MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Annemie Koen (31) from Mossel Bay, one of South Africa's up and coming women cyclists, who wore the Yellow Jersey for the first two days in South Africa's premier road race from 5 to 9 March in the Cape Winelands, did extremely well.
It was her first official stage race and she finished in third position in the Open Category women's section. She finished 30th overall in the Open Category. Her time for the race was 16:28:31.
Koen dropped back one position on the Thursday when Mariska van der Linde was just too strong on the mountain climbs and pushed her out to third position.
Mariska managed to hold on to the position and finished in second place with 16:22:37. She came in 28th overall. The winner, Kelly Tome, proved to be a machine during the climbs. She wore the Yellow Jersey on the Thursday and Friday and finished 22nd overall in a time of 16:02:41.
Annemie, who has only been cycling for the past three years, was part of a mixed bunch of international as well as national riders in the Pink Trees for Pauline team that took part in the annual Bestmed Tour of Good Hope.
She and fellow rider, Dorian Wrigley from Johannesburg, whose mother Brenda Nichols lives in Mossel Bay, were on the podium with their respective third places in the Men's and Women's Open Category. Nichols as well as Denise Lloyd from Mossel Bay formed part of the support team for the Pink Trees riders.
Thomas Briggs was crowned King of the Mountain on Friday. The last stage of the race began at the race centre at the Mandela Legacy and ended with a grueling uphill to the Taal Monument in Paarl.
To welcome Annemie at the finishing line on Friday was her well-known cycling dad, Johnny Koen, and the chairman of the Mossel Bay Le Peleton cycling club, Frederick (Plaas) Botha.
The men were thrilled with the achievement of their prodigy and Johnny had difficulties in containing his joy. Dorian Wrigley (49), a veteran rider from Johannesburg, who won the race in the men's open category last year, finished the five stage race in a time of 15:11:26, only 13 seconds slower than Gavin Ryan (15:11:13) and 1:44 slower than the winner, Mynardt van der Merwe.
Wrigley, Koen and Briggs, together with nine cyclists from across the country and abroad, competed for the NPO (non-profit organisation), Pink Trees for Pauline, to generate funds. Pink Trees operates in 115 towns in South Africa to assists patients to access cancer treatment. The team's top riders, who all finished in the top 21 positions, were: Wrigley, Briggs, Antonio Cencherle, Nick Vink and Kelson da Cruz.
The other riders of the Pink Trees for Pauline team were: Jan Haas (Germany), Guillaume Nel (Durbanville), Mark Kuipers (Pretoria), MC Lamprecht (Johannesburg), Wesley Jonathan (Langebaan working in Saudi Arabia), Kevin Reeves (Cape Town) and Koen.
The riders, dressed in gear sponsored by Master Cargo, a premier transport company moving retail goods countrywide and across the borders, were riding for the awareness as well as to generate funds. With the logo, Wrapped in Colour, United in Hope, Pink Trees for Pauline really tries to make a difference in the life of cancer patients.
The team and their supporters managed to raise funds for Pink Trees. You too can still get involved by pledging a donation.
Click on the link and pledge any amount. The link is: www.givengain.com/cc/pinktreesforpauline/
ARTICLE: DENISE LLOYD
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