Besides the Rapport Toer and Giro del Capo, the beginning of each year would see another multi-day pro-am road cycling event take to the streets of South Africa. The Sanlam Kermesse Series was a lucrative series of town centre races around the Western Cape.
With official international competition having started to grace our shores in late 1991, the 1993 edition of the Sanlam series featured in these magazine clips sees a host of foreign names intermingled with the top SA talent of the day. More foreign riders would follow suit in the ensuing years adding to the quality and sheer diversity of the startlist. Where else would you find track cycling legend Danny Clark and cyclo-cross star Mike Kluge in the same criterium series? In South Africa of course!
Interestingly, the "find" of the series featured here is that of Moolman Welgemoed. An excellent track and road cyclist then competing for the local AWH Motors team. "Moolies" would go on to compete with distinction as part of a highly talented SA National Team in the following year's Rapport Toer managed by Robbie McIntosh and is still a stalwart of the Cape Town cycling scene to the present day.
