Press release: Team Valencia Performs in the N4 TRAC Cycle Tour

Last week Thursday the N4 TRAC Tour kicked off in Nelspruit. The long hard stages in the renowned mountains of the Lowveld attracted some of the top U16, Junior, U23 and Elite Women road cyclists in South Africa.

Stage 1 started at the Viva garage in Schoemanskloof. The U23 men’s race was 138 km long with 4 KOM’s and 3 Hot Spots, Junior men and Elite ladies started together for 122km also with 4 KOMs and 3 Hotspot sprints. The U16 boys and Junior Girls raced a total of 84km with 3 KOMs and 2 Hotspot Sprints.

Team Valencia Guest rider Dalene Van der Leek finished 4^th Elite Lady in a sprint with An-Li Kachelhoffer, Heidi Dalton (2nd) and Juanita Venter. In the Junior Girls’ race, Tyneale Terry made Valencia proud when she came 2^nd in a sprint finish to Cathrine Colyn and of ASG.

In the U16 category Demarco Pillay won the KOM jersey in a tie with Ekhardt Binding . Although the boys achieved an equal number of points, Pillay won the jersey because he had two wins and Binding had not won a KOM.

Team Valencia finished 2^nd in the Best U16 Team classification and 3^rd Junior/ Elite ladies team.

Stage 2 started in White River on the start of the R357 (the Sabie road). The first KOM was 7 km in,  putting the pressure on for the riders from the start. The route then took the cyclists up the renowned Spitskop climb, the first Hotspot was half way up at 14km the second KOM 29km on the summit. The descent was long and gradual with the 2^nd Hotspot halfway down at 35km. The riders reached a T-Juction which took them into Sabie. Once through Sabie they immediately began another famous climb, Longtom Pass. The 3^rd KOM was at 53km, the top of the 15km climb. After the summiting Longtom, it was more or less downhill all the way back into Nelspruit finishing around the Mbombela stadium and into the TRAC Office ground.

The front ladies bunch finished in another sprint after 107km where Dalene Van der Leek pushed herself onto the podium with a 3^rd place for the day. Tyneale Terry finished on the podium again in 3^rd for their 62km race.

Team Valencia was now sitting 3^rd in the Junior/Elite Ladies Team classification and had moved up to 1^st U16 team.

Stage 3 consisted of two hard short stages; a 30 min (+1 lap) Criterium and a 17km Time Trial. Team Valencia had home ground advantage in the Criterium as the locals race the exact circuit every Wednesday evening.  Damon Halderman, the local Crit hero missed the podium by a hair in 4^th place after experiencing mechanicals. Tyneale Terry finished 2^nd in between ASG girls Cathrine Colyn and Lynette Benson. Dalene Van der Leek finished in the bunch sprint in 4^th place.

Stage 3.2, the Time Trial was 17km long starting on the old N4 towards Barberton and looped around onto the new N4, finishing back at the start. Tyneale Terry made herself and team proud when she powered herself to gold, winning the Time Trial by an impressive 16 seconds. Dalene Van der Leek achieved her second bronze of the tour behind Heidi Dalton (2nd) and Juanita Venter (3rd) despite having any Time Trial equipment. Demarco Pillay won the best U16 Young Rider of the day.

With 3 hard days of riding in the cyclists’ legs, the last stage of the tour started and finished at the TRAC offices just outside of Nespruit. There was one massive climb, the famous 30km Kaap se Hoop. The route was relentless with all 3 KOMs up the climb. Riders were rewarded with a steep, fast and fun 15km descent. The route joined the N4 at 68km, the 3 hotspots separated by 10km each. The final stretch was fast and undulating, bringing the riders into the same finish as stage 2 into the TRAC Office ground. The talented young Tyneale Terry finished 3^rd on the day and proved her consistency by coming 2^nd overall for the tour.

Dalene Van der Leek came 4^thin the sprint and 4^th  overall in the Tour.

The best U16 team of the Tour went to Valencia. The top 3 in the best young rider category for the tour, were also all in the colours of Team Valencia: Demarco Pillay, Hanru  Lubbe and  Devin Shortt  in 1^st 2^nd and 3^rd respectively.

In the Junior/Elite Ladies team classification Valencia came 3^rd for the Tour and Marco Oosthuizen of Valencia earned himself 3^rd in the Best Junior Young Rider category.

All riders took something back from their experience be it good or bad which they will use in their future as cyclists .Sponsorship from Valencia and Team Manager Bosseau Boshoff’s hard work and support inspired the riders and pushed them to achieve the results they earned.