Local cyclist in premier road stage race
Annemie Koen of Mossel Bay is the only woman to compete for the charity Pink Trees for Pauline at the annual Bestmed Tour of Good Hope (ToGH), South Africa’s premier road stage race next week.
The race, which attracts national as well as international riders, will have its headquarters at the Mandela Legacy correctional facility in Paarl, in the heart of the Cape Winelands. The race incorporates five days of racing from 5 to 9 March with 750 riders over a total distance of 490km, with a 5 218m of vertical ascent.
The organiser of the ToGH, ASG Events, has joined hands with charity organisation Pink Trees for Pauline (PTfP) for the first time to use the occasion as a vehicle to benefit the local community.
Annemie, who comes from a cycling family (her dad is the well-known Johnny Koen) only took up serious cycling three years ago.
In 2017 she came second in her age group (30-34 years) at the South African championships and two weeks ago she came second again at the same championships in Oudtshoorn. Only Mandy de Beer from Pretoria could beat her.
According to Annemie, who works in the family business, cycling became more important especially due to the fact that she works with cyclists all the time.
On Sunday, 25 February she took part in the Herald Continental Cycling Tour over 106km. She has been relaxing this week, before for the challenges of the ToGH.
Annemie, who is better known for her netball and cricket skills, has not done many road races. Her first attempt was in 2016 when she took part in the Panorama tour. However, she trains daily and will once again attempt the Panorama tour in April.
Annemie’s dream is to go to the world championships one day, “But it is only a dream as there is not really money in cycling in South Africa,” she said.
The aim of Pink Trees for Pauline, the motto of which is Wrapped in colour, United in Hope, is to raise funds to assist people affected by cancer claim their right to access to treatment. The project was developed in such a way that sustainability in as many towns and communities as possible is guaranteed. It is because of the project’s sustainability that collaboration with South Africa’s iconic cancer organisation, Cansa, was an important step.
Master Cargo, situated in Durbanville, has partnered with Pink Trees to secure a winning race. Master Cargo deploys a cohesive corporate social investment strategy and believes by giving consciously the impact of its social investment will be even greater. Owner Lionel Jansen van Rensburg, a passionate cycling supporter, sponsored a team in the 2017 Epic.
According to the managing director of PTfP, Adri Janse van Nieuwenhuizen that lives in George, this joint venture is a step in the right direction to give sports men and women the oppor-tunity to pool their efforts with community assistance to help those not so healthy and less fortunate.