Cycling News and Race Results

Ashleigh Moolman Pasio’s victory in the women’s race at the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge on Sunday was just reward for Team Nashua Toyota’s investment in South African female road cycling talent over the past year.

Team MTN-Qhubeka’s Lise Olivier narrowly missed out on the win at the 114km BESTmed Jacaranda Satellite Classic on 22 October, finishing second just behind Jo van der Winkle (Nashua Toyota).

MTN Qhubeka’s Women’s Cycling Team has started to emulate the exploits of their male counterparts. This young, talented team of riders has won their last three races and filled at least 2 of the podium positions of their last 4 events.

Seven South African road cyclists have travelled to Mozambique as part of a 200-strong South African team representing eighteen sporting disciplines at the 2011 All Africa Games, taking place in Maputo.  The duration of the Games, which happen every four years, is from 3rd to 18th September.

On Tuesday (9 August), when Lise Olivier (MTN-Qhubeka) won the Women’s Lowveld Tour (in and around Graskop) she went one better. Last year Olivier finished second overall.

Clover Tour women's leader, Lise Olivier (MTN Qhubeka), took the hill climb stage 3b up Kowyn's Pass to further secure her leaders jersey. Anriette Schoeman (Nashua Toyota) finished 2nd with Sarah Chemaly taking the 3rd place. Lynette Burger finished 4th.

The women started Stage 3 of the Clover Tour with 4 laps of God's Window on the menu for the day. The main role players in the tour stayed together over the 1st lap and on the 2nd lap three vets caught the bunch off guard and broke away 39km into the race.

The women started the misty and wet 103km 2^nd stage of the Clover Tour with the vets 40plus. The stage took them over the notorious God's Window climb and down Kowyn’s Pass to Bushbuckridge and back up Kowyn’s.

The women started the 108km tour with the Vets 40 plus. Within the first 5km the bunch descended the 12km Koewyns Pass at hair raising speed. The bunch managed to stay together till the turn off at Hazyview to Sabie. A Serious attack at 49km into the race by the Cyclelab Vets broke the bunch up into smaller groups.

Last year Lise Olivier (MTN-Qhubeka) won a stage and finished second overall in the five-day Lowveld Clover Tour. But, as they say, ‘Watch this space’. It will be a different Olivier who will be lining up for the tour’s first stage in Graskop tomorrow (5 August).