![\"ccs-2-0-13177100-1616437088.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-2-0-13177100-1616437088.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nPreen won the women\u2019s elite road race (133km) in a time of 4:18:06 while Pritzen pipped Willie Smit to the post in a time of 4:51:42 in the men\u2019s elite race (178km). Pritzen is Namibian-born but is a South African registered rider, allowing him to participate in the South African National Championships and indeed claim the title.<\/p>\n
Carla Oberholzer, the 2018 National Champion, finished second in the elite women\u2019s race, with Frances Janse van Rensburg rounding out the podium. By finishing third in the elite women\u2019s race, Janse van Rensburg claimed the under-23 women\u2019s title.<\/p>\n
In the men\u2019s race, all eyes were on defending National Champion and Friday\u2019s Time Trial winner Ryan Gibbons. But coming over the final climb of the day, it was Marc Pritzen closely followed by Willie Smit and Nicholas Dlamini.<\/p>\n
Pritzen accelerated towards the line, with Smit chasing hard. In the end, Pritzen had the legs for the win. Smit claimed second place (4:51:46), with Dlamini (4:51:50) finishing in third spot. A disappointed Gibbons rolled over the line in eighth place.<\/p>\n With cool morning conditions and little wind to speak of, both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s elite races (raced in tandem with the respective under-23 races) started in pleasant riding conditions.<\/p>\n The women\u2019s elite race was 133km long, with riders heading out of Swellendam along the R60 before doing two loops around Bonnievale and then heading home. The men\u2019s route was 178km long, with the extra distance coming from a third loop around Bonnievale.<\/p>\n During the course of the morning, a stiff wind picked up, creating challenges for the riders on the Bonnievale loops and then the race towards the finish, which by mid afternoon was into a strong headwind. The wind did nothing to slow down Preen and Pritzen, though.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt good from start to finish today,\u201d said a delighted Preen. \u201cI was feeling good all day and managed to close off some attacks and managed to put in a few attacks too. Eventually a few of us went off from the bunch, but we were caught again. Then there were eight of us rolling on the last section back towards Swellendam. On the last climb Carla (Oberholzer) and I went together and somehow I managed to hold her off.\u201d<\/p>\n Preen, speaking seconds after crossing the line, was thrilled by her victory over a competitive elite women\u2019s field. \u201cI was feeling strong but I never thought I would be able to pull it off. I actually can\u2019t believe it. I really can\u2019t believe it. I\u2019m surprised that I won but also not surprised. I knew I could maybe get a podium here today but I didn\u2019t think that I could get the top step. I can\u2019t believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n In the men\u2019s elite and under-23 race, which started 15 minutes after the women\u2019s race, a number of contenders made nervy attacks throughout the day. With strong winds and the hilly loops around Bonnievale taking the steam out of riders, the race became a war of attrition.<\/p>\n Towards the end of the race, Matt Beers, Gibbons, HB Kruger, Smit, Dlamini, Jaco Venter and Jacques Janse van Rensburg were all in contention, each making efforts to pull away. On the last climb towards the finish, Willie Smit made a move, but Pritzen was on him in a flash.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n