KNYSNA NEWS - The 2025 Knysna Cycle Tour, one of the flagship sporting highlights of the annual Knysna Oyster Festival, delivered a thrilling weekend of racing and community spirit from 11 to 13 July.
As part of this iconic Garden Route festival, the event drew over 2 000 entries, a record number that exceeds last year's with 30%.
"This year's event has been a celebration of everything Knysna stands for - community, sport, and nature," said event organiser Andrew Finn.
"The growth in entries and achievements of our local riders reflect the passion for cycling in our region, and it was wonderful to see the town buzzing with visitors again."
Perfect racing conditions
The action-packed weekend kicked off on Friday with high-speed criterium racing, before moving to the mountains on Saturday for the mountain bike (MTB) and enduro races. Sunday wrapped up the programme with the popular road races, a children's cycle event, and a final day of enduro riding.
Glorious mid-winter weather provided perfect racing conditions throughout, creating an electric atmosphere for both competitors and spectators.
Saturday's MTB events began at the bottom of Simola Hill in crisp, chilly conditions, but the racing was anything but cold. In the 100km elite men's race, it was Herman Fourie who claimed victory ahead of Jan Withaar in second and Unathi Nxumalo in third.
The women's category saw Hayley Preen take a hard-fought first place, followed by Sarah Hill and a close third for Mellusca Toovey. Local interest was high as Jean-Pierre du Plessis from Plettenberg Bay secured the win in the 86km open category.
Strong field
In the shorter distances, junior rider Van Zyl Steyn took top honours in the 55km event, while sub-junior Jandre van Lill won the 35km race.
Sunday's road races drew a strong field, with a perfect morning welcoming the riders.
The 100km elite men's race was won by Tyler Lange, the 2025 Cape Town Cycle Tour champion, ahead of Christiaan Klopper and Brad Gouverts.
In the elite women's race, it was a clean sweep for the Cycle Nation team, with Lisa Bone claiming first place, followed by Taneal Otto and Melissa Kretzinger.
It was a proud moment for the local community when Sebastia Swart crossed the line first in the 50km road race, earning a well-deserved victory on home roads.
The Knysna Cycle Tour is a key event on the national calendar as part of the Mzansi National Road Series.
Following this weekend's racing, the series leaders are Christiaan Klopper (elite men), Lisa Bone (elite women), and Shanique Marx (junior women).
Full race results are available at www.bouttime.co.za/Results
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