George conquers Signal Hill, Giro

Signal Hill - They call professional cycling the race of truth, said a wise man on Saturday, because it eventually finds out your strengths and weaknesses and separates the chaff from the wheat.

The wise man, old in wiles but not in years, was Martin Sanders, who had just watched David George turn predictions into truths by winning the Cape Argus/Pick 'n Pay Giro Del Capo on the final stage of the race on Saturday.

Sanders, the manager of the HSBC team, also had to watch as his man, Daniel Spence, failed to conquer the 5.5km of Signal Hill and lost his pink jersey to the best rider of the tour.

George blasted up Signal Hill in 12 minutes dead, a new record for the route. Spence could not come close to matching this, but held on for second overall, while last year's winner, Piotr Chmielewski (Peaceforce Mroz) of Poland took third with a last-minute effort that was too late to keep him his overall title.

Nic White and Ian McLeod (both HSBC) won the Heinz King of the Mountain and Velotex under-23 jersey, while Australian Allan Davis (Mapei-Quick Step) kept his Pickford points jersey.

For the most part, George won this tour by himself. The rest of his team, Astrolabe-Omega, are a young and inexperienced bunch still learning the ways of stage racing. So George did the next best thing and used the superb teamwork of HSBC, shadowing them in the breaks and pouncing when the opportunity arose. After having to come home when his career stalled in Europe, this has been the perfect way to put himself straight back on to the market.

"Astrolabe-Omega have been really good and have given me another chance. I hope this repays some of that. I had a feeling that I could win this race from the first day. I had to wait for my chance and grab it when it came. I watched HSBC and when Daniel took the jersey on the third-day, I believed I could take him up Signal Hill. I believed I had the edge on him mentally. Actually, all of this race has been about the mental, you know, believing in myself and riding well," said George.

At the top of Signal Hill, George's long-term friend and fellow professional, JP van Zyl, was the first to tell him that he had put too much time into Spence and that the Giro was his. "That man (JP) has been around when anything good has happened to me. He's like a good luck charm, an inspiration. I love having him around," said George.

EDS rider Van Zyl, who won all four events in an international track event in Belville on Saturday night, said that the flow of good karma between them was a two-way thing. Perhaps, he smiled, it would help him to win the Cycle Tour on Sunday morning.

George has also been leaning on Tony Harding, the manager of Robbie Hunter, for advice and guidance. Harding said on Saturday that there were several European teams who were interested in signing George for next season. There was always a need, he said, for a good climber in the top level. George climbed to the top of the hill quickly on Saturday. His climb to the top of the world awaits.