Hat-trick of Amashova titles for Oberholzer
While celebrations at the race finish were in full swing –the atmosphere along the route was just as festive as spectators kept an eye out for the elite men riders competing for the first time on the extended 160km distance.
CARLA Oberholzer and Hendrik (HB) Kruger sped down the ‘road of champions’ to victory at this year’s Tsogo Sun Amashova Durban Classic as race organisers celebrated several firsts for this year’s race between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.
While celebrations at the race finish were in full swing –the atmosphere along the route was just as festive as spectators kept an eye out for the elite men riders competing for the first time on the extended 160km distance.
The competition was fierce with the men’s race going down to the wire with a neck-and-neck sprint to the finish between HB Kruger, Chris Jooste, Dylan Girdlestone and Myles Van Musschenbroek.
The 106km ladies race also came down to a nail-biting sprint finish with 2018 champion Carla Oberholzer edging out Jo van de Winkel at a time of two hours 48 minutes.
As the competitive riders battled it out for a place in the top ten, the ‘spirit of shova’ came alive once more with the presence of hundreds of riders competing in the race to support a worthy cause. The amount of charities using the Amashova as a fundraising platform has grown exponentially in recent years and worthwhile charities such as Warrior on Wheels CHOC, Funda Nenja and Hero777 were present in their endeavours.
The more than 9 000 riders participating and thousands of spectators coming to KwaZulu-Natal for the Tsogo Sun Amashova event highlights sport’s ability to attract visitors to experience what the province has to offer.
Although the 35km and 65km races went on uninterrupted by the participating cyclists, due to high heat temperatures on race day a decision was made by race organisers to stop the 106km race around midday. Seven buses collected approximately 400 cyclists who were still riding on the Amashova route in the Botha’s Hill region to be brought back safely with their bicycles to the finish area at Suncoast.
“The safety of the cyclists participating in our race is our top priority. Our decision to stop the race and get the cyclists off the road was supported by the Joint Operation’s Centre, which is a collective of a number of senior decision makers from various departments related to the organisation of the event. The residents along the route have been amazingly supportive in so many ways today to assist cyclists who were battling with the heat. We are grateful for all the support and the quick reaction by our partners on the route to ensure the safety and well-being of our cyclists,” said Annie Batchelder, Amashova race director.
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