Cyclingnews - February 2015 by FullStopCom

For the latest news visit www.cyclingnews.co.za

VOL 16 NO 2

FEBRUARY 2015

PRODUCT FEATURE

REASONS TO

LOVE CYCLING

LEGEND OF THE PEDAL

WIELE WENTZEL KEEPS THE WHEELS TURNING SUPER SAUSER IS KING OF THE ATTAKWAS MEDALS AND SMILES FOR SA WOMEN

2015 TOUR

DE BOLAND SHIFTS INTO GEAR

20 QUESTIONS FOR CARINUS LEMMER

TOUR DE BOLAND MUST STILL GROW AUSSIE PRO TEAM HEADS FOR TOUR DE BOLAND

CONTENTS

Sub header

ON THE COVER Cycling fever runs high in the Boland during South Africa’s annual tour racing showcase event, which takes place in March. Pictures: Capcha

REGULARS

Editor

From the Editor: PPA launch new campaign – Stay wider of the Rider!

Wynand de Villiers wynand@cyclingnews.co.za

In the Bunch: No licence, no ride

Consulting editor

Product feature: 7 reasons to love cycling

Gerhard Burger

Pulse pages: The Polar A300 tells you EVERYTHING

Legend of the pedal: Wiele Wentzel keeps the wheels turning

Bike shop feature: Upmarket new look for John O’Connor Cycles

FEATURES

Contributors Phil Liggett, Coetzee Gouws, Andrew Mclean

Pictures Photosport International, Michelle Cound, Frank Bodenmueller, My Picture

Design Cinnamon Graphix C.C. Chris Dawson – chris@cgraphix.co.za

Medals and smiles for SA women

Nutrition: Fuel up with milk!

Terrific 25ers make Cycle Tour history

Aussie pro team heads for Tour de Boland

20 Questions For Carinus Lemmer: Tour de Boland must still grow

email advertising@cyclingnews.co.za or phone 083 269 7659

Paarl Boxing Day decision explained

Published by ASG Events

Chic shapes cycling’s future

116B, Glen Avenue, Willow Glen, Pretoria. Tel no: 012 751 4130/31/32/33 Fax: 086 730 3099

Printer Colorpress Pty (Ltd) Ryan Lotter – 011 493 8622/3/4/5

Advertising

RACE REVIEWS

Super Sauser is king of the Attakwas

Cyclingnews February 2015

FROM THE EDITOR

PPA launch new campaign

Stay wider of the Rider! IT’S time for action to make South Africa’s roads safer for cyclists, says Steve Hayward, chairman of the Pedal Power Association. The PPA’s new Stay Wider of the Rider campaign is aimed at improving a distressing situation. Statistics show that 40 per cent of all road fatalities in South Africa are vulnerable road users, including cyclists. Since 2013, accidents involving motor vehicles and cyclists have increased by over 80 per cent. And the number of cyclists and motorists on SA roads is increasing each year. In 2011, the association, a public benefit organisation with more than 18 000 members, launched the successful Cyclists Stay Alive at 1.5 campaign back that resulted in a 1-metre passing law being promulgated in the Western Cape in 2013. The PPA will continue to lobby for a 1.5m passing distance. The Stay Wider of the Rider campaign is aimed at urging motorists to pass cyclists at a safe distance of at least as metre or more. Statistics show that almost all cycling fatalities on SA roads are caused by cyclists being hit from behind by a motor vehicle or when the driver of a vehicle underestimates the speed of a cyclist and turns in front of the rider. Cyclists have almost no protection when they are involved in an accident. By giving them adequate space, motorists can avoid accidents that can cost precious lives. To coincide with the launch of the initiative, the PPA planned an Awareness Ride to start at 06:30 on Saturday 28 February from Maiden’s Cove (Camp’s Bay) to Chapman’s Peak and back. Entries for the Awareness Ride are open. Follow the link from PPA website at www.pedalpower.org.za

