Beukes and Hopf triumph in muddy Lions Karoo to Coast

KNYSNA NEWS - Cronje Beukes and Chloé Hopf won the 2026 Lions Karoo to Coast in muddy and cold conditions on Sunday 27 September.

Beukes, who hails from George, had twice finished in the top five before claiming the victory and following in the footsteps of his father, Gerrie, and uncle, Matthys.

Hopf's victory, on the Knysna Sports Fields, came on a mountain bike, which she described as a wise decision given the road surfaces and the lack of traction on the route from Uniondale in the Karoo to the Indian Ocean coast.

Due to the flooding in May and the damage to the Ou Wapad route out of Uniondale towards Avontuur, the 25th edition of one of South Africa's most iconic bike races followed a slightly shorter course.

Rather than the standard 96km route, the detour via the R399 to Poortjies removed a significant climb and reduced the total distance to 89km. This meant that no course records could be broken, and exceptionally fast times were anticipated.

Drizzle on race day, on saturated soil, led to water pooling in potholes on Prince Alfred's Pass, and the smoother stretches of gravel developed a muddy film.

This made the going slower than in dry conditions, particularly on the long descents. Hopf's victory was secured in a time of 04:43:53. Claire Malik finished 25 minutes and 24 seconds down, and Zanlie van Zyl was third.

In the men's race, the top five were all on gravel bikes. Having finished fourth in 2025 and third in 2024 on a mountain bike, Beukes was confident that a gravel bike would be faster.

The Ou Wapad segment is traditionally the section where gravel bikes lose the most time, but since it was replaced by 10km of tar road, higher average speeds were predicted.

"I didn't expect it to be so muddy, though," Beukes said. The mud made it slower, yet both Beukes and the runner-up, Johan van Zyl, managed to break the three-hour mark. The groundwork for this fast time was laid by Beukes and Van Zyl's collaboration in the first 50km.

From there the George local soloed to victory, riding into Knysna with a two-minute-45-second buffer. Van Zyl, having finished second, was quick to praise his rival. "Cronje was next-level strong today," he said.

"I really enjoyed the race. We had a bit of everything out there; it even felt like a cyclo-cross race at one point. We also had all four seasons in one day. It was really fun."

The race is well supported by local riders. Due to its status as a foundation of the Garden Route cycling landscape, the Lions Karoo to Coast has given young Knysna- and George-based riders a platform to showcase their talent and test themselves on a national level.

The finish in Knysna also brings riders, their friends and their families to Knysna and provides a valuable low-season boost for the Visit Knysna tourism initiative.

Stone-packed walls help keep the 159-year-old pass clinging to the mountainside and make for dramatic photos. Photo: Oakpics.com

Chloé Hopf won the women’s race in 03:43:53. Photo: Oakpics.com

The beautiful Outeniqua Mountain scenery and the sweeping bends of Prince Alfred’s Pass make the Lions Karoo to Coast one of South Africa’s most iconic bike races. Photo: Oakpics.com