Nortje shatters the 3-hour mark at the Lions Karoo to Coast

CYCLING NEWS - Having broken the course record in 2024, Tristan Nortje became the first rider to dip below the 3-hour mark at the Lions Karoo to Coast, as he bettered his own record en route to victory in the 26^th edition, on Sunday, 21 September.

He was joined atop the podium by fellow George local, Mellusca Toovey, who held off the women’s defending champion, Catherine Colyn, to win the 2025 title.

Chilly but clear conditions made for good racing weather, though a headwind detracted from what would otherwise have been even faster times.

Nortje and his Imbuko ChemChamp Toyota teammate, Marco Joubert, raced aboard gravel bikes. This choice aided the winner in his bid to break the 3-hour mark.

When he broke Charles Keey’s 12-year-old record last year, Nortje had reported that a headwind on the final sector of the course, along the banks of the Knysna Lagoon, had prevented him from going the 32 seconds faster he required to go sub-3 in 2024.

This year, the fabled mark and the victory were never in doubt in the closing phases of the 95-kilometre race from Uniondale to Knysna.

Herman Fourie, of Valley Electrical Titan Racing, leading the chase group, which included Rogan Smart, Marco Joubert, Cronje Beukes, and Pieter Korkie. Photo by Oakpics.com

The Lions Karoo to Coast is one of South Africa’s most iconic mountain bike events. Having been first staged in 1999, it has witnessed the evolution of off-road cycling.

Long gone are the days of 26-inch wheels and narrow handlebars. Perhaps the event has now moved into the gravel bike era, usurping the once ubiquitous 29er, as Nortje proved that drop bar bikes are indeed fastest over the rutted surfaces of Prince Alfred’s Pass.

“The route was tough!” Nortje grimaced on the finish line. “The descents are rough and even on the climbs you have to stay in the saddle to keep traction, so I’m not sure how the gravel bike is faster, but it is.”

“The Lions Karoo to Coast is a race I always wanted to do as a kid growing up in George, so to be able to come here and take the win last year was very special,” he smiled.

“Coming back this year, the aim was to break the record again, and being able to achieve that is extra special. Like last year, I had a plan to go early to prevent having a group slow things down, as everyone looked at each other. I got away about 2 kilometres into the race and just rode solo from there. There was a headwind the whole way, so that made things really tough! But I just kept my head down and kept pushing.”

Catherine Colyn (right) had to be content with second on the day. Photo by Oakpics.com

Nortje’s winning time of 2 hours, 56 minutes, and 51 seconds is 3 minutes and 40 seconds faster than his 2024 course record. His nearest rivals finished 11 minutes and 38 seconds down.

His teammate, Joubert, outsprinted Valley Electrical Titan Racing’s Herman Fourie for second, while Cronje Beukes added another George local success story to the day in fourth.

Rogan Smart, of Plettenberg Bay, was fifth, edging out Pieter Korkie in another sprint for a minor placing.

In the women’s race, mountain bikes won. Toovey, a multisport star from the Garden Route, has notched up victories in triathlons, trail runs, and now an iconic mountain bike race too. Tactics and group strength played their part in her victory, too, but the foundation was laid by Toovey’s ability to descend faster.

“I was in a group with Catherine Colyn and a few very fast men, at the top of Prince Alfred’s Pass,” Toovey explained. “On that long descent to De Vlugt, she [Colyn] wasn’t able to follow, and I thought if I could stay with those men, I’d have a good chance of winning.”

Drafting and working with that group, Toovey was able to maintain an advantage over the defending champion, but Colyn was not easily beaten. “She came back to us a bit at the end there,” the 2025 winner noted. “So, she was super strong over the back of the course.”

“This is my first Lions Karoo to Coast in 9 years, after kids, so it’s amazing to be back here and to take the win,” Toovey beamed.

The newly crowned Queen of the race completed the course in an impressive time of 3 hours, 45 minutes, and 54 seconds. Colyn was second, 3 minutes and 53 seconds down.

Stephanie Wohlters, a relatively new resident of the Garden City of George, completed the women’s podium places. Juanita Mackenzie and Kelly Freeth completed the top five. Wohlters, Mackenzie, and Freeth were separated by just 46 seconds after 95 kilometres of racing.

Alongside the competitive elites, over 1 600 more social riders took to the Lions Karoo to Coast course in 2025. They were treated to magnificent and constantly changing scenery on their journey from Uniondale in the Karoo to Knysna on the Indian Ocean coast.

More riders than ever took on the Lions Karoo to Coast route, and the iconic Prince Alfred’s Pass, on gravel bikes, especially riders from the elite start group. Photo by Oakpics.com

Leaving the small town of Uniondale, sparse shrubbery gave way to orchards in the Langkloof, at Avontuur, before a mix of fynbos and forests lined the sides of the road along Prince Alfred’s Pass. From Kruisvallai, 54 kilometres into the route, 15 kilometres of pine plantations dominated, before Kom se Pad heralded the approaching coast with indigenous forest, which is inexorably linked to Knysna.

The final climb, from the Gouna River to Simola, brought the gravel to its conclusion, and the final 7 kilometres were gloriously smooth asphalt, providing an opportunity to reflect on the ride before reaching the finish line on the Knysna High School’s sports fields.

To relive the highlights of the 2025 Lions Karoo to Coast, riders and cycling fans alike can follow @karoo2coast on Instagram and like the Karoo to Coast Facebook page. For more information on the iconic event, visit www.karootocoast.com.