20/07/2009
Chris, Ashleigh Tops at 'The Jock'
British rider Chris Froome (Barloworld) and rising star Ashleigh Moolman (Toyota
Supercycling) overcame strong challenges to win the men and women’s titles respectively
at the 2009 Medihelp Jock Cycle Classique in Barberton at the weekend.
The 150km race is generally regarded as the country’s toughest annual road cycling
event and it didn’t disappoint. It also doubled as Round 5 of the Alpha Pharm Seeding
Series, the first inland race after four coastal events in the country’s biggest
and most prestigious road cycling series.
In the men’s race, Konica Minolta were clearly intent on success and sent Shaun
Ward on the attack shortly after the start. A few riders joined Ward but he dropped
them on Hilltop, the first of two major climbs, which comes after just 23km. He
quickly built up a lead of over seven minutes on the main pack, which was being
led by House of Paint, intent on keeping team leader and South African champion,
James Ball, in contention to maintain his Series lead.
On the second of the two major climbs, Boulders, which comes at 70km, the Barloworld
pair of Froome and Daryl Impey set about tearing the main bunch apart. First Impey
attacked, followed by Froome, who was joined by Medscheme’s Hanco Kachelhoffer and
Waylon Woolcock and Konica Minolta’s Dennis van Niekerk.
After Froome led over the summit, the quartet regrouped on the descent in search
of Ward, who still had a huge seven-and-a-half-minute lead. Toyota Supercycling
Academy and House of Paint led the peloton into the final 55km, which is deceivingly
tough, as it comprises almost entirely a gradual ascent on a rough road surface.
With 10km remaining, the peloton caught Froome, Woolcock, Kachelhoffer and Van Niekerk.
The tiring Ward’s lead was diminishing fast and he was eventually caught with just
4km remaining. As the pack reeled in Ward, his teammate, Paul van Zweel, attacked.
Froome set off in pursuit of Van Zweel with 3km remaining and the bunch began to
splinter under the increased pace.
With 800 metres left, Malcolm Lange surged off the front of the remaining pack.
Froome caught Van Zweel with 200 metres to go, briefly sat in his slipstream and
then began his sprint for the line. A charging Lange managed to pass Van Zweel,
but failed to catch a jubilant Froome, who took the victory in 4 hours, 04 minutes
and 33 seconds. Lange was second 10 seconds later with Van Zweel holding on for
third. Kosie Laubser (Konica Minolta) and national Under-23 champion, Clinton Barrow
(Toyota Supercycling Academy), rounded out the top five.
“I’ve always loved training in the Nelspruit area and ‘The Jock’ is a race I’ve
always wanted to win,” said Froome, who was born in Kenya, raised in South Africa,
but is a British citizen.
“To me, this race is the hardest one-day race in South Africa and the closest to
international standards. I could see Medscheme and House of Paint were trying to
keep it together near the end for a bunch sprint, and when I saw some hesitation
with three kilometres to go, I put in a big attack and luckily nobody caught me.
It was very satisfying to win a race at home. I consider South Africa my home.”
“It was a pretty ragged finish,” smiled Lange. “It was a tough race and the fast
pace at the end made a bunch sprint unlikely. I made my move from far out and felt
I had a real chance at winning, but Chris was very strong today. He deserved to
win.”
In the women’s race, Ashleigh Moolman was in her element, using her strong climbing
ability to drop her rivals on both the Hilltop and Boulders climbs.
Anriette Schoeman (Nashua Telecoms) and Jennie Stenerhag (Alpha Pharm) rejoined
her on the descent after Hilltop, but only Schoeman was able to catch Moolman after
Boulders, leaving Stenerhag, the Alpha Pharm Seeding Series leader, to limit her
losses on the final 55km to the finish.
Racing with the 40-49-year Veteran men’s group, the pair steadily increased their
lead over the rest of the women with Moolman eventually outsprinting Schoeman to
capture the victory, the biggest of her career so far.
“Anriette worked hard to catch me after both climbs and in the final 50km I did
quite a lot of pacing in our group because I felt strong. The course suited me perfectly
and I had plenty left for the sprint at the end,” said the 23-year-old Moolman,
who was the silver medallist at the 2009 South African road race championships in
March.
Ball finished 10th in the men’s event, but was able to extend his Series lead slightly,
while Stenerhag’s third place gave her enough points to hold onto her Series leader’s
jersey, with Schoeman and Moolman closing the points gap slightly in second and
third respectively.
Round 6 of the 2009 Alpha Pharm Seeding Series will be the Itec North Dome-to-Dome
in Johannesburg on Sunday 13 September.
Medihelp Jock Cycle Classique 150km
Leading results:
MEN
1 Chris Froome – Barloworld 04hrs04min33sec
2 Malcolm Lange – Medscheme 4:04:43
3 Paul van Zweel – Konica Minolta 4:04:48
4 Kosie Loubser – Konica Minolta
5 Clinton Barrow – Toyota Supercycling 4:04:50
6 Nico Bell 4:04:54
7 Daryl Impey – Barloworld 4:04:56
8 Ben Melt Swanepoel 4:05:01
9 Arran Brown – Medscheme 4:05:04
10 Jamie Ball – House of Paint 4:05:05
WOMEN
1 Ashleigh Moolman – Toyota Supercycling 04hrs26min22sec
2 Anriette Schoeman – Nashua Telecoms same time
3 Jennie Stenerhag – Alpha Pharm 4:31:39
4 Yolandi du Toit – Konica Minolta 4:34:10
5 An-Li Pretorius – Nashua Telecoms
6 Joanna van der Winkel – Toyota Supercycling all same time
7 Lizanne Naude – Toyota Supercycling
8 Robyn de Groot – Nashua Telecoms 4:36:57
9 Lylanie Lauwrens – MTN Energade 4:44:35
10 Carien van Jaarseveld
Alpha Pharm Seeding Series
Leading rankings after five events:
MEN
1 James Ball – House of Paint 137 2 Juan van Heerden – MTN Energade 115
3 Nolan Hoffman – Neotel 100 4 Jay Thomson – MTN Energade 90 4 Christoff
van Heerden – MTN Energade 90
WOMEN
1 Jennie Stenerhag – Alpha Pharm 215
2 Anriette Schoeman – Nashua Telecoms 200
3 Ashleigh Moolman – Cycle Lab Supercycling Toyota 175
4 Marissa van der Merwe – MTN Energade 100
5 Jade Roberts – Nashua Telecoms 70
For full results from the Medihelp Jock Cycle Classique, visit www.racetec.co.za and for
more information on the Alpha Pharm Seeding Series, visit www.cycletour.co.za
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