Knysna triumphs in 45km Tour de Plett

KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna Sport Academy cyclist Brandon Williams made his team proud when he managed to finish first in the 45km race of the prestigious Tour de Plett on Saturday 12 October, closely followed home by fellow KSA rider Damon Terblanche.

The 2019 Tour de Plett was the ninth edition of the mountain bike event that has taken the coastal town by storm and firmly cemented itself as one of the highlights of this sport's scene in the Southern Cape.

This year once again featured competitive races over three different distances of 16km, 45km and 70km, while there was a kiddies fun ride too, ensuring there's a race for just about anyone to take part in.

All three distances started and finished at Keurbooms Lagoon Caravan Park opposite the Old Nick Village, with races beginning as early as 08:30. KSA had an impressive total of 22 cyclists taking part in the event, with a few hoping they could at least earn a podium place in the 16km and 45km races.

The cyclists from KSA definitely put on a good show, in the 45km race in particular where it was a full-on Knysna sprint for the finish line in a bid for first place, with Brandon and Damon fighting it out to the end. Ultimately, Brandon managed to edge Damon to earn himself top spot with a time of 01:54:37, while Damon finished four seconds behind in second place with a time of 01:54:41. Even though Damon was second in the overall rankings, the youngster was first in the U18 age group in the 45km race.

They weren't the only podium placers from KSA, however, as another KSA rider, Jamelyn Maart, came second in the 16km race with a time of 45:43, only 01:12 behind the winner.

The group of cyclists that represented Knysna Sport Academy at the Tour de Plett.