Gibbons Survives Early Celebration Scare to Win Cape Town Cycle Tour
"Winning the Cape Town Cycle Tour is massive for any South African, and for me in particular, because it was the big South African race missing from my palmarès.”
Ryan Gibbons narrowly avoided a costly mistake as he sprinted to victory at the 2026 Cape Town Cycle Tour on Helen Suzman Boulevard in Green Point on Sunday. The Fly Cool Collective rider began celebrating just metres before the finish line, only to realise that Jaedon Terlouw was rapidly closing in. Gibbons held on to secure the win by the slimmest of margins, completing a dramatic finale to the 109-kilometre race.
“I may have celebrated a bit early, and Jaedon nearly came around me. But taking the victory is so special. It’s great to be back here in South Africa, to be part of the local cycling community again.”
Having spent the last decade racing in Europe, Gibbons’ homecoming to South Africa began with a team victory at the Double Century in November 2025 and culminated on Sunday, 8 March, with the most prestigious title in local cycling. Gibbons was a popular winner, and even the men he beat into second and third, Jaedon Terlouw and Ryno Schutte, were happy for the 31-year-old.
The elite men’s race in the 48th edition had been chaotic at times, with multiple crashes and gusting cross winds in the Southern Peninsula making positioning in the group vital. Gibbons was able to avoid any issues thanks to the strength of his team, while others were not as fortunate.
Marc Pritzen and Lood Goosen were two riders who got caught up in crashes. Pritzen’s chain dropped at an inopportune moment, while the peloton was chasing down a strong breakaway that included Daniel Loubser, Wynand Hofmeyr, and Herman Fouche. As the Honeycomb 226ers rider made it back to the group, he got caught behind a crash. Later, Goosen hit the deck hard but was able to continue.
“The Cape Town Cycle Tour is the closest to a European race we get in South Africa,” Schutte noted. “The group is so big, and positioning is really difficult. You have to fight to be in the front 10% all the time, or risk getting caught up in crashes.”
Such is the strength of depth in the elite men’s group currently that even Chapman’s Peak Drive does little to thin the field. The last remaining member of the early breakaway, Hofmeyr, was caught near the summit of the famous climb, and on the descent to Hout Bay, Gibbons fired a warning shot. With 35 of the 109 kilometres left to race, he accelerated and tested his rivals’ nerve for a fast descent in gusting winds.
In Hout Bay, Sascha Weber was the next to attack, but Callum Ormiston reeled in the German as the race crested Suikerbossie. Weber was spent, and Gibbons, Terlouw, and Schutte were quick to jump onto Ormiston’s wheel. “Tyler [Lange] and I were just behind the four who got away, but he didn’t chase, and the group that formed behind never got a cohesive chase together,” Pritzen explained. “It was a bit frustrating, because I felt good and we got close to bringing them back,” Alex Miller added.
“I wasn’t sure we would stay away,” Gibbons confessed. “The group was only 10 seconds behind us, so I didn’t commit completely initially, but Callum [Ormiston] was so strong. He really drove that group clear.”
“The four of us then worked well together to keep the chasers at bay,” the champion stated. “Last year we were caught on the line, so while I knew I probably wasn’t going to outsprint any of the other three, I really didn’t want to get caught again,” Ormiston sighed. “Going all in was my best chance of a result.”
“In the finale, I knew I had the advantage, but the other guys knew it too, so I had to go early,” Gibbons smiled. “Ja, look, he’s Ryan Gibbons,” Terlouw laughed. “I knew he’d have to make a mistake for me to win, and he nearly did.”
“I may have celebrated a bit early, and Jaedon nearly came around me,” Gibbons allowed. “But taking the victory is so special. It’s great to be back here in South Africa, to be part of the local cycling community again. It has grown and strengthened so much in the last decade. Winning the Cape Town Cycle Tour is massive for any South African, and for me in particular, because it was the big South African race missing from my palmarès.”
Gibbons’s powerful sprint allowed him to sit up and celebrate the victory as he coasted across the line, just ahead of Terlouw. Schutte was third and was the first under-23 rider home. Ormiston had to settle for fourth. Behind the leading quartet, Miller claimed fifth with an intelligent attack 800 metres from the line, while the chase group was preparing to sprint for the final expanded podium place.
2026 Cape Town Cycle Tour Elite Men’s Results
- Ryan Gibbons: Fly Cool Collective (2:33:06)
- Jaedon Terlouw: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (ST)
- Ryno Schutte: Nessa (2:33:07 | +1 | U23)
- Callum Ormiston: Joyrun & Hurricane (2:33:08 |+2)
- Alex Miller: Swatt Cycling (2:33:41 | +35)
For the full results from the 2026 Cape Town Cycle Tour, click here.
READ MORE ON: Cape Town Cycle Tour Elite Men