Having shattered the course record in 2024 by over 20 minutes, Arno du Toit and Keagan Bontekoning (Insect Science) shaved a further 3 minutes and 44 seconds off last year’s time to cross the 2025 Trans Baviaans finish line first in 7 hours, 25 minutes, and 21 seconds on Saturday, 9 August 2025.
The Insect Science team was pushed hard through the first 140 kilometres of the 230-kilometre course by the FuelX team and then Imbuko ChemChamp. Once they seized the lead, approaching Bergplaas, the only question was whether they would break their record, and break it they did. In the women’s race, the Complete Cyclist team of Sarah Hill, Stacey Paul, and Ricci-Lee Brookstone established an early lead and then endured through a couple of rough patches to take home the title.
Starting in Willowmore, the Trans Baviaans traverses the Baviaanskloof, the third largest wilderness area in the country, to finish at Jeffreys Bay. Most of the route takes place on gravel roads, but in the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, between kilometres 97 and 160, the surface is notably rougher. This has always discouraged the use of gravel bikes. Yet, after Rossouw Bekker and Matthys Beukes went close in 2024, Du Toit and Bontekoning decided to try their luck on gravel bikes in 2025.
“The big issue with mountain bikes is that you cannot fit a big enough chain ring,” Bontekoning revealed. “You end up spinning out on the gradual descents.” “We felt the difference on our mountain bikes. We had to basically do a 150 cadence at 500 watts to keep up with the Insect Science guys at times,” Tristan Nortje, who raced a mountain bike, noted.
Leaving Willowmore, a large group rolled through the early kilometres together. Then, on the first climb, Erik Heyns and Wayne van der Walt pushed the tempo. “We felt the pace was a bit slow, so we pushed on a bit,” the FuelX rider explained. Bontekoning jumped with them, but Du Toit did not follow.
“Arno [du Toit] not coming with us was a bit of a tactical mistake because he ended up pulling the group behind and working for nearly 50 kilometres,” Bontekoning explained. “I thought the pace Erik [Heyns] and Wayne [van der Walt] were pushing was a bit high. So, I was happy to take a nature break and wait for the chasing group.”
Heyns and Van der Walt pushed on through checkpoints 1 and 2 until they entered the rougher Reserve section. At the 110-kilometre mark, on a climb before Baviaansback, Heyns imploded. The FuelX team’s 3 minute and 30 second advantage quickly evaporated, and the chasing pack of Insect Science, Imbuko ChemChamp, and the mixed Insect Science and Valley Electrical TitanRacing team of Jan Withaar and Herman Fourie surged past. In the Reserve, the climbing began in earnest. With their lighter gears and more comfortable machines, Nortje and Lood Goosen attempted to make their move.
Du Toit and Bontekoning kept the Imbuko ChemChamp team in sight through checkpoint 3, over the Fangs and up the Mother of All Climbs. Nearing the summit, they seized the lead. Within a couple of kilometres, at the Bergplaas checkpoint, 140 kilometres into the race, they had a 40 second lead. This grew by 2 minutes as Nortje and Goosen took their time refilling bottles in the aid station. Popular wisdom suggested that the men on mountain bikes would descend faster, but Insect Science extended their advantage on the Big Dipper descent and on the undulating roads to the Hadleigh checkpoint.
There was a moment of stress for the pair when Du Toit’s saddle rattled loose in its mounting, but they were able to nurse his bike to the 172-kilometre mark. At Hadleigh, they were able to fix it with an Allen key set rather than a multitool. By the time Nortje and Goosen left that checkpoint, they were 7:30 behind Insect Science, with Withaar and Fourie a further 7:30 back.
The remaining 58 kilometres thus became a race against the clock to break the 7 hours and 29 minute mark. “I knew we were riding gravel bikes, but I had to find out on social media about this record-breaking attempt,” Du Toit dug at his teammate on the finish line. “I thought we were going to have a slightly more relaxed approach. It gave the others the opportunity just to sit the wheel early on and force us to make good on that statement. But, we were both really good; neither of us blew at any point, and we were able to keep the speed up over MAC and down this side. It’s a bladdy hard ride on a gravel bike! But it is fast!”
Du Toit and Bontekoning were followed across the line by Nortje and Goosen, 15 minutes and 19 seconds later. Withaar and Fourie finished third, breaking the 8 hour mark by 116 seconds. Rogan Smart and Quintus Vermeulen were fourth, with Victor Olckers and Josua Wagner fifth.
In the women’s race, Hill started as favourite, having won three consecutive editions alongside Theresa Ralph between 2017 and 2019. Utilizing Ralph’s tactic of starting fast to get a good group early, the Complete Cyclist team gained valuable time on their rivals. “In hindsight, I think starting so fast wasn’t the best for me,” Brookstone confessed later. “I think I would have been faster later if we didn’t go so hard in the first hour.”
The initial chase to gain time was made harder by a puncture, which cost the leading women their spot in a particularly strong group. “I said before the race that each of us has our strengths and we tried to ride to those today,” Hill stated. “I think we all had our dark moments, but we helped each other through, and that was really the highlight of the race for me.”
The lowlight for Paul came once the sun set and the relentless corrugations broke the bracket for her bike light. While trying to hold the light up to ensure it shone on the road ahead, she lost control and crashed. Fortunately, no significant harm was done, and with Brookstone slotting in behind her in the pace line, Paul’s way was better illuminated for the final 15 kilometres.
Crossing the line in 10 hours, 36 minutes, and 23 seconds, they added a fourth Trans Baviaans title to Hill’s palmarès, while Brookstone and Paul won on their debuts through the Baviaanskloof. Alma Colyn and Maureen Jordaan finished second, just under 12 minutes back after a strong ride in increasingly tough conditions. To go with the corrugations, a headwind came up as the sun set, and the final 25 kilometres pitted teams against the wind as well as their exhausted legs. Nicolle Zietsman and Tracey Campbell were third, ahead of Alexandra Reid and Kerri Anderson, and Magan Hanekom and Jana Mart van der Merwe.
2025 Trans Baviaans
Leading Results
Men’s Teams:
- Insect Science: Arno du Toit & Keagan Bontekoning (7:25:21)
- Imbuko ChemChamp: Tristan Nortje & Lood Goosen (7:40:40)
- Jan & Herman: Jan Withaar & Herman Fourie (7:58:04)
- Knysna Toyota – Bike Shop: Rogan Smart & Quintus Vermeulen (8:14:45)
- Mentors Country Estate: Victor Olckers & Josua Wagner (8:34:30)
Women’s Teams:
- The Complete Cyclists: Sarah Hill, Stacey Paul, & Ricci-Lee Brookstone (10:36:23)
- Adventure Junkies: Alma Colyn & Maureen Jordaan (10:48:18)
- Aspire LiveFit: Nicolle Zietsman & Tracey Campbell (10:55:18)
- Shake n Bake: Alexandra Reid & Kerri Anderson (11:14:50)
- Jana en Magan: Magan Hanekom & Jana Mart van der Merwe (11:18:12)
Mixed Teams:
- GU Energy SA/Electrical Pro: Rohan Kennedy, Mellusca Toovey, & Tim Toovey (9:49:52)
- NACTOP: Francois Kemp & Chani Mare (10:06:27)
- Milkwood Nic Racing: Willem Schoonbee & Adele Jeppe (10:38:16)
- Team Neetkinson: Charl Neethling, Isaac Wilkinson & Jess Wilkinson (11:02:48)
- NNo Baggage: Nicus Bothma & Ernelene Jacobs (11:49:03)
To recap on all the action from the 2025 Trans Baviaans, follow @transbaviaans on Instagram or like the Trans Baviaans 24HR MTB Race Facebook page. For more information, visit www.transbaviaans.co.za or click here to view the results.
Source: Seamus Allardice