Wynand de Villiers

Cyclingnews Magazine is available from these fine Cycling stores: Bells Cycling Cajees Boksburg Cajees Centurion Cajees East Gate Cajees Princess Crossing Cajees Strubens Valley Complete Cyclist Cycle East Cycle Lab Boksburg Cycle Lab Centurion Cycle Lab Fourways Cycle Lab Little Falls Cycle Lab Lynnwood Bridge Cycle Zone Design in Motion Epic Sport Gary Benecke Cycles Go Cycles Hatfield Cycles Hot Spot Cycling Linden Cycles Lynnwood Cyclery Mega Mica Cycles Mikes Bike Morningside Cycles Mr Africa Trading Pro T Cycles Ridgeway Cycles Saloojees Cycles Shooting stuff Sollys Angling Corner Solomons Lynnwood Solomons Woodmead Tony Impey Tool up Cycles Tour De Frans Trinity Cycles Valencia Wholesalers Velotique Westdene Cycles Xtreme Cycles

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SUBSCRIBE If you’d like to join our ever-increasing subscriber base, there is no better time than now. Simply log onto www.asgevents.co.za and click on the subscribe button The magazine remains free of charge at major bike shops and races throughout the country, but because our print run is limited we inevitably get readers that miss out on some of the issues. If you would like to ensure that you don’t miss an issue, a subscription charge of R85 for ten issues will secure a copy of Cyclingnews Magazine in your postbox every month.

Cyclingnews February 2015

Buffet Olives are cultivated and processed on a 300 hectare farm situated in the foothills of the Drakenstein Mountain range. Granite based soils in combination with a Mediterranean climate create the ideal conditions to grow superior olives. The result: Olives with the tradition of the Mediteranean and the sun ripe flavour of the Cape.

Make Buffet Olives your natural choice.

Available in stores country wide. Visit www.buffetolives.net

IN THE BUNCH WITH COETZEE GOUWS

Pictures: Photosport International

NO LICENCE, NO RIDE When I took up cycling in the mid-eighties, the rules on participation were simple. If you wanted to represent your province – and by extension your country should isolation come to an end – you had to be a licenced rider. TO achieve this, you joined a club that was affiliated to the provincial body, which in turn fell under the auspices of the national entity and so on. The licenced road racing season stretched roughly from April to October and I suspect the reasoning was to fit in with the Europeans who, of course, raced in summer.

Without indoor facilities to speak of in the South Africa of those days, it also made sense to schedule the track season for summer when the weather interfered least. As a roadie (as opposed to a track rider, not mountain biker) I never really saw the logic. We trained while the least number of daylight hours were available and raced when the weather was at its most gnarly. Races took place on Saturday afternoons and anyone in my valley (aka the Windy City) will tell you that is when the wind is at its most relentless. The timeslot also meant you missed the weekly round of televised Currie Cup matches on SAUK/SABC, which started at three-thirty. And then you were probably too tired to enjoy the

traditional braai afterwards. The administrators couldn’t make life more difficult for you if they tried. There were other bits and bobs that came with the privilege of holding a valid SACF (South African Cycling Federation back then) licence. Non-conforming kit, for instance, could easily lead to a DNS. Socks had to be snow white and shorts, black, were only allowed to display the club name and sponsor – and a prescribed size too. I’ve seen riders racing with socks turned inside-out and with masking tape covering inappropriate branding. Every week, you had to show your licence to the same admin lady upon entry. The rules were clear in this regard and they referred to it as “no licence, no ride”. >

“We trained while the least number of daylight hours were available and raced when the weather was at its most gnarly.”

