Mzansi Tour takes over Emmarentia
EMMARENTIA - The Mzansi Tour took over the streets of Emmarentia with 15 cycling teams racing against time. The top 5 included: 1. Rapha Condor JLT 2. MTN Qhubeka 3. Synergy Baku Cycling Project 4. Africa Mixed Team 5. Rad-Net Rose Team
The British Rapha Condor JLT team blazed through the 5km prologue around Emmarentia Dam and finished first in the Mzansi Tour.
The first day of the Mzansi Tour took place on 8 April, where 15 teams raced against the clock to finish in the fastest time.
All teams braved the scorching sun and completed the race under eight minutes.
Rapha Condor JLT crossed the finish line in an impressive 00:06:37:41, while the last team Velokhaya completed the race in 00:07:27:66. The British team escaped narrowly as MTN Qhubeka came in five seconds after them. The Synergy Baku Cycling Project from Azerbaijan, the Africa Mixed team and Germany’s Rad-Net Rose finished five, 10 and 13 seconds behind the leaders respectively.
Tour organiser and Fairland resident Malcom Lange said the tour is a necessity, with South Africa not having an official national tour.
Lange’s team Bonitas Pro Cycling also took part in the tour and came in seventh, finishing in 00:06:53:43.
Rapha Condor JLT’s Kristian House crossed the finish line first and wore the leader’s yellow jersey during the first stage of the Mzansi Tour in Free State, on 9 April.
“I’ve been out here four or five times now. The prologue course was great, technical, some off-camber, dodgy corners you have to be careful on; that massive descent with the corner at the bottom of it was tricky and you had to judge it right,” House explained.
“We all got around okay. It was a little scrappy, but we managed to pull it off,” he added.
The Mzansi Tour is powered by the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA) and runs until 12 April.
Details: www.mzansitour.co.za
