{"id":75772,"date":"2026-04-16T19:44:53","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T17:44:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/?p=75772"},"modified":"2026-04-29T18:15:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T16:15:24","slug":"cronje-beukes-and-marielle-trouwborst-win-stage-4-of-the-garden-route-giro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/cronje-beukes-and-marielle-trouwborst-win-stage-4-of-the-garden-route-giro\/","title":{"rendered":"Cronje Beukes and Mari\u00eblle Trouwborst Win Stage 4 of the Garden Route Giro"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The northern route up Swartberg Pass from Prince Albert, where Stage 4 of the Garden Route Giro started, is steeper in places than the southern side. Regardless of the gradient or the distance, Cronje Beukes and Mari\u00eblle Trouwborst were once again the strongest climbers in the race. The story of their stage victories on Thursday, 16 April, was not told in their entirety by dominance on the biggest ascent of the race, however. Beukes rode bravely, choosing to go solo when waiting for the group would have been the safer option, while Trouwborst stopped to replace a battery in her electronic shifter, but still put time into the nearest challengers, Lisa Bone and Vera Looser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cronje Beukes set a new fastest Strava segment time up the northern side of Swartberg Pass, en route to a brave stage victory. Photo by Shift Media Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The second Swartberg Pass ascent of the event dominated the fourth stage of the inaugural Garden Route Giro. Having climbed from the south on Stage 3, Stage 4 began with the northern route to Die Top<\/em>, as the summit is known, before descending into the Klein Karoo and hugging the foothills of the Swartberg while racing east to De Rust. In total, the stage featured 87-kilometres of gravel and tar, with 1 650 metres of climbing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mari\u00eblle Trouwborst\u2019s descending prowess allowed her to maintain the advantage she gained on the Swartberg Pass ascent on Stage 4 of the Garden Route Giro. Photo by Shift Media Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From the summit of the Swartberg Pass to the De Rust finish line was a 55-kilometre drag. Prestage expectations were for a cautious ascent and for the top contenders to regroup, but what regrouping there was would come as a result of a Neutralized Zone. First, Ignatius du Preez outsprinted Herman Fourie to add to his intermediate Sprint Jersey lead, then on the lower slopes of Swartberg Pass, Beukes attacked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cronje Beukes held off a chase group to win Stage 4 by just 2 seconds. Photo by Shift Media Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The previous day, the race leader had waited until three kilometres from the summit to make his move, but on Stage 4, his kick drew him clear with 10 kilometres to climb. This allowed him to build a two-minute lead on Wessel Botha and three minutes on Marco Joubert. Manuel Pliem, Keegan Tullis, Dan Loubser, and Du Preez followed Joubert onto the descent and helped him reduce the deficit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Botha set a new fastest time on the Swartberg Pass Descent on Strava<\/a> and got within 15 seconds of Beukes by the time they were forced to stop at the Neutralized Zone. Roads Company of South Africa instituted a stop-and-go to protect construction workers clearing a rock slide from the road, which enforced a 10-kilometre neutralization of the stage. Beukes and Botha were forced back together by the stop, and they then rode the Neutralized Zone together, discussing the tactics for the finale. After waiting for Joubert\u2019s group, which had swollen to include Keagan Bontekoning, as well as Pliem, Loubser, Tullis, and Du Preez, Beukes clocked out of the Neutralized Zone as the group approached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Marco Joubert (leading) relied upon the strength of Ignatius du Preez (centre) to help pace the flatter sections of the Swartberg Pass climb. Photo by Shift Media Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI decided to risk it there. I\u2019d studied the weather forecast and the route, so I thought I\u2019d have a tailwind and that the course would suit a solo rider,\u201d Beukes noted. \u201cOnce I\u2019d committed, I had to go all-in, and at the finish line it was a nervous wait because I didn\u2019t know how much longer they waited before resuming their race.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the De Rust finish line, Beukes watched Joubert outsprint Botha, then the trio waited as the times were calculated and triple checked. After an agonising wait, Beukes was announced as the stage winner by just two seconds. Botha was second and Joubert third. The result means that Beukes now leads Joubert by four minutes and 23 seconds. While Botha gained one minute and 10 seconds on Joubert. Keegan Tullis remains fourth and Keagan Bontekoning fifth on the overall standings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Manuel Pliem was among the chasers who collaborated but failed to bring back Cronje Beukes. Photo by Shift Media Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the women\u2019s race, the early Sprint points, seven kilometres into the course, went to Vera Looser ahead of Lisa Bone and Trouwborst. But the Sprint was no indication of form ahead of the Swartberg Pass climb. For the second time in two days, Trouwborst flew up the mountain. On Stage 3, she had taken the Strava Queen of the Mountain crown<\/a> from Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio. On Stage 4, it was Katie Lenard who found herself dethroned by one minute and 58 seconds over the 11.8-kilometre segment<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Die Top,<\/em> her nearest rival was Catherine Kruger, two minutes back, while Bone and Looser were a further two minutes back. On the descent, the race leader ceded a few seconds of her advantage to Looser and Bone, while Kruger suffered a minor crash and lost her position to the fast-descending chasers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mari\u00eblle Trouwborst’s time for the northern side of the Swartberg Pass is nearly 2 minutes faster than the next-best effort logged on Strava. Photo by Shift Media Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Just when it seemed inevitable that Trouwborst would march to an insurmountable overall lead with a barnstorming stage victory, her Garmin warned her that her shifter\u2019s battery was running low. \u201cI had a spare battery with me, so I thought I should rather change it in the Neutralized Zone than risk it until the finish,\u201d Trouwborst said. The finicky job took her a few minutes, in which time Looser and Bone cruised by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sensing an opportunity, the women in third and second on the general classification pushed on as soon as they reached the end of the Neutralized Zone. Utilising the strength of several powerful age category male riders, they worked with a group to maximise their potential gains. Yet, as had been the case in the men\u2019s race, the race leader was able to match the firepower of a group. Trouwborst found an ally in Jan Withaar, who had stopped to fix a mechanical earlier in the stage, and worked with the South African to gain time on the group up the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vera Looser (leading) was the fastest woman on the Swartberg Pass descent, but even her daredevil descent could not dent the advantage Trouwborst established on the ascent. Photo by Shift Media Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Coming into De Rust, Looser outsprinted Bone to take what she hoped would be a first-stage victory of the race. But such was Trouwborst\u2019s dominance that when she crossed the finish line, her stage-winning margin was four minutes and 5 seconds. Looser had to settle for second, while Bone ceded two extra seconds to the day\u2019s victor. As a result, Trouwborst holds a six-minute and 21-second advantage over Bone heading into the Queen Stage. Looser is third, with Cherise Willeit and Kruger in fourth and fifth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mari\u00eblle Trouwborst’s third stage win of the race helped her extend her general classification advantage to 6 minutes and 21 seconds. Photo by Shift Media Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On paper, Stage 5 looks to be the toughest of the race. It features a 126-kilometre route from the remote start venue of Hoek Plaas, near De Rust, to Knysna, and includes 2 040 metres of climbing.  