Ryan Gibbons wins Cape Town Cycle Tour in sprint finish

Ryan Gibbons sprinted to victory in the Cape Town Cycle Tour on Helen Suzman Boulevard in Green Point, Cape Town, on Sunday.

Having spent the last decade racing in Europe, Gibbons’ homecoming to South Africa began with a team victory at the Double Century in November 2025 and culminated on Sunday with the most prestigious title in local cycling.

The 31-year-old Fly Cool Collective racer beat Jaedon Terlouw and Ryno Schutte into second and third.

The elite men’s race in the 48th edition of the race around the Peninsula had been chaotic at times, with multiple crashes and gusting crosswinds making positioning in the group vital. Gibbons was able to avoid issues thanks to his team’s strengths.

Others were not as fortunate. Marc Pritzen and Lood Goosen were two riders who got caught up in crashes.

Pritzen’s chain dropped at an inopportune moment, while the peloton was chasing down a strong breakaway that included Daniel Loubser, Wynand Hofmeyr and Herman Fouche. As the Honeycomb 226ers rider made it back to the group, he was caught behind a crash. Later, Goosen hit the deck hard but was able to continue.

“The Cape Town Cycle Tour is the closest to a European race as we get in South Africa,” Schutte said. “The group is so big, and positioning is really difficult.

“You have to fight to be in the front 10% all the time, or risk getting caught up in crashes.”

Such is the depth of strength in the elite men’s group that even Chapman’s Peak Drive does little to thin the field. The last remaining member of the early breakaway, Hofmeyr, was caught near the summit of the famous climb, and on the descent to Hout Bay Gibbons fired a warning shot.

With 35km of the 109km left to race, he accelerated and tested his rivals’ nerve for a fast descent in gusting winds.

In Hout Bay, Sascha Weber was the next to attack, but Callum Ormiston reeled in the German as the race crested Suikerbossie. Weber was spent, as Gibbons, Terlouw and Schutte were quick to jump onto Ormiston’s wheel.

I may have celebrated a bit early, and Jaedon nearly came around me but taking the victory is so special.

—  Ryan Gibbons

“Tyler [Lange] and I were just behind the four who got away, but he didn’t chase, and the group that formed behind never got a cohesive chase together,” Pritzen said.

Gibbons said he knew he had the advantage in the finish, “but the other guys knew it too, so I had to go early”.

“I may have celebrated a bit early, and Jaedon nearly came around me, but taking the victory is so special. It’s great to be back in South Africa, to be part of the local cycling community again.

“It has grown and strengthened so much in the past decade. Winning the Cape Town Cycle Tour is huge for any South African and for me, in particular, because it was the big South African race missing from my palmarès.”

Gibbons’ powerful sprint allowed him to sit up and celebrate the victory as he coasted across the line, just ahead of Terlouw. Schutte was third and the first under-23 rider home.

Ormiston had to settle for fourth. Behind the leading quartet, Miller claimed fifth with an intelligent attack 800m from the line, while the chase group was preparing to sprint for the final expanded podium place.

2026 Cape Town Cycle Tour elite men’s results

1. Ryan Gibbons: Fly Cool Collective (2:33:06)
2. Jaedon Terlouw: Toyota Specialized Imbuko (ST)
3. Ryno Schutte: Nessa (2:33:07 | +1 | U23)
4. Callum Ormiston: Joyrun & Hurricane (2:33:08 |+2)
5. Alex Miller: Swatt Cycling (2:33:41 | +35)