The 22nd edition of the KAP sani2c delivered four days of relentless UCI racing from the southern Drakensberg to the KwaZulu-Natal coast, where tactical precision, resilience and endurance ultimately shaped the outcome of one of South Africa’s premier mountain bike stage races.

From the opening Prologue at Glencairn Farm, it was clear the men’s race would be defined by depth and tactical complexity rather than outright domination. Toyota Specialized Imbuko arrived with multiple genuine contenders, and the team immediately showed its strength when Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje claimed the Prologue victory ahead of Insect Science’s Johan van Zyl and Keagan Bontekoning, with Toyota Specialized Imbuko 2’s Jaedon Terlouw and Travis Stedman only a second further back.

From the opening Prologue at Glencairn Farm, it was clear the men’s race would be defined by depth and tactical complexity rather than outright domination.

Joubert recognised immediately how important numbers would become in such a tightly matched field, noting after the Prologue that having both Imbuko teams near the front could prove decisive “when the pace is so high”. That prediction would define much of the racing over the following three days.

The women’s competition, meanwhile, appeared to establish an early hierarchy. Samantha Sanders and Vera Looser of Efficient Infiniti Insure dominated the Prologue, while the battle behind them immediately developed into a fierce contest between Fortress Toyota’s Cherise Willeit and Ila Stow, Safari Essence Titan Racing’s Danielle du Toit and Roxanne Kemp, and Cycle Nation Enza Construction’s Frances Swanepoel and Rachel Seaman. Sanders described the Prologue trails as “sublime” despite rain in the build-up, while Looser, returning to sani2c after nearly a decade away, was enthusiastic about the growth and atmosphere of the event.

Stage 1 from Glencairn Farm to Mackenzie Club produced the kind of high-speed tactical racing for which sani2c has become known. With several traditional singletrack sections removed from the opening kilometres, the pace remained exceptionally high and breakaways repeatedly failed to stick. Nortje later admitted the course changes made it “just a little bit too fast” to establish meaningful gaps.

The men’s race came down to a dramatic sprint involving four teams. Marc Pritzen and Felix Stehli of Team Honeycomb 226ers ultimately edged out Stedman and Terlouw in a chaotic final dash into Mackenzie Club, with only seconds separating the leading teams. Joubert and Nortje were forced into damage control after a crash and dropped chain near the finish almost cost them contact with the leaders. Despite the setback, they managed to limit losses sufficiently to retain the overall lead.

The stage also offered an early glimpse into the strong dynamic between Stedman and Terlouw. Stedman, better known in South African cycling circles for his road pedigree, has adapted well to the demands of elite marathon mountain biking, while Terlouw demonstrated his tactical awareness in the closing kilometres.

Domination
In the women’s race, Sanders and Looser delivered a measured but authoritative performance to take Stage 1 by nearly ten minutes. Behind them, the battle for the remaining podium positions immediately became one of the stories of the race. Du Toit and Kemp edged Willeit and Stow in a sprint for second, while Swanepoel and Seaman remained within touching distance after recovering strongly later in the stage.

Stow later admitted she simply did not have the legs to fully respond to the tactical surges during the closing kilometres, while Swanepoel and Seaman already sensed the route ahead would suit their strengths better. The women’s General Classification after Stage 1 suggested the race for overall victory might already be settled, but the fight for the podium was only beginning.

Stage 2 to Jolivet Farm – the Queen Stage – reshaped the entire race. The brutal combination of the Umkomaas descent and the Unitrans Iconic Climb created the decisive turning point of the week.

For the men, disaster struck Toyota Specialized Imbuko 1 early in the stage when Nortje and Joubert suffered a snapped chain. The delay forced them into a desperate chase for the remainder of the day. Joubert later described it as “a proper disappointment” on a stage where momentum and positioning were critical.

Their misfortune created opportunity elsewhere. Pritzen and Stehli capitalised brilliantly, with Pritzen driving the pace relentlessly through the technical sections and Stehli surviving repeated accelerations on the climbs. Stehli later admitted much of his day involved simply “hanging onto Marc’s wheel”. The pair secured the stage victory and vaulted themselves into second on GC.

Yet even amid the reshuffled standings, Toyota Specialized Imbuko 2 quietly strengthened their overall position. Terlouw and Stedman resisted the temptation to overcommit after briefly opening a gap on Iconic, recognising that the long run home still favoured collaboration over risky solo efforts. Their tactical maturity became one of the defining features of the race.

