Ivan Venter Solos to West Coast Express Victory

It was one man for himself as the only rider from Team LEADout, Ivan Venter, soloed to victory at the 78km West Coast Express cycle race on Sunday morning, crossing the finish line in a time of 1:59: 13. Alpha BodyWorks’ Nicol Carstens and Team Giant’s David Garrett finished second and third in 2:00:07 and 2:02:23 respectively.

Ivan Venter solos to victory on the Killarney Racetrack at the West Coast Express Funride on Sunday. Picture Credit: Double ST

Historically known as the fastest and flattest road race on the calendar, the original event, which was due to take place in October, had to be postponed due to the permission to use the route being retracted because of roadworks which deemed the route unsafe. Fortunately, the organisers of the event, The Outriders Cycle Club, managed to secure an alternative route and venue in order for the event to still take place in 2016.

The new venue was the Killarney Raceway which provided a thrilling and safe culmination to two much more challenging routes (78km and 52km) which took in many of the Durbanville hills, including Tiekiedraai, Malanshoogte and the Contermanskloof rolling hills.

The riders set off in idyllic weather, with the mercury rising to sweltering temperatures later on for the backmarkers. The lead bunch of 20 was soon split in two after the Tiekiedraai climb and was whittled down even further when Brandon Christians (Alpha BodyWorks) managed to ride clear on the roads through Durbanville. His brave effort was eventually reeled in when a group of eight riders caught him. But it was just four riders who hit the gravel section first, including eventual winner Venter, and it was just after the gravel ended that Venter made his move and managed to stay away to the finish. He was able to savour his lap of the Killarney racetrack before crossing the line almost a minute ahead of second-placed Carstens.

“I didn’t really come here today with a plan. I didn’t have a team so I just wanted to get some exercise and some racing in the legs. It was great to finish on Killarney – the organisers should do it more often! This is only my second race in South Africa this year as I’ve been racing in Europe for most of the year, so to win was pretty cool.”

The lead bunch tackle the tricky gravel section at the West Coast Express Funride. Picture Credit: Double ST

In the ladies race, it was Aluis Inglis (City Cycles) who took the win in a time of 2:22:48. Having only started cycling in 2014, Inglis is a relative newcomer to the sport. With a few podiums under her belt, this is her first win. “Of course I’m thrilled to win, but to be honest I’m still on a high after finishing the Coronation Double Century a few weeks ago in 5:46:10. Everything pales in comparison. I’m still new to the racing game so tactics are still new to me, but to finish on the track straight was really nice – we had a nice fast group so the final sprint was a lot of fun.”

The shorter 52km was won by Stefan Marais (Men) and Leigh Charlton (Ladies) in a time of 1:41:02 and 2:08:39 respectively.

The replacement route for the West Coast Express Funride took place on the roads around Durbanville, with Table Mountain as a backdrop. Picture Credit: Double ST


After the disappointment of having to postpone the original event, the organisers were thrilled they were able to put on a replacement event before the end of the 2016 season. Derwyn Oxley, The Outriders Cycle Club Chairman said the event was a big success, “The Outriders organising committee have been working so hard, so it was wonderful to see the event become a reality this morning. What was even more rewarding were the amazing and supportive comments from the elite riders. They all felt this route was an improvement and would like to see it run again. Being able to have the finish on the Killarney race track is also very special and contributed to a great atmosphere.”

Of the hundreds of riders that tackled the long (78km) and shorter (52km) routes, many walked away winners from the numerous lucky draw prizes which were on offer.