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<\/a>Chris Jooste won the inaugural Tshwane Classic road cycling race that took place through Pretoria today. Photo: Supplied.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI didn\u2019t really know what to expect but I knew my legs were good so I just went to try my luck today,\u201d said the 22-year-old, who grew up in the small Western Cape town of Prince Albert before moving to Kliprivier in the south of Johannesburg.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs it was the first event, nobody really knew what to expect,\u201d said the Gauteng U23 road and time-trial champion.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe definitely didn\u2019t expect it to be such a windy day out on the highway. That made a big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jooste said he took his time to settle in and sat comfortably in the bunch until he and RoadCover\u2019s Bradley Potgieter, ProTouch\u2019s Pieter Seyffert and four others set off in pursuit of two riders who had broken away roughly 40km in.<\/p>\n
Their efforts were rewarded shortly before the first major ascent and together the growing group started climbing to the finish.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing into the last 30km it gets tougher and tougher,\u201d explained Jooste. \u201cWhen we started the first climb, going over the ridge, I put in some effort and split up the group.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then, on the Tom Jenkins climb, roughly 87km into the race, he decided it was now or never and put in a final effort to try and distance himself from his fellow escapees.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the top I had about 100m on them and I just had to keep pushing until the end,\u201d said Jooste, who collected the white jersey for best young rider after placing fourth overall at the Mpumalanga Tour in January.<\/p>\n
He crossed the line in 2:12:57, a minute ahead of ProTouch\u2019s Jayd\u00e9 Julius and Dimension Data\u2019s Kent Main, who won the Bestmed Tour of Good Hope earlier this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always go to a race to do my best so it\u2019s wonderful to get this result,\u201d said Jooste. \u201cI never expected coming here to win so it\u2019s definitely a great feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Luso Africa Cycling Club rider said the course presented opportunities for all types.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t just for the climbers. There were a lot of downhills and many places where sprinters and bigger riders could get away, so it was a combination of being strong and taking chances where you could.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jooste commended the organisers, metro police and City of Tshwane for their efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was fantastic to have full road closure. It is a wonderful initiative to bring a race like this to Pretoria.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have the Cape Town Cycle Tour and 947 Cycle Challenge in Joburg, and now we have this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oelofse \u2013 who placed sixth at the national road champs \u2013 said victory in her hometown had been her goal from the start, but, with just one teammate to help her, she knew she would have her work cut out for her.<\/p>\n