Anriette Schoeman took full honors on Sunday in KwaZulu-Natal, claiming both the Queen of the Mountain Prime and the overall win of the Tour de Bluff Super National Classic in Durban.
The Elite Ladies started with the Vets 50-Plus on a 5-lap circuit over 104km, and the race started at a hectic pace, leaving most of the field behind within the first 2.6km as the top Vets and ladies attacked on the opening climb of the race.
Anriette Schoeman (Team Proline) and Lisa Vermaak (Standard Bank – Gauteng) got away to an early lead accompanied by two mens Vets from the Mr. Price Westville Cycling Club, but this group was quickly down to three as one of the men suffered a puncture 7km into the race.
Schoeman and Vermaak were caught up by some of the Elite riders who were left behind 25km into the race, and it was at this point that disasters struck for Schoeman, as she was left behind with a flat back wheel.
Fortunately her team vehicle was immediately there to help, but the loss of 30 second on the leading pelaton left her with no option but to power her way out of no-man’s land.
Time-trailing on her own, she chased down the bunch within the next four kilometres, rejoining the break-away group on one of the serious climbs.
In her remarkable style, she surprised the group by immediately attacking to break away, leaving Vermaak behind with the rest of the field.
Schoeman kept up the pressure and gradually opened a bigger time gap on the group, leaving Vermaak in the second place with Isabel Moolman (Mr. Price Westville – Durban) in the 3rd place.
With 50km to go Schoeman managed to open a time gap of over 3 minutes on Vermaak, and soon it was clear that she was going to keep the advantage.
Schoeman duly finished first in a time of 03:11:22, with Vermaak finishing second in 03:25:33, and Isabel Moolman third in 03:33:13.
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