Hoffman misses out on title defence as ProTouch earns podium finish
Jayde Julius was ProTouch Cycling's standout cyclist at the Bestmed Satellite Classic.
ProTouch cyclist Jayde Julius narrowly missed out on first place at the Bestmed Satellite Classic on Saturday, 13 October, as Steven van Heerden edged him to claim a maiden title.
Jayde rode alongside fellow ProTouch teammates Reynard Butler, Pieter Seyffert, and Gustav Basson with hopes of keeping Ruimsig-based cyclist Nolan Hoffman from defending his Satellite Classic title. However, they were faced with stern opposition from the BCX (which included Nolan) and OfficeGuru teams, who would occupy two of the eventual top five spots after the race.
The 110km race got under way in the morning, with the threat of thunderstorms looming over their heads, possibly ending the race. The overcast conditions held however, and the race was able to go off without a hitch.
Jayde was the leading ProTouch cyclist for the majority of the race, and was never far behind eventual winner Steven van Heerden, even on the infamously tough Hekpoort climb. The race would go down to the wire however, as Jayde and Steven could barely be separated at any point in the race.
Steven would eventually cross the line two seconds ahead of Jayde, with a time of 2:35:18, while Jayde crossed the line with a time of 2:35:20. OfficeGuru cyclist Dylan Girdlestone followed shortly after Jayde with a time of 2:35:24, while fellow OfficeGuru cyclist Travis Barret and BCX cyclist Brandon Downes crossed the line in 2:35:25.
ProTouch’s cycling exploits weren’t done for the weekend however, as the next day they were in Botswana for the Yarona FM 106.6 Cycle Challenge on Sunday, 14 October. ProTouch managed to finish with six riders inside the Top 10, with Gustav Basson claiming first and Mitch Eliot claiming third place in the U/23 race. In the elite race, Myles van Musschenbroek finished second and Pieter Seyffert third, with Ruimsig-based BCX rider Nolan Hoffman claiming first place.
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