Prince Alfred\u2019s Pass, South Africa\u2019s longest gravel pass, provides both the biggest climbs and the best views of the Queen Stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To follow the action, as it unfolds on Stage 5, like the Garden Route Giro<\/a> Facebook page and follow @gardenroutegiro<\/a> on Instagram. Cycling fans can also 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>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2026 Garden Route Giro Results<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Men\u2019s Stage 4 Results:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Cronje Beukes: Specialized George Coimbra (2:19:17)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Wessel Botha: Insect Science (2:19:29| +2)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Marco Joubert: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (2:20:39 | +1:12)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Maurl Pliem: HUMANPWR Racing (2:22:00 | +2:33)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Ignatius du Preez: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (2:23:50 | +4:23)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    Men\u2019s 2026 Garden Route Giro Stage 4 podium (from left to right): Manuel Pliem, Wessel Botha, Cronje Beukes, Marco Joubert, and Ignatius du Preez. Photo by Ray Cox.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Women\u2019s Stage 4 Results:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Mari\u00eblle Trouwborst: KMC (2:38:45)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Vera Looser: Efficient Infiniti Insure (2:42:50 | +4:05)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Lisa Bone: Cycle Nation Enza Construction (2:42:52 | +4:07)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Cherise Willeit: Toyota Specialized (2:47:40 | +8:55)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Catherine Kruger: Hollard (2:52:49 | +14:04)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Men\u2019s General Classification after Stage 4:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. Cronje Beukes: Specialized George Coimbra (10:53:17)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Marco Joubert: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (10:57:40 | +4:23)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Wessel Botha: Insect Science (10:57:52 | +4:35)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. Keegan Tullis: Cape Vulture Nature Reserve (11:14:38 | +21:21)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      5. Keagan Bontekoning: Insect Science (11:16:00 | +22:43)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Women\u2019s General Classification after Stage 4:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        1. Mari\u00eblle Trouwborst: KMC (12:28:45)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Lisa Bone: Cycle Nation Enza Construction (12:35:06 | +6:21)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. Vera Looser: Efficient Infiniti Insure (12:51:19 | +22:34)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        4. Cherise Willeit: Toyota Specialized (13:06:51 | +38:06)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        5. Catherine Kruger: Hollard (13:21:21 | +52:36)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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          Women\u2019s General Classification podium after Stage 4 of the 2026 Garden Route Giro (from left to right): Cherise Willeit, Lisa Bone, Mari\u00eblle Trouwborst, Vera Looser, and Catherine Kruger. Photo by Shift Media Co.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          Garden Route Giro Points Competitions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Men\u2019s KOM Points after Stage 4:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          1. \u00a0Cronje Beukes: Specialized George Coimbra (38 points)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. \u00a0Marco Joubert: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (23 points)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          3. \u00a0Wessel Botha: Insect Science (16 points)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            Men\u2019s Sprint Points after Stage 4:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            1. Ignatius du Preez: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (24 Points)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            2. Herman Fourie: Cape Vulture Nature Reserve (18 Points)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            3. Dan Loubser: Freewheel Cycology (8 points)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              Women\u2019s KOM Points after Stage 4:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              1. Mari\u00eblle Trouwborst: KMC (35 points)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              2. Lisa Bone: Cycle Nation Enza Construction (33 points)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              3. Vera Looser: Efficient Infiniti Insure (12 points)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                Women\u2019s Sprint Points after Stage 3:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n
                1. Lisa Bone: Cycle Nation Enza Construction (26 Points)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                2. Vera Looser: Efficient Infiniti Insure (20 Points)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                3. Mari\u00eblle Trouwborst: KMC (14 Points)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                  For the full results from the Garden Route Giro, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  The northern route up Swartberg Pass from Prince Albert, where Stage 4 of the Garden Route Giro started, is steeper in places than the southern side. Regardless of the gradient or the distance, Cronje Beukes and Mari\u00eblle Trouwborst were once again the strongest climbers in the race. The story of their stage victories on Thursday, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":75776,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[918,5362],"featured_location":[338],"class_list":["post-75772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","tag-dryland-events","tag-garden-route-giro","featured_location-bottom-row"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75772","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=75772"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75772\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75784,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75772\/revisions\/75784"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75772"},{"taxonomy":"featured_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bikehub.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_location?post=75772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}