![\"ccs-62657-0-47376300-1500370510.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-47376300-1500370510.jpg\")
<\/a>RoadCover\u2019s Brendon Davids (centre) is closely marked by BCX\u2019s David Maree (right) in the Bestmed Jock Classic road cycling race that started and finished in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, on Saturday. Photo: Memories4U Photography.<\/span><\/p>\nThe 23-year-old RoadCover professional, who won the Knysna Cycle Tour last weekend, was able to turn a small lead going into the decisive final leg into a comfortable winning margin.<\/p>\n
He showed his strength on Long Tom Pass shortly after the start in Sabie when repeated accelerations saw him draw clear of his closest challengers, allowing him to solo to the stage and overall win.<\/p>\n
Davids completed what is said to be South Africa\u2019s toughest one-day road race in a total time of 3:54:00 to finish just over four minutes ahead of BCX\u2019s Steven van Heerden (3:58:07) with the latter\u2019s teammate David Maree (3:59:31) third.<\/p>\n
With only one second splitting the front-runners following the first two stages, Davids said they reviewed their tactics before the 61km final stage and decided to light it up from the first kilometre.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo when we turned onto Long Tom Pass after the neutral zone, Bradley (Potgieter) attacked and I countered, but the race came together again,\u201d said the former African continental mountain bike champion who hails from Fourways in Johannesburg.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe attacked immediately again and then, about 2km into the climb, I went and got a gap.\u201d<\/p>\n With his lead fluctuating between 30 seconds and a minute over BCX\u2019s Reynard Butler and Van Heerden on the pass, Davids said he decided to make another big push at the top.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom there the gap exploded to just under three minutes and I used my time-trial skills to open it up. My lead grew to about four minutes at the finish.\u201d<\/p>\n Davids said he was extremely relieved to claim the victory in his debut appearance.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a tough race because of the way the stages are in close proximity to each other. It gives everyone enough time to recover and everyone is fresh to contest again.<\/p>\n \u201cIt makes for really intense racing, and when I came across the line I had nothing left.\u201d<\/p>\n He said another big factor was that you constantly had to pedal on the Mpumalanga roads.<\/p>\n \u201cWe call them dead roads. You are on the pedals the whole time and the racing is relentless throughout.\u201d<\/p>\n Davids gave credit to his teammates Potgieter, Clint Hendricks and Ryan Harris.<\/p>\n<\/a>RoadCover\u2019s Clint Hendriks (right) and Brendon Davids (centre) in the company of BCX\u2019s David Maree during the Bestmed Jock Classic road cycling race that started and finished in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, on Saturday. Photo: Memories4U Photography<\/span><\/p>\n