{"id":75603,"date":"2026-04-07T16:49:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T14:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/?p=75603"},"modified":"2026-04-22T11:29:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T09:29:42","slug":"the-inaugural-garden-route-giro-title-contenders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/the-inaugural-garden-route-giro-title-contenders\/","title":{"rendered":"The Inaugural Garden Route Giro Title Contenders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The first edition of the Garden Route Giro begins on Monday, 13 April, with R700 000 in total prize money up for grabs. The men\u2019s and women\u2019s elite winners will each receive R100 000. In the men\u2019s elite race, established gravel racers like Marco Joubert, Travis Stedman, Jaques Hanekom, Daniel Loubser, and Jan Withaar face off against men with proven road pedigree, like Kent Main and Johannes Hirschbichler, and the young men with a point to prove, like Herman Fourie and Cronje Beukes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the women\u2019s race, Vera Looser lines up against Yolande de Villiers, 2026 Cape Town Cycle Tour winner Lisa Bone, Bianca Haw, Catherine Kruger, Danielle du Toit, and the Dutch multidisciplinary talent, Mari\u00eblle Trouwborst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terrain Will Tell<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Big mountain passes dominate four of the six stages and appear likely to play a decisive role. A double ascent of the Swartberg Pass, on Stages 3 and 4, could provide the foundation for victory, yet the Queen Stage from De Rust to Knysna will probably be where decisive time gaps are created. With terrain suited for aggressive racing, where risks on descents and power on long run-ins to finishing towns will be required to gain an advantage on the climbs, the inaugural champions will be the week\u2019s most well-rounded bike racers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Travis Stedman, of Toyota Specialized Imbuko, is arguably the rider with the best balance of form and gravel pedigree in the elite men\u2019s field. Photo by Oakpics.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On recent form, Toyota Specialized Imbuko\u2019s Joubert and Stedman will be tough to beat, especially with the support of Ignatius du Preez for the early phases of the racing. Of the trio, Stedman has the most proven gravel pedigree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Marco Joubert\u2019s first foray into gravel for 2026 sees him start among the five-star favourites. Photo by Oakpics.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Insect Science also has strength in depth with Arno du Toit, Keagan Bontekoning, and Wessel Botha joining Withaar on the start line. Bontekoning is the only one of the four to have foregone stage racing thus far this year, and that freshness could benefit him. Botha struggled with allergies in March, and how he recovers from that could determine his success, though the clean air of the Klein Karoo could be the tonic his lungs require. Du Toit and Withaar are the steadiest performers, but the long mountain passes in the middle of the race suggest that Withaar will be the most consistent threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hollard, Humanpwr Racing, Fly Cool Collective, and CVNR all have two riders in the race. The Namibians, Hanekom and Theuns van der Westhuizen, will thrive in the rugged mountains of the Klein Karoo, but how their ultra-endurance pedigree will translate to the 80-to-120-kilometre stages of the Garden Route Giro remains to be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jan Withaar\u2019s consistency and considered approach could see him head up the quartet of Insect Science riders\u2019 challenge at the Garden Route Giro. Photo by Shift Media Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Manuel Pliem is no stranger to racing in South African conditions, and his teammate, Hirschbichler, has podiumed in the Individual Time Trial at the Austrian championships on two occasions and has six more top-10 finishes to boot. This, along with his 185-centimetre-tall stature, makes him particularly dangerous if he can get over the big mountains within striking distance of the slighter riders, like Joubert and Stedman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Main and Keanan Roodt are not frequent off-road competitors, but are two of South Africa\u2019s classiest bike racers. Their presence in the peloton will influence how the battle for the points competitions plays out, and could bring creativity to a field used to attritional, rather than tactical mountain bike racing. This could play into the hands of Daniel Loubser, who knows the gravel roads of the region better than most, having set the course record for the 36ONE MTB Challenge in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dan Loubser (leading) is no stranger to Rooiberg Pass, having summited and descended it at night during his record-breaking 2025 36ONE MTB Challenge ride. Photo by Oakpics.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

CVNR\u2019s Fourie and Keegan Tullis also have multiple cards to play. Having finished strongly in their last week-long stage race outing, they will not only be brimming with confidence but have a point to prove against the bigger local teams. The same is true for Beukes, though he will be without assistance on the road from a teammate. As the only Southern Cape local in the elite men\u2019s line-up, the Specialized George Coimbra rider will have the advantage of local knowledge in his favour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Herman Fourie was among a handful of elite riders who joined the November reconnaissance ride, and thus knows the route for the first three stages. Photo by Shift Media Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Victor Olckers and Morne Immelman complete the elite men\u2019s field. They could cherry-pick days to go on the offensive, or opt for a steady approach; either way, the Garden Route Giro provides six opportunities for the young men to build on their r\u00e9sum\u00e9s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recce Ride Boosts Gravel Debutant\u2019s Favourite Status<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vera Looser headlines the elite women\u2019s field for the inaugural Garden Route Giro. Photo by Shift Media Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Having ridden the November recce ride, Looser and De Villiers know exactly what they are in for at the first edition of the Garden Route Giro. Oudtshoorn resident De Villiers holds the added advantage of having trained and raced on many of the roads for the last two decades, but it is the Namibian Looser who starts as the favourite. Amazingly, given her road pedigree, which took her to three Olympic games, Looser has yet to start a gravel race, but one suspects she will be a natural at blending drop bar tactics from the road with her mountain biking prowess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yolande de Villiers will be formidable over six days on