Cycling News and Race Results

The following riders have been selected to represent the South African track cycling team at the second UCI Track Cycling World Cup “Classic” to be held in Cali, Columbia from 01 to 03 December 2011.

The following riders have been selected to represent the South African track cycling team to participate in the UCI Track Cycling World Cup “Classic” to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan from 4 to 6 November 2011.

The final day of the South African Track Champs saw the elite men’s keirin, women’s points race and junior men’s points race being the highlights of the day.

Day 3 saw the last of the elite men endurance group events and Team Tasol GT conquered before them.

It is highly unlikely that we will see a better Madison race any time soon. The Bellville crowd was treated to an epic battle as the endurance riders went all out.

Cycling South Africa (CSA), as well as the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), deserves to be complimented for selecting Bernard Esterhuizen for the national team that will compete at the Commonwealth Games in India in October.

“Bernard Esterhuizen is the ‘Real Deal’ of South African track cycling. I can only hope that Sascoc also realizes this.” This was the opinion of an elated JP van Zyl, a former South African track cycling great, when asked about Bernard Esterhuizen’s gold medal achievement at the UCI’s Junior World Track Championship in Montichiari, Italy, from11-15 August 2010.

“Back in the days when I finished 5^th in the sprints during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, I thought that I was the ‘Real Deal’, but Bernard’s winning performance in the one kilometer time trial is something else. It is an unbelievable performance. Nobody can doubt any longer that Bernard is the ‘Real Deal’ of SA track cycling.

“His winning time of 1:03.265 is world class. In my opinion it is lightning fast. It must be a new South African junior record and very close to the SA senior record.”

Esterhuizen was really ‘on song’ during the five days of racing. Apart from winning South Africa’s first ever gold medal at a Junior World Track Championship, he also finished fourth in the Keirin final and sixth in the sprint final.

According to Van Zyl, Esterhuizen has proven that he has the necessary ‘big match temperament’.

“Bernard had been away from his parents and friends in Durban for nearly a year while he was training at the UCI’s Training Academy in Switzerland.  Believe me, it can become lonely in Europe. Therefore, I was slightly worried about Bernard before the beginning of the World Championship.  One of two things could happen.  He could either totally crack due to homesickness, or he could ride like a true champion. He did the latter and that tells me much about his character. He had proven himself to be a true fighter of the same caliber as a Robert Hunter.

“The UCI Cycling Academy should also receive credit for Bernard’s victory. He would certainly not have won if he had stayed in South Africa.”

Van Zyl said he plans to propose to the manager of the UCI Training Academy an arrangement that will allow Esterhuizen to remain and train at the Academy until the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

“Bernard is, without a doubt, a certain medal contender.  Remember I was only 20 when I finished 5^th at 1996 Olympic Games.”

Dean Edwards, another hero of SA track cycling, is also full of praise for Esterhuizen’s performance.

“Nobody can deny that you are one of the world’s best if you win a gold medal at a world championship.

“I just hope that Cycling South Africa will ensure that he gets all the support he needs from now on.  Hopefully Bernard’s victory has proven once and for all that South Africa’s track cyclists can compete with the best if they are given the right opportunities. I can only hope that Bernard has opened the door for a complete track cycling development programme. There are more medals to be won at future World Championships.”

Photo: Bernard Esterhuizen