Team Medscheme achieve a hat-trick!

Nic White, 8 Feb 2010

From One Side Of Gauteng To The Other , Various

Hat trick: noun - three successes of the same kind, esp. consecutive ones within a limited period!

With racing from one side of Gauteng to the other, Malcolm Lange ended off the weekend by making it a hat-trick of wins for Team Medscheme at the Emperors Palace Classic on Sunday! It all started off early on Saturday at the Kormorant cycle race near Magaliesburg, where Lange took the win from a select group of riders. The next appointment was across the big smoke at Emperors Palace for an afternoon criterium that Team Medscheme's new recruit, Johann Rabie won from a small break. Then on Sunday, all that was left was to negotiate the large bunch around the flat East Rand for the Emperor's Palace Classic which ended with Lange showing he still had a great kick for the line, making it three for the weekend by Team Medscheme!

Saturday's Kormorant departed from Bekker Schools near Magaliesburg, and with the big climb of Hekpoort early on, the bunch was split by EMG's Denis van Niekerk and Waylon Woolcock of Medscheme. They were joined over the top by a large group containing, Mcleod, Van Heerden and Venter (MTN), White, Lange, Macdonald, Rabie and Kachelhoffer (Medscheme), Brown, Kaka, Jim (Toyota National U23 Academy) as well as Perry from EMG.

This group worked eventually in a smooth through and off pace line, preventing anyone else from closing the gap. The racing heated up in the final ten kilometers and it split into a six man group, with Toyota being the losers of the split. Perry then Mcleod tried to to go clear but it was contained and Lange finished off the sprint from Van Heerden and van Niekerk to win!

Kormorant cycle race - 109km 2h27m

Malcolm Lange - Team Medscheme
Christoff van Heerden - MTN Energade
Denis van Niekerk - EMG Cycling

The riders then jumped into their vehicles and spent the next few hours in weekend traffic on the developing highways to get to Emperors Palace for a 30 min criterium around the picturesque parking. There were some fresh riders in the race, notably DCM Chrome, making it difficult for those on the second race of the day, but Medscheme was active as well as EMG's James Perry riding hard to split things! Eventually in the closing minutes a small group formed with Pieter Seyffert (DCM Chrome), James Perry (EMG Cycling), Waylon Woolcock and Johann Rabie of Team Medscheme. Rabie was the quickest at the end and won from Seyffert and Perry!

Emperors criterium, 30 min
Johann Rabie - Team Medscheme
Pieter Seyffert - DCM Chrome
James Perry - EMG Cycling

Sunday morning in Kempton Park was the scene for the big classic of the weekend, Emperor's Palace Classic! It was not very long in distance, but it was raced very aggressively and fast in the perfect weather conditions. DCM Chrome were very active in trying to get away, but with all sorts of attacks nothing was able to go clear. A small move went on the outskirts of Springs, but did not last for very long.

The only solid move that gained any ground and lasted for a while was the solo move by James Tennent of Club 100, as he got a gap of about 30 sec and stayed clear for about 10 kms, but the race was nearing the finish and Team Medscheme and MTN were keeping close tabs on all who tried to escape. It was to be a bunch finish, which in the undulating final kilometer, meant that fresh legs were needed to power up the final incline before the downward kick to the line. MTN and DCM tried some last minute attacks, but Medscheme kept it in check until in sight of the finish where Kachelhoffer delivered Lange at the perfect distance for him to unleash his sprint, and win from Van Heerden (MTN) and Day (EMG Cycling)

Emperors Classic, 105km 2h16m (according to my Suunto T6c)

Results:
Malcolm Lange - Team medscheme
Christoff van Heerden - MTN Energade
Tyler Day - EMG Cycling
Burry Stander - Specialized
JC Jooste - Team Matlosana
Jean Spies - Toyota National U23 Academy

- By Nic White