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Tyler's Day at the Cycle Tour

Cape Town - Team Bonitas Medscheme rider Tyler Day, captured the biggest victory of his short career when he outsprinted a large bunch to win the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour in Cape Town on Sunday in a time of two hours 32 minutes and 10 seconds.

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Defending champion, Malcolm Lange, also of Team Bonitas Medscheme, finished second in what was the final race of his professional career, while Herman Fouche (DCM) rounded out the podium places in third.

Cherise Taylor (Team USN) captured the women's race victory in 2hr 49min 45sec, outsprinting Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (Nashua Toyota) and Catherine Williamson (Team bizhub) who were second and third respectively.

Twenty-one-year-old Day, continued to build his reputation as a fearless fast-finisher, when he left his charge for the line until the last 150 metres. He popped out from behind his teammates and powered down the centre of the finishing straight to secure the 109km race title a time of two hours 32 minutes and 10 seconds.

Lange, a three-time winner and the defending champion, punched the air with as much emotion as Day did as he crossed the line just centimetres behind his young protégé.

“We were patient and waited until near the finish to get our leadout going,” explained an ecstatic Day afterwards. “We were happy to let the other teams lead the pack in the last few kilometres. It’s a long lead up to the finish and we didn’t want to use our energy until we needed to.

“My teammates helped get me near the front in the last kilometre and then I sat in behind them when they formed a leadout train for me. It really was a perfectly timed race for us. Malcolm (Lange) is just the best teacher and the team was just amazing!”

The victory was the third in successive years for Team Bonitas Medscheme, an exceptional achievement in the modern era, especially considering three different riders have won South Africa’s most popular race in that time: 2009 Arran Brown, 2010 Malcolm Lange, 2011 Tyler Day.

The common denominator in those wins is 37-year-old Lange, who, with 20 years of top flight racing experience, helped engineer the victories in a race that’s normally considered a lottery due to the mild nature of the route and the relatively short distance.

“What a perfect way to end my career!” beamed Lange. “First and second for Team Bonitas Medscheme, but more importantly, the third year in a row we have won this race and a breakthrough win for Tyler, a hugely talented young sprinter that I have been mentoring. It was an incredible feeling sitting right on his wheel and watching him celebrate his victory. He will win a lot more.

“We rode through the finish a few times in the dark before the race started, working through our race plan. We knew that the MTN team would be eager to control the race so we let them – until it mattered most, in the last few hundred metres. I’m proud of my team and believe that I can retire confident in their ability to keep winning important races,” smiled Lange.

“Obviously we are ecstatic! It’s beyond what we expected. Not that I’m undermining the talent of the team, but it’s just such a competitive race and to win it once is hard, but three years in a row is incredible,” said Gerhard van Emmenis, Acting Bonitas CEO. “It’s the perfect way for Malcolm to end his career as a rider and start his new one as a fulltime manager. He’s been one of the great icons of South African sport over the past 20 years and Bonitas is proud to be associated with him and his team.”

“We are so excited about the success today. It can take years for a sponsor to derive returns on its investment and within a few weeks, with this amazing victory, the Bonitas brand, which is new to cycling, has gained exposure to a much wider market,” said Yvonne Motsisi, Medscheme Executive Director Group Marketing and Communications.

More than 35000 cyclists enjoyed the sunny, warm conditions in the world’s biggest cycle race. The professional men started first in a large group of 217 riders. Due to the relatively calm conditions, the main pack stayed intact for most of the race. Then at Suikerbossie, a 1.8km long climb out of Hout Bay, a group of 15 riders broke clear.

But with a largely downhill and flat 13km run in to the finish from there, it was always going to be difficult for the breakaway to stick and the main field caught them at Camps Bay with seven kilometres remaining, setting the finale up for a mass bunch sprint.

Results:

Men:
1 Tyler Day – RSA (Bonitas Medscheme) 2hr 32min 10sec
2 Malcolm Lange – RSA (Bonitas Medscheme)
3 Herman Fouche – RSA (DCM)
4 Dusty Day – RSA (Matlosana)
5 Arran Brown – RSA (MTN Qhubeka)
6 Abdelbasset Hanouchi – MOR
7 Jean Spies – RSA (Tasol GT)
8 Johann Rabie – RSA (Bonitas)
9 Jan van Puyvelde – GER
10 Arne Hassink – FRA all same time

Women:
1 Cherise Taylor – RSA (Team USN) 2hr 49min 45sec
2 Ashleigh Moolman Pasio – RSA (Nashua Toyota)
3 Catherine Williamson – ENG (Team bizhub)
4 Lynette Burger – RSA (Nashua Toyota)
5 Joanna van de Winkel – RSA (Nashua Toyota)
6 Jeaun-Mari Breytenbach – RSA (MTN Qhubeka)
7 Robyn de Groot – RSA (Nashua Toyota)
8 Lylanie Lauwrens – RSA (MTN Qhubeka)
9 Lindi Erasmus – RSA
10 Marissa van der Merwe – RSA (Team USN) all same time
 
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