Cycle Nation Enza Construction’s Lisa Bone won the 2026 King Price Race to the Sea on 5 September, beating defending champion Hayley Preen after a race-long duel across the Overberg.

Bone and Preen separated themselves from the women’s field early in the 153-kilometre gravel race. They then spent much of the day together at the front before the final climb decided the title.

The winning move came after the route rose from the Botrivier Lagoon towards Benguela Cove. Bone attacked on terrain that suited her and opened enough space to hold off Preen by 14 seconds.

Bone finished in 5:35:30, with Preen second in 5:35:44. Alyssa Larish completed the podium in 5:55:37.

Race to the Sea win rewards patient build-up

For Cycle Nation, the victory followed a deliberate preparation plan. Team principal Lincoln King said Bone had not been fully healthy before the African Continental Gravel Championships.

The team chose to skip that event and keep Bone focused on Race to the Sea. King said the decision put the rider’s health ahead of the calendar.

“Sometimes the best preparation is knowing when not to race,” King said.

The sixth edition of the 100-mile event used a new start venue near Villiersdorp, on the banks of Theewaterskloof Dam. The revised course also replaced the traditional Franschhoek Pass opening with the 9-kilometre Rusty Gate climb.

That climb arrived 22 kilometres into the race and quickly shaped the women’s contest. Preen forced the pace and went clear with Bone and Sarah Maré.

Preen took the King Price Queen of the Mountain prize before leading the descent. Bone chose not to take risks on the technical gravel downhill and later rejoined the front group.

“My road skills don’t really help me on technical gravel descents,” Bone said.

Maré stayed with Bone and Preen for around 30 kilometres after the climb. Near the 50-kilometre mark, she lost contact on a longer ascent.

From there, Bone and Preen turned the race into a head-to-head contest. They shared the workload through rolling Overberg gravel and a difficult section into a strong southeasterly headwind.

Bone said the company proved important when the wind made the race especially demanding.

Bone makes the decisive move at Benguela Cove

Preen again used her technical skills on the singletrack approaching Benguela Cove. Bone stayed close enough to keep the race alive before the final uphill drag.

She had reconned the finish section the previous day and knew the closing climb suited her. When the road rose from the lagoon, Bone accelerated and created several bike lengths.

Preen, who won the event in 2022 and 2025, could not close the gap. Bone held the advantage to the line and secured one of her standout gravel results.

“This win is really special,” Bone said after the finish.

She added that road racing remains a major personal ambition, but gravel gives her particular enjoyment. The victory underlined her growing range across both disciplines.

King said the performance justified the team’s approach. He praised Bone’s composure against Preen and her confidence on the decisive climb.

Larish takes third after late podium battle

Behind the leading pair, Maré held third for much of the race. American rider Alyssa Larish moved ahead late and then resisted Maré’s effort to retake the final podium place.

Larish finished 20:07 behind Bone. Maré crossed 23 seconds later in fourth, with Chloé Hopf fifth in 6:08:49.

2026 King Price Race to the Sea elite women

• 1. Lisa Bone – Cycle Nation Enza Construction — 5:35:30
• 2. Hayley Preen – ChemChamp Honeycomb — 5:35:44 (+0:14)
• 3. Alyssa Larish – Privateer — 5:55:37 (+20:07)
• 4. Sarah Maré – Efficient Infiniti Insure — 5:56:00 (+20:30)
• 5. Chloé Hopf – Hollard Cycling — 6:08:49 (+33:19)

Bone’s win capped a five-and-a-half-hour contest shaped by climbing, gravel handling and wind. For Cycle Nation, it also showed the value of patient planning before a major target.

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