Continental Riders Wins The Nola Classic

The Nola Classic was won by Microsoft’s Jeff Howes in Krugersdorp yesterday using some of Conti's top road tyre products. Continental equipped riders also finished 2nd, 4th, 5th & 8th.

It was a race held in miserable conditions that were cold and overcast, with plenty of wind. The route from the start at the Townsview School, took the riders out to Magaliesburg, and then back to Krudersdorp, past the Game Reserve to finish 103kms later at the school.

The wind was from the rear in the early parts of the race, with the speed really high, a break formed with five riders, James Perry (Konica Minolta), Adrian Maaske (Sponsor Needed), Waylon Woolcock (Tuks), Morne Bester (Thabiso) and myself from Microsoft. The group was missing a Hi-Q rider, so they were pressured to chase. The leaders did not have a large gap at any stage, so the pressure was always on from the chase.

The road out to Magaliesburg produced a good left hand gutter, and the chasing group was shattered into many bits. Only once the race had passed through Magalies, and then turned left again towards Krugersdorp, did the chasing bunch regroup again. The gap to the break was now up to 1 minute.

The race turned left again towards Tarlton, and into the teeth of a powerful wind. All the enthusiasm left the five man break, and the bunch, led by Hi –Q, eventually clawed their way back into the race. The front group now numbered around 20 riders, and a flurry of attacks did nothing to split up the race until the right hand turn, and a change of wind direction, in the final 20kms.

Rheinhard du Plessis (Microsoft) got a good attack in and went 15 secs clear of the rest, he was then joined by Woolcock of Tuks, and the two were building a nice lead before the hills past Krugersdorp Game Reserve. Another group went across containing Shaun Davel (Thabiso), George Schoonraad (Konica Minolta) and Jeff Howes (Microsoft). There was no answer from the bunch. They would wait for the hills.

The fire power was gone from the rest, the hills didn’t do much for the chasers, and as the leaders got closer to the finish, it looked like a win for one of the five in front. There were a few attacks over the last hill, and Jeff Howes got the gap over the rest in the final 5kms. Howes soloed to win. Waylon Woolcock, who had had a good day in the first break, and then again in the second and winning move, got away from the rest for second place, Schoonraad took the sprint for third.


1st Jeff Howes - Microsoft :- Winning Time: 106km 2h 40m 30
2nd Waylon Woolcock - Tuks @ 10secs
3rd George Schoonraad - Konica Minolta @ 33secs
4th Rheinhard Du Plessis - Microsoft
5th Shaun Davel - Thabiso @ 41
6th Juan Van Heerden - Tuks @ 1m 04 secs
7th Gary Rabie - Hi-Q
8th Daniel Spence - Microsoft


This was a tough day out for all cyclists, as the wind played a large role in the enjoyment of the race. The elite group was well represented at the start, but only the hard men made it into the real racing after the gutter and tail wind sections. There were some discrepancies at the finish regarding the admin of some riders, but all the athletes were happy enough with the way that the race had finished, and were sportsmen enough to accept their finishing positions. The ladies event was won by Anke Erlank of Microsoft.