Grahamstown’s own cycle race, the Makana Brick Grocott’s Cycle Tour, was held on Sunday. While the race date was changed from May to September due to bad weather, among other reasons, it seems the bad weather followed the race. The event consisted of an 80.4km main race, a 34km and a 10km kids ride.
Grahamstown’s own cycle race, the Makana Brick Grocott’s Cycle Tour, was held on Sunday. While the race date was changed from May to September due to bad weather, among other reasons, it seems the bad weather followed the race. The event consisted of an 80.4km main race, a 34km and a 10km kids ride.
Sunday’s cycle race was held in windy conditions, although some good times were recorded. There was also a slight decrease in turnout, but overall the race went smoothly. One of the organisers, Graham Hains of the Grahamstown Round Table, said that besides the wind the race went well as a whole.
Hains said they are happy with the date change, although this year’s race clashed with a big mountain bike event.
This was the fifth cycle tour, with Conrad Viljoen from Port Elizabeth winning the main race for the fourth time. Viljoen, who cycles for Mecer-NMMU, said his team of five rode hard from the start.
After the turnaround at Carlisle Bridge, Viljoen said the team was down to three who then worked together right up to end, with Viljoen taking the win for the team. His winning time was 2 hours 7 minutes and 1 second.
Viljoen was followed by teammates Regardt Koen and Ronald Scheffer. This was the third win in as many weeks for Viljoen, who won a the Makro Defy Cycle Tour in Port Elizabeth the previous week, and a mountain bike event in St Francis Bay the week before that.
Viljoen said the Makana Brick Grocott’s race is one he always tries to fit into his race programme. He added that the race date should stay as September as it is the start of the road race season.
The women’s race was missing four time winner, Anriette Schoeman which meant the race was open for a local rider.
Local Candice Mullins lead from the start to win the women’s event in 2:47:11. The second placed woman was Leilani Bradley.
The winner of the 80.4km open seeded (unlicensed cyclists who left five minutes after the licensed group) was Stephen Gourley who finished in 2:35:32, followed by Stephen Penney.
The two also clocked the top two times for local riders in both groups. The first open woman home was Julie Walker in 2:53:48, with Julie Truter second.
Gourley was also the open winner at last week’s Makro Defy Cycle Tour. In the 34km event, Graeme College pupil, Jason Meaton almost caused the upset of the day, as he finished second overall.
What makes his second place so unique is that he competed on a mountain bike, chasing down local roadie Devin Cripwell who managed to sneak in with a two second win.
Makana Brick Grocott’s 80.4km finishers
1.Conrad Viljoen 2:07:01
2.Regardt Koen 2:07:05
3.Ronald Scheffer 2:07:18
4.Jarred Salzwedel 2:21:56
5.Jevandre Pauls 2:21:57
6.Andrew Briggs 2:21:59
7.Pascal Pau 2:22:52
8.Martin Truscott 2:25:40
9.Andrew Immelman 2:25:48
10.Andre Murray 2:25:49
11.David McEwan 2:27:01
12.Kevin Cremer 2:31:49
13.Stephen Gourley 2:35:32 (open)
14.Stephen Penney 2:35:35 (open)
15.Louis Janse van Rensburg 2:40:30
16.Pedro Tabensky 2:40:32
17.Jannie Viljoen 2:40:40
18.Trevor Hill 2:43:37
19.Malcolm Vorster 2:44:32 (open)
20.Martin Muller 2:44:33 (open)
21.Collyn Elliot 2:45:51
22.Stephen van Niekerk 2:46:10 (open)
23.Peter Britz 2:46:11 (open)
24.Paul Els 2:46:12 (open)
25.Candice Mullins 2:47:11
26.Andrew Lowndes 2:49:08 (open)
27.Theunis Reynolds 2:50:38
28.Jeremy Abrahams 2:51:18
29.Denzil Hewitt 2:52:38 (open)
30.Julie Walker 2:53:48 (open)
31.Julie Truter 2:57:56 (open)
32.Darryn Bradley 2:58:31
33.Deon Boshoff 3:05:23 (open)
34.Kevin Barnard 3:06:45 (open)
35.Hal Snyman 3:06:46 (open)
36.John Jones 3:0703 (open)
37.Doug Cuppleditch 3:07:26 (open)
38.Trevor Amos 3:09:43 (open)
39.Matthew Louw 3:09:43 (open)
40.Terri-Lynn Penney 3:10:44 (open)
41.Ernie Bilbrough 3:16:09
42.Leilanie Bradley 3:18:49
43.Jonathan Mortensen 3:43:58 (open)
44.Mark Hunter-Smith 3:45:51 (open)
45.Clayton Hayward 3:45:52 (open)
46.Yvette Grobler 3:45:53 (open)
47.Richard Reid 3:45:54 (open)
48.Len van der Merwe 3:47:26 (open)
49.Quinton Muller 3:50:00 (open)
50.Gordon McCune 3:57:55
Makana Brick Grocott’s 34km finishers:
1.Devin Cripwell 1:05:11
2.Jason Meaton 1:05:13
3.Glen Midgley 1:09:02
4.Richard Simpson 1:11:05
5.Matthew Archer 1:11:56
6.Graeme van Zyl 1:20:27
7.Mark van Zyl 1:20:27
8.Jaco Pitout 1:21:37
9.Marthinus Fourie 1:22:08
10.Clayton Mullins 1:23:50
11.Craig Mullins 1:23:51
12.George Wells 1:23:56
13.Ryan Janse van Rensburg 1:26:00
14.Steffny 1:26:01
15.Brian Colloty 1:28:06
16.Lawrence Ferreira 1:32:16
17.Mike Were 1:37:26
18.Eric Mapara 1:37:38
19.Grant Wilson 1:37:42
20.Justin Janse van Rensburg 1:37:58
21.Adrian Hobson 1:38:57
22.Keith Scott 1:38:58
23.Sally Price-Smith 1:39:35
24.Jacqueline Hewitt 1:39:37
25.Ruth Wolostra 1:39:40
26.Oliver Cartwright 1:41:55
27.Michael Salzwedel 1:44:41
28.Dane du Plessis 1:46:16
29.Sean Gooden 1:51:39
30.Renee McCune 1:54:16
31.Pierre Jacobs 2:02:16
32.Jonothan Spengler 2:02:17
33.Lily Janse van Rensburg 2:02:55
34.Marius Wolmarans 2:11:40
35.Sam Bradley 2:25:31
