Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge: White will have bird’s eye view – if he can keep up!

[Matt]

Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge: White will have bird’s eye view – if he can keep up!

Press Release: 15 November 2011

 

Nic White (Toyota/CSA) won't try and defend his title in Sunday’s Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge. As an officially retired professional he sees his role mainly as that of a racing advisor.

 

"My biggest challenge will be to see how long I will be able to keep up with my younger teammates so that I can advise them about the do's and don'ts of racing a good Cycle Challenge."

 

While everybody expects the Cycle Challenge to boil down to a bunch sprint with Arran Brown (MTN-Qhubeka), Nolan Hoffman (Tasol-GT) and Herman Fouché (Cape Town Market) being the main protagonists, White is not so sure if it is a given that this is how the race will play out.

 

"In my years as a professional I have learnt that nothing is ever a given in any cycle race. You should always be wide awake not to be caught out by the unexpected, especially in the Cycle Challenge. As far as I am concerned it’s the most unpredictable race on the South African circuit."

 

White's victory last year is a good illustration of the race’s unpredictability. He and his then Medscheme teammates put all the other teams on the back foot when a group of 15 riders managed to get away in a break. Seven were from Medscheme.

 

That allowed them to dictate the race. With about 18 kilometres to go Waylon Woolcock attacked. That forced the other riders to chase him down. White sat on, biding his time.

 

The moment Woolcock was caught White attacked. Somehow the other teams didn’t think it was important to also chase him down. It turned out to be a big mistake as White slowly but surely just rode away from everybody, time trialling the last 12 kilometres to the finish.

 

White admits that a bunch sprint won't suit his younger teammates and that therefore they will try and see if they can get a small break to snap off the front of the bunch.

 

"Louis Meintjes, overall winner of the Lowveld Tour, is our inform rider. If he can get away he will be able to cause a major surprise." According to White the other two youngsters to watch will be Christiaan Kriek and William Bush.