February 12, 2017
National Championships 2017 – South Africa– Florida Farm – Florida Farm – 128,7 km
The South African National Road Race Championship is a road bicycle race that takes place inside the South African National Cycling Championship, and decides the best cyclist in this type of race. The first race winner of the road race championship was Malcolm Lange in 1995; Malcolm Lange is the only cyclist to have won the championships three times. Jaco Venter is the current champion. The women’s record is held by Anriette Schoeman with 7 wins.
Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (Dimension Data) won the South African Elite Men’s road race title on Sunday after breaking away with 20 year-old Stefan De Bod of the Dimension Data for Qhubeka development team, who won the Under 23 Men’s title.
Janse Van Rensburg and De Bod distanced South Africa-based Willie Smit in the final two laps of the rolling course around Wellington, not far from Cape Town. The cross winds and heat made a for a hard four and half hours of racing, with Smit eventually taking the silver medal in the Elite race at 1:23.
Ryan Gibbs (Dimension Data) took the bronze medal after chasing with Jacques Janse Van Rensburg in the final laps of the race.
Ben Fish finished second in the Under 23 Men’s race, with Carl Bonthuys third.
On Thursday Daryl Impey (Orica-Scott) claimed his sixth national time trial title with a commanding performance against the clock, while Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Cervélo Bigla) made a triumphant return to racing with victory in the women’s time trial.
Heidi Dalton won the Elite Women’s road race title.