Further back, Bontekoning and Van Zyl grew increasingly cohesive as a partnership, while Wessel Botha and Arno du Toit steadily recovered after spending much of the stage in a chasing group.

The women’s race on Stage 2 perhaps produced the deepest racing of the week. Sanders and Looser once again proved strongest, making their decisive move on Iconic after a largely tactical opening phase. But behind them, the race became a fierce four-team contest marked by crashes, regrouping and tactical alliances.

Willeit crashed during the demanding Umkomaas section but was able to continue. She later praised Swanepoel and Seaman for stopping briefly to check whether she was okay – a reminder of the sportsmanship that still underpins stage racing despite its growing professionalism.

As the race crossed the open roads into Kings Harvest, Fortress Toyota and Cycle Nation Enza Construction combined forces effectively, recognising their shared interest in distancing Du Toit and Kemp before the final stage. Swanepoel and Seaman, in particular, emerged from the Queen Stage as one of the revelations of the race. Seaman, riding only her second major stage race, grew visibly stronger with each day, while Swanepoel’s return to elite racing after motherhood added emotional weight to their performance.

By the time riders rolled out from Jolivet Farm for the final stage to Scottburgh Golf Club, almost every major classification remained under pressure.

Fast and Tactical
The final day delivered exactly what sani2c’s route designers intended – a furious, tactical charge to the coast. Clint’s Climb proved decisive as the leading men’s teams split the race early. Toyota Specialized Imbuko 1 and 2, together with Insect Science Safari Essence, committed fully to the move and rapidly established a gap that no chasing group could close.

Nortje and Joubert launched an all-out assault to recover from the previous day’s mechanical disaster and remarkably clawed their way back onto the final podium. Nortje later reflected that the comeback illustrated why “you never give up in mountain biking.” Meanwhile Botha and Du Toit secured second overall after finally enjoying a clean stage free from mechanical setbacks.

Nortje later reflected that the comeback illustrated why “you never give up in mountain biking.

At the front, however, Stedman and Terlouw never relinquished control. Their consistency across all four days ultimately proved more valuable than individual stage victories. For Stedman in particular, the victory marked another significant milestone in his transition from elite road racing back into top-level marathon mountain biking.

The women’s finale was equally tactical. Sanders and Looser again controlled the decisive moments, attacking roughly 15 kilometres from the finish to avoid a sprint against the rapidly improving Swanepoel and Seaman. Behind them, Fortress Toyota and Cycle Nation Enza Construction fought all the way to the Scottburgh Golf Club fairways, where Swanepoel and Seaman produced a late surge to secure second on the stage and third overall.

For Sanders and Looser, the overall victory reflected not just physical dominance but tactical composure throughout the week. Sanders described sani2c as “one of the most prestigious stage races around”, while Looser emphasised the increasingly high standard of women’s racing throughout the field.

By the time riders crossed the floating bridge and rolled into Scottburgh beside the Indian Ocean, the 2026 KAP sani2c had delivered exactly what has made the event endure for more than two decades – brutally competitive racing balanced by camaraderie, resilience and a uniquely South African stage-racing atmosphere.

General Classification after Stage 3

Men

1. Jaedon Terlouw, Travis Stedman (Toyota Specialized Imbuko 2) – 09:11:30
2. Wessel Botha, Arno du Toit (Insect Science Safari Essence) – 09:14:58
3. Tristan Nortje, Marco Joubert (Toyota Specialized Imbuko 1) – 09:15:19
4. Keagan Bontekoning, Johan van Zyl (Insect Science) – 09:20:56
5. Marc Pritzen, Felix Stehli (Team Honeycomb 226ers) – 09:33:01

Women

1. Vera Looser, Samantha Sanders (Efficient Infiniti Insure) – 11:19:07
2. Cherise Willeit, Ila Stow (Fortress Toyota) – 11:40:09
3. Frances Swanepoel, Rachel Seaman (Cycle Nation Enza Construction) – 11:43:00
4. Danielle du Toit, Roxanne Kemp (Safari Essence Titan Racing) – 12:00:51
5. Kylie Hanekom, Hayley Smith (Bike Hub) – 13:14:54

For full results, visit www.sani2c.co.za

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