Cycle Tour Spencer van Zyl at the finish of his Cape Town Cycle Tour at the weekend.
Image: supplied
Just over 28 00 cyclists took over the streets of Cape Town this past Sunday during the 47th edition of the Cape Town Cycle Tour.
In one of the biggest sporting events on South Africa's sporting calendar, the second week of March is dedicated to cyclists who take on the long ride across the city.
The race starts at the Grand Parade and ends in Green Point, taking riders through some of Cape Town's most iconic scenic routes, from the City Bowl to Muizenberg, to Chapman's Peak, and Camps Bay.
Tyler Lange was the first to cross the finish line in the men's elite race after completing the 109km distance while Pia Grünewald led the elite women’s race over the 78km route.
But the Cycle Tour is more than just the elite riders competing for top honours. Arguably, the real heart of the event lies in the rest of the field, those who may not be in the spotlight, but make the race what it is.
These social riders make up the biggest chunk of participants and the event is also a stage for the younger generation of cyclists eager to make their mark in the cycling community.
One such youngster, among the thousands who took on the grueling 109km race, is 12-year-old Spencer van Zyl.
He may be many years away from the elite guys but on the road he is just as competitive and winning is always a goal.
Van Zyl was the first to cross the finish line in the under-15 category, clocking a remarkable time of 3h10min, a massive improvement from last year's 4h10min.
The young rider from Parklands has been racing for about two years and among his many accolades is a SA Road Championship winner’s medal a year ago.
It’s not far-fetched to imagine the young rider being on the podium of the Cycle tour in a couple of years, with these results at such a young age.
When Spencer was featured in this same publication after winning the SA Road Champs, he shared that his ultimate dream was to race in the Tour de France.
And with every race, every finish line crossed, he’s proving just how serious he is about that goal and not to just take part but to make a mark in his race.