her home roads. Photo by Shift Media Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cycle Tour champion, Bone, South Africa\u2019s original gravel specialist Kruger (n\u00e9e Colyn), and Haw are three real contenders for the overall crown. Bone\u2019s willingness to make the racing should make her a fan favourite. Kruger, meanwhile, blends experience with knowledge of the key climbs and descents. Haw is perhaps the dark horse of the trio, a rider with the engine to win from this field, but perhaps not the recent form to trouble Looser in a head-to-head battle over six stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Du Toit endured a difficult 2025 and has shown flashes of her old self in 2026. A healthy build-up through February and March could thus result in a return to winning ways at the Garden Route Giro for the 2024 South African Mountain Bike Marathon and Gravel champion. She will have to see off the challenge of Trouwborst to notch up stage or overall victory, however. The KMC rider mixed winter beach racing with summer gravel races and brings European firepower to a women\u2019s field otherwise dominated by Southern African competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bianca Haw is a dark horse in the elite women\u2019s race. Photo by Oakpics.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cherise Willeit is an outsider for a general classification podium position. She also leads a group of women who balance work and life commitments, making time for training as a secondary priority rather than scheduling training first and work second, as is the case for the other part-time elites. Chlo\u00eb Bishop is a relatively new addition to this collection of highly competitive women, but has already proven herself as one of the fastest. Sanchia Malan is another capable of upsetting the more highly touted elites, particularly if she targets a specific stage rather than spreading her energy across the entire week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juanita Mackenzie, Rethe Mostert, Kylie Hanekom, and Nicola Freitas complete the elite women\u2019s line-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kylie Hanekom (leading) and Nicola Freitas are among a group of women lending depth to the elite women\u2019s field, and for whom a top ten placing is a realistic target. Photo by Shift Media Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To follow the action from the gravel roads of the Garden Route, Hessequa, and Klein Karoo, like the Garden Route Giro<\/a> Facebook page and follow @gardenroutegiro<\/a> on Instagram. Cycling fans can tune in for daily highlights on the Dryland Event Management<\/a> YouTube channel and read the daily news releases on their favourite cycling platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information, visit www.gardenroutegiro.co.za<\/a>. The action gets underway on Monday, 13 April, at 10:00 [South African Time | GMT +2].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2026 Garden Route Giro | Elite Men\u2019s Field<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Rider Name<\/em><\/td>Team<\/em><\/td>Nationality<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Marco Joubert<\/td>Toyota Specialized Imbuko<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Travis Stedman<\/td>Toyota Specialized Imbuko<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Ignatius du Preez<\/td>Toyota Specialized Imbuko<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Jaques Hanekom<\/td>Hollard<\/td>NAM<\/td><\/tr>
Theuns van der Westhuizen<\/td>Hollard<\/td>NAM<\/td><\/tr>
Daniel Loubser<\/td>Freewheel Cycology<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Manuel Pliem<\/td>Humanpwr Racing<\/td>AUT<\/td><\/tr>
Johannes Hirschbichler<\/td>Humanpwr Racing<\/td>AUT<\/td><\/tr>
Arno du Toit<\/td>Insect Science<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Jan Withaar<\/td>Insect Science<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Keagan Bontekoning<\/td>Insect Science<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Wessel Botha<\/td>Insect Science<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Kent Main<\/td>Fly Cool Collective<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Keanan Roodt<\/td>Fly Cool Collective<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Herman Fourie<\/td>CVNR<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Keegan Tullis<\/td>CVNR<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Cronje Beukes<\/td>Specialized George Coimbra<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Victor Olckers<\/td>Absolute Motion<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Morne Immelman<\/td>Privateer<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
2026 Garden Route Giro | Elite Women\u2019s Field<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Rider Name<\/em><\/td>Team<\/em><\/td>Nationality<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Vera Looser<\/td>Efficient Infiniti Insure<\/td>NAM<\/td><\/tr>
Lisa Bone<\/td>Cycle Nation Enza Construction<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Bianca Haw<\/td>sani2c<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Catherine Kruger<\/td>Hollard<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Mari\u00eblle Trouwborst<\/td>KMC<\/td>NLD<\/td><\/tr>
Yolande de Villiers<\/td>Privateer<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Danielle du Toit<\/td>Safari Essence Titan Racing<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Cherise Willeit<\/td>Toyota Specialized<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Chlo\u00eb Bishop<\/td>Sports Therapy Studios<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Sanchia Malan<\/td>Index Property Solutions<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Juanita Mackenzie<\/td>ChemChamp<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Rethe Mostert<\/td>ChemChamp<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Kylie Hanekom<\/td>Bike Hub<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr>
Nicola Freitas<\/td>Titan Racing | Breathalysers.co.za<\/td>ZAF<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The first edition of the Garden Route Giro begins on Monday, 13 April, with R700 000 in total prize money up for grabs. The men\u2019s and women\u2019s elite winners will each receive R100 000. In the men\u2019s elite race, established gravel racers like Marco Joubert, Travis Stedman, Jaques Hanekom, Daniel Loubser, and Jan Withaar face off […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":75614,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[5362],"featured_location":[],"class_list":["post-75603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","tag-garden-route-giro"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75603"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75603\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75617,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75603\/revisions\/75617"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75603"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=75603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}