Team Bonitas on Amashova hat-trick mission

[Matt]

Team Bonitas on Amashova hat-trick mission

Press Release: 12 October 2011

 

After splitting its squad to contest various races around the country over recent weeks, Team Bonitas, South Africa’s most successful professional men’s road cycling team over the past two-and-a-half years, will be fielding a full strength for Sunday’s Amashova Durban Classic.

 

KwaZulu-Natal’s biggest road cycling event is one of the most prestigious races on the South African calendar and, having won it for the past two years, Team Bonitas is taking careful aim at a third successive victory.

 

“It’s one thing winning a title, but defending it can be quite another. Defending it twice is even harder,” said team owner, Malcolm Lange, a six-time winner of the race. “We’re going there with our best possible team and taking no chances.”

 

The team comprises Tyler Day, Hanco Kachelhoffer, Darren Lill, Luthando Kaka, Johann Rabie, Songezo Jim, Gawie Combrinck and Jason Bakke.

 

Team Bonitas will be fielding its strongest line-up in search of a third successive victory at the Amashova Durban Classic on Sunday.

 

Day, a powerful young sprinter, is the current Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour champion and will be the team’s key rider should the event come down to a bunch sprint, which is the most likely scenario considering the race’s recent history of predominantly large field sprints. In Kachelhoffer, Rabie and Lill, Team Bonitas has strong lead-out men to help keep the peloton in check in the finale for Day to make his dash for the line count.

 

However, nothing is certain in road racing and a small group could escape, scuppering the likelihood of a bunch sprint. In Lill, Rabie and Kachelhoffer, Bonitas has three very experienced small-break riders, while Kaka, Jim, Combrink and Bakke will shut down early opportunist attacks, or create them if necessary.

 

Day is returning from an injury layoff after breaking his collarbone in a crash on the first stage of the Tour de Free State in late August. In his first race back, the Engen Dynamic Challenge in Durban 10 days ago, he finished an encouraging third.

 

“It was a good result for a rider that’s been out of racing for six weeks. Tyler had an amazing start to the year, winning 'The EP Herald' and 'The Argus' and finishing third among some of the world’s top sprinters in India. We believe he’s in the right kind of form and frame of mind to end the year with some great results too,” said Lange.

 

The point-to-point 106km race starts outside the Pietermaritzburg City Hall, follows most of the Comrades Marathon route and finishes at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. There is full road closure and over 10 000 entrants are expected, including all of the country’s leading professional teams.

['Dale]

I think Tyler Day is heading to Europe.

Not sure with which team...