#17: Reflecting on the Cape Pioneer

Last week, the Diverge Podcast was at the Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer, presented by Biogen. We tried to do daily podcasts, but fell off the wagon after Stage 2. So here are the final 3 days all in one long pod. The headline, of course, is that Tristan Nortje and Travis Stedman won the men’s race overall, after winning atop Swartberg Pass on Friday’s Queen Stage. Vera Looser and Samantha Sanders dominated the women’s race, winning all 5 stages and the overall by 42 minutes. Stage 3 was a transition stage from Louvain to Oudtshoorn. Traditionally, it had been a longer but less intense stage, thanks to long gravel road sections in the route. In 2025, that was not the case! Dryland took the riders across the Klein Karoo on a course consisting of 85% rocky dual track, with just a few short gravel sections. Arno du Toit punctured and spent the day chasing with Keagan Bontekoning to defend Insect Science’s third position on the general classification. There was further drama in the UCI Women’s race when Steph Wohlters crashed, which later caused her and Sarah Hill to lose time in their battle for second in the overall standings.Stage 4 was the Swartberg Showdown, the Queen Stage of the Cape Pioneer. Victories for Toyota Imbuko Specialized ChemChamp, and Efficient Infiniti Insure all but guaranteed that they would take home the titles. But there was still action aplenty on the trails, too.The final stage offered another opportunity for Jaedon Terlouw and Michael Foster to race to stage-winning redemption after their puncture problems on Stages 1 and 4. Behind the leaders on the day, Nortje and Stedman countered the moves of Marc Pritzen and Wessel Botha to take home the 2025 title. While in the UCI Women’s race, Looser and Sanders put the hammer down and stretched their legs, securing a fifth stage win and the overall crown in style.To read more news from the Race with Soul and beyond in the broader South Africa’s endurance sport industry, visit Diverge.info:Honeycomb 226ers Sprint to Stage 3 Victory at the Cape PioneerVictories in Yellow and Pink atop the Swartberg at the Cape PioneerChampions Crowned at the Cape Pioneer Grand FinaleFollow Diverge on social media: @diverge.info on Instagram, Diverge on Facebook, @Diverge_info on X, and Diverge on YouTube. And subscribe on Spotify.