LOUIS TRICHARDT – In what is now probably the single biggest annual sporting event in the Soutpansberg area, close to 330 cyclist from across the country took part in the 12th annual Kremetart Cycling Tour over 172 kilometres on Saturday, June 8.

With R250 and a free weekend away up for grabs for the first man and woman to complete the first mountain prime at Mountain View Hotel, a hot pace was set right from the start. The prime was won by Grant Trueman of Pietersburg, with last year's women winner Bronwyn Swanepoel of Bulawayo finishing as first woman.

From here the pace did not let up and the fourteen kilometre descent down to the Hendrik Verwoerd Tunnels at Wyllies Poort had the leaders reaching speeds of 90 kilometres an hour. As they shot through the tunnels, which were illuminated by the club this year, an unexpected rainstorm greeted them with cold stinging winter rain, which fortunately stopped after about five kilometres.

The first stage of 53 kilometres was eventually won by Bertus Fouché (Pretoria Speke) in a time of 01:22:08, closely followed by Chris Kruger, Etienne Hairbottle, Grant Trueman and Zimbabweans Robert McPherson and Troy Leher. The stage resulted in a close tussle between Bronwyn Swanepoel and Elize Niewenhuizen with Elize managing to edge out the Zimbabwean on the line to take the pink leaders jersey.

After enjoying breakfast and a short rest at Waterpoort the second stage of 48 kilometres was underway. The flat route and lack of wind ensured a hot pace as the leaders continually attacked the bunch. The leading tandems, which started one minute ahead of the pack, were in their element on the flat and were not caught by the chasing platoon, which was alive with attacks and counter attacks from the leaders. Among those making the pace hot was the 22 year old Elias Sebona of Vello Cycling Club with team mate Danie Maré and Queens Wheeler's Chris Kruger and Marcus Riekert. Eventually 28 cyclists contested the final stage sprint at Vivo, with Etienne Hairbottle finishing first, followed by Grant Trueman, Chris Kruger, Danie Maré and Bertus Fouché in a time of 01:09:29. Again the same two women contested the sprint with Bronwyn Swanepoel getting her timing right this time, winning by a good margin and claiming the pink jersey which she was to wear for the rest of the tour.

By the time the third stage of 53 kilometres left from Vivo, a cross wind had sprung up to make what is already the toughest stage worse with the two leading men sharing the yellow jersey with the same overall time. The R100 Hot Spot at the top of the 13 kilometre drag to Buysdorp was won by Eben van Heerden who had broken from the gun with Johan Geyser. The two stayed away from the pack for 25 kilometres by working well together until Eben punctured and the bunch then caught Johan. The rest of the stage was a repeat of stage two with attack and counter attack, with the unpleasant surprise for the riders of the new finish at the Schoemansdal Environmental Centre at the top a tough one and a half kilometre climb sorting the climbers out from the rest. Etienne Hairbottle again took the stage in a time of 01:26:06, followed by Grant Trueman, Chris Kruger, Elias Sebona, with the consistent Zimbabweans Troy Leher and Robert McPherson again in fifth and sixth places. In the women's category Bronwyn had by this time so thoroughly stamped her mark on the race that she had beaten Elize by over five minutes after taking the Hot Spot prize at Buysdorp as well.

The short but hilly 20 kilometre Stage 4 started dramatically with Eben van Heerden attacking from the gun with Elias Sebona. The two got away and soon caught the tandem of Jacques Malan and Christo Matthee who had started a minute ahead. The four then powered ahead together until half way up the first climb on Otto's Hoogte when Elias showed his climbing class. With over 165 kilometres in his legs for the day he put a full minute into Eben and the tandem pair to raise his arms in jubilant victory at the top of the Otto's Hoogte Mountain Prime to claim the R100 prize. In less than 500 meters he was doing 85 kilometres an hour down the other side of Otto's Hoogte with a huge victory smile on his face and powered down the main road in Louis Trichardt to win the stage in 00:32:31 minutes. He was followed by Eben van Heerden, Grant Trueman, Chris Kruger, Etienne Hairbottle and once again the ever consistent Zimbabwean pair. Of Course Bronwyn Swanepoel took all the women's honours on the stage to win the women's section outright.

The overall winner of the tour was Etienne Hairbottle in a time of 04:31:15, although 22 year old Elias Sebona impressed with his constant aggression at the front of the bunch throughout the race and his amazing climbing power at the end. If it was not for a puncture on the first stage which cost him seven minutes, Elias would undoubtedly have won the event. Hairbottle also took the junior category, with Zimbabwean Robert McPherson leading the senior category and finishing fourth overall with team mate Troy Leher finishing as second senior in a overall fifth position. Grant Trueman was the first sub veteran, finishing second overall, with Tony Cole winning the veteran category in ninth overall position. Johan Beukes was the first master home, finishing fifteenth overall, with 70 year old Steyn Grobler taking the grand master category in a 121st overall position, finishing only 26 minutes after the winner who was 52 years younger than him.

The women's senior winner was Chantal Nortjé (193rd overall), with Bronwyn Swanepoel being the first sub veteran in a 46th overall position. Zimbabwean Loretta Reynolds was the first veteran to cross the finishing line in a 74th overall position, with Di Clark winning the masters category in a 105th overall position.

The male tandem pair of Christo Mathee and Jacques Malan won the tandem category, finishing 10th overall, with the first mixed tandem across the finish line being that of Ingrid and André Taylor in a 20th overall position. Marianne du Plessis of Pietersburg spent a gallant eight hours and two minutes on the road to win the Copper "Lantern Rouge".

A total of 135 cyclists competed in the 72 kilometre event from Vivo this year. A strong group of ten cyclists broke away from the group at a very early stage of the race and rode together up till the foot of Otto's Hoogte. Here the group split up in three smaller groups with fourteen year old Neal Corbett from Westgate Wheelers taking the lead and winning the event in a time of 02:04:44. Less than a second later Fanie Botha finished in second place, with Raymond Fuchs from Louis Trichardt finishing first in the U/19-category and third overall.

Some 30 cyclists competed in the 30 kilometre fun ride from Schoemansdal. The event was won by Daniel Robenson in a time of 40:02.