Luthando Kaka of Team Bonitas had the best home coming present when he won the 2011 Engen Dynamic Cycle Challenge in Wellington on Sunday 9 October. Team Bonitas made a clean sweep at the final leg of the 2011 Engen Cycling calendar, which saw three very successful events being staged around the coast, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Cape Town.

Elite riders at the start of the race during the Engen Dynamic Cycle Challenge held at Nelson's Creek Wine Estate in Wellington on the 9th October 2011. Photo by: Jacques Rossouw/SPORTZPICS

Starting from Nelson’s Creek Wine Estate just outside Wellington, the route rolled through the beautiful Boland Winelands area. With the peloton staying close together for much of the initial stages, local boy David Garrett of Daiken GU made the expected attack at the only major climb of the race heading up to Riebeek Kasteel at the 30km mark. The peloton let him go until just before the crest of the climb where Team Bonitas lead the chase to close the 10second gap and the 7-man team started to ride away from the peloton with Garret stuck in the middle.  From there it was a drive to the finish by Team Bonitas as they continued to open the gap on the chasing peloton, which eventually grew to 1’10”.

With David Garrett of Daiken GU the solitary rider not from Team Bonitas, the winner was always going to come from the medical aid group’s team sponsorship.  With 10km to go the attacks went off the front as first Jason Bakke and then Johann Rabie attacked opening a small gap on the field. Garrett tried to chase down the leaders and had Hanco Kachelhoffer marking his every move. As the race got into the last few kilometres both Darren Lill and Luthando Kaka put in their last surge to close the gap and place themselves in good positions for the final chase to the line. Gawie Combrink and Songezo Jim played out the team tactics and hung back to shadow Garret.

In the final sprint for the line, Kaka gave it all he had and took line honours, a fitting climax for this young and very talented rider whose career only started a short while back in Cape Town.

Overall winner Luthando Kaka, Johan Rabie (3rd) and Johannes Kaggelhoffer (2nd) with Engen representative Brad Bergh during the prize giving at the Engen Dynamic Cycle Challenge held at Nelson's Creek Wine Estate in Wellington on the 9th October 2011. Photo by: Jacques Rossouw/SPORTZPICS

Kaka was emotional after his win. “I suffered in the heat in the last 10km of the race, but the team pulled me through and then set me up for the win. To win here at what is really my home is something special and I’m grateful to the team for making this weekend a very special one.”

The Engen Dynamic Cycle Challenge saw the participation of 30 Engen petrol pump attendants who all completed the 30km race. “At Engen we encourage staff participation in programmes we sponsor and are very proud that the Engen Dealer network has supported this event with the entry of their forecourt staff who would ordinarily not be exposed to cycling. Judging by their enthusiasm, we are sure to see more entries next year,” said Mr Brad Bergh, Group Sponsorship Manager.

Engen Dynamic team during the Engen Dynamic Cycle Challenge held at Nelson's Creek Wine Estate in Wellington on the 9th October 2011. Photo by: Jordi Matas/SPORTZPICS

In addition to the sponsorship of this now well-known Cycling event Engen also invests substantially into safety  as well as the growth of young cyclists in the sport. With their sponsorship of the Engen Safe Cycling Programme presently active in four regions around the country, Engen have educated over 16 000 young learners on all safety aspect of cycling on our country’s roads. “I sincerely hope that Engen has made a positive impact on the young folk that have been through the programme and that the experience has equipped them all on the importance safety when cycling,” commented Mr Bergh.

Olympic gold medalist Ernst van Dyk at the start of the race during the Engen Dynamic Cycle Challenge held at Nelson's Creek Wine Estate in Wellington on the 9th October 2011. Photo by: Jacques Rossouw/SPORTZPICS

South Africa’s leading energy company has once again donated 50% of all the entry fees from the Wellington leg of the Engen Dynamic Cycle Challenge to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital Burn’s Unit, as it does at all its cycling events. Last year Engen raised over R 80,000 across its three EDCC events (PE, Durban and Cape Town) and has exceed this amount by 30% with a total of R 135 000 having been raised through the public’s support of its cycling events this year.

Results Men

1. Luthando Kaka                      Team Bonitas                2:14;25

2. Hanco Kachelhoffer               Team Bonitas                Same Time

3. Johann Rabie                        Team Bonitas                Same Time

4. Darren Lill                              Team Bonitas                Same Time

5. Gawie Combrink                    Team Bonitas                2:15;15

Results Women

1.         Maroeska Mattee                                               2:51;01

2.         Cathy Carstens                                                  2:51;02

3.         Sara Bonner                                                      2:51;03