period of racing.

"It is probably going to be really hot, as it always is, so that will be a nice adaptation.

"I then race in the PE to Plett race about 10 days after this race," he said.

While he had no specific plan on how he wanted his race to unfold, Smart felt the winner would be the rider who managed their race and all the challenges best.

"It all depends on the race start, and then you make decisions based on how you are feeling and what your competitors are doing.

"The field usually stays together until the bottom of the pass, before it separates and you see who is in good shape and feeling all right.

"There are some punchy ups and downs on the single track, there are some really hard sections in there.

"It is usually getting quite warm by then, so if you save something for that and are feeling all right, you can get away up one of those steep, nasty climbs.

"The last 20km are pretty fast open roads through the farmlands, so if you are still together there, it will be difficult getting away from anyone and you will have to back your sprint for the finish," he said.

Besides enjoying the well-maintained, purpose-built trails, riders will also take in some of the most breathtaking scenery the region has to offer.

The mountain bike race village will offer a family tent with a kiddies play area, pop-up coffee and food trucks, fresh farm produce for sale, and bar facilities.

MTB and road race participants will stand a chance to win a 2023 Emonda SL5 in size 56 valued at R50,000, to be awarded to the winner of the lucky draw.

Entries will be valid for MTB and road race participants and the winner must be present at the medal ceremony to claim their prize.

Participants in The Herald Cycle Tour, hosted by Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, will be able to rehydrate with Powerade, Coke and water at the various waterpoints, courtesy of Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa. At the finish, Powerade is on the drinks menu for adults while entrants in the kids’ events will be treated to a Bonaqua bottled water. Photo: Supplied

The Herald Cycle Tour’s preferred energy drink, Powerade, believes that to stop for a moment is as powerful as relentlessly pushing ahead.

“We are rewriting the rules of winning by declaring that to pause and take a moment to regroup and reflect is a sign of power,” said Sanri Engelbrecht, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa’s (CCBSA) district manager for Nelson Mandela Bay.

She said the ability to choose when and how to pause – in other words rethinking, replenishing and reenergising on your own terms – was an act of power.

The 300ml smart pack available to participants of this year’s mountain bike and road races was therefore “perfect for a small pause and bigger wins”, according to Engelbrecht.

Representatives of Powerade will welcome riders home at the respective finish lines and ensure their spirits remain high after a tough day in the saddle by providing music and energy drinks.

Engelbrecht said the beverage company would also stock the refreshment stations on the various routes with Powerade, Coca-Cola and water to keep participants properly hydrated throughout their effort.

Being on the race routes provides a platform for the company to demonstrate the value of its energy drink, which contains vitamin B3, B5 and B6 to aid the conversion of food into energy.

The products will also be available at the two race villages through vendors at family picnic zones, tents, beer gardens, the VIP lounge at the road classic and other consumer interaction points.

Engelbrecht said they were proud to partner with the Eastern Cape’s flagship cycling event, which is hosted by Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, and looked forward to grow with the event.

“The Herald Cycle Tour is one of the best races for elite riders and this provides a great opportunity for us to connect with our consumers through their passion for cycling. We really value this opportunity.

“Through our Powerade brand, we get to be part of our consumers’ fitness journey. We get to celebrate their personal bests, no matter how big or small.”

As an athlete herself, Engelbrecht said she felt in tune with the Powerade promise encapsulated within its hashtag of #AlwaysForward.

She was also impressed with the support the race garnered from the public, media as well as public and private organisations and, in turn, by its investment in various local charities.

The 37th edition of the cycling festival includes mountain bike races of various distances from the Addo Polo Club on February 12 and road events from Pollok Beach in Gqeberha on February 18 and 19.

Participants are reminded to support the Helmet Heroes initiative when they enter online or collect their race packs at the registration venues.

Go to www.heraldcycletour.co.za to register. Entries close at midnight on February 5.