Cyclingnews February 2015

IN THE BUNCH WITH COETZEE GOUWS

If you ran afoul of the regulations, you could’ve easily ended up watching rugby instead of racing. There was even a law that allowed the commissaire to stop the race if he was of the opinion that we were not “racing” hard enough. This actually happened once and, after a stern talking to, we were sent on our way. We were proud to be licenced riders. That laminated card was proof that you were not a fun rider and one could even argue that it was a symbol of status. Not that we minded fun rides, which were generally organised by churches, schools and non-profits as annual fundraisers. You were allowed to take part in these when they did not collide with the province’s sanctioned racing programme and you could actually win money instead of merely racing for status. Apart from these bazaar fun rides, as I liked to call them, there were two really big ones: the EP Herald in my hometown and the Argus in Cape Town. In the pre-digital era, the printed press was keen to get involved as

participants bought newspapers to see their finishing positions and photos, which upped circulation. Do-good organisations such a Rotary would provide manpower to run events for a cut of the profits and we provided the racing. But, for us, these two fun rides merely signalled that the real racing season was around the corner. Largely because of the highly regulated nature of licenced racing, the governing bodies were always at odds with the public. Most people were not concerned with representing their province or country – they simply wanted to ride and have a dice. So we started seeing the emergence of what I called super fun rides, which were much less descriptive and catered to the masses. Numbers meant money in the pockets of organisers (mostly entrepreneurs who saw the gaping gaps in the market that the bureaucratic bodies were blind to) and with money came power.

As they accumulated more of both, the governing bodies were left with less of both. Power struggles not too dissimilar of those that we are witnessing in the national assembly ensued and it all turned ugly at one point. Last year, one of these super fun rides went to court and won the right to stand independent from the regulatory body. Therefore, when the CSA (formerly the SACF) sent out a communiqué in February referring to “UCI rule 1.2.019 pertaining to forbidden races” – which basically says that full licenced members may not compete in non-sanctioned events – I suspected that things were about to turn nasty again. At the time of writing, the mud-slinging had just begun and I was hopeful that common ground could be found to ensure the participation of our top pros against international stars like Mark Cavendish. Not unlike our country, I reckon the answer lies in good governance that individual entities aspire to be a part of. Questionable governance always leads to a strong opposition. •CN

“I was hopeful that common ground could be found to ensure the participation of our top pros against international stars like Mark Cavendish.”

Cyclingnews February 2015

Enter on-line at

www.cycleevents.co.za

On-line entries close on 30 March 2015 at 23:00

SATURDAY, 11 APRIL 2015 EMPERORS PALACE MTB CLASSIC Start: 8:00 Distances: 40km (R170), 20km (R130) Start and finish: Emperors Palace

SUNDAY, 12 APRIL 2015 EMPERORS PALACE CLASSIC ROAD RACE Distances: 102km (R290), 50km (R150) Start and finish: Emperors Palace Start: 06:15

An entire weekend of cycling activities

EMPERORS PALACE KIDS CLASSIC 2-4 year-olds, 5-8 year-olds. Emperors Palace grounds Start: 10:00

EMPERORS PALACE CIRCUIT SPECTACULAR By invitation only Venue: Emperors Palace grounds Start: 11:00

For more information, contact ASG Events on 076 621 1807 or email eventsupport@asgworld.co.za

PRODUCT FEATURE

REASONS TO LOVE CYCLING With February being the month of love, Cyclingnews have put together a must-have list of hot products to make you fall in love with cycling all over again. These highly desirable items can be found at a retailer near you. WALKING ON AIR Sidi Shoesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; elite level Drako Carbon SRS mountain-bike shoes will have you stepping out in style this season. The Tecno 3 Monofilament closure adjusts to the shape of your foot, providing optimal comfort, and the Carbon SRS MTB sole is designed to endure the most testing high-performance tracks. Sidiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Soft Instep 3 system is replaceable and reduces the need for a high instep extender, providing riders with a well-heeled fit.

AN EVOLVING RELATIONSHIP Over 30 years of experience has enabled Scicon to design and manufacture top cycling bags. With the Scicon AeroTech Evolution you can transport almost any racing bike frame. Considered as one of the best hard bike cases available, the AeroTech Evolution is the safest and most comfortable option to handle your bike on long trips.

