Roodepoort cyclist wins maiden title
Reynard Butler wins BestMed Emperors Classic road race
A Roodepoort cyclist recently sprinted to his third major one-day classic victory in the space of one month when he clinched the Bestmed Emperors Classic road race title.
The 29-year-old Reynard Butler, a ProTouch rider took his maiden title in the 98 km race, and said he was quite happy, as he had only managed a second place in the previous year’s race.
Reynard, who won the Ride for Sight and Berge en Dale races in similar fashion, crossed the line in a time of two hours, seven minutes and 54 seconds (2:07:54) to get the better of Ryan Harris (Office Guru) and former Cape Town Cycle Tour champion Clint Hendricks (BCX).
He added that he’d had some concerns about his condition. “I went into this race following a short break after this year’s Cycle Tour; however, when it comes down to a sprint finish, your brain switches off and you go into tunnel vision. You only focus on the finishing line,” he explained.
Reynard praised his team mates and said that they were really good and kept him out of trouble throughout the race and said, “We were a bunch of 10 guys in the final sprint, and I had a perfect lead out through Ricardo Broxham, Jayde Julius and Gustav Basson. In the end, my legs were strong enough and, going into the final stretch, it boils down to a case of positioning and then executing your sprint to the best of your ability.”
The ProTouch team had controlled the earlier part of the race, and even though there were a few attacks in the run in to the finish, they were able to react quickly enough to shut down any danger. “There were a few nervous moments, and it was pretty tight throughout, with nobody wanting anyone else to get a significant lead,” Reynard said.
He said that the victory was a very special one, especially after the Cape Town Cycle Tour, where he felt they had a bit of bad luck.
“But, as they say, you are only as good as your last race, and, getting this win and being able to give something back to the team for all their hard work, was very satisfying,” he concluded.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister newspaper websites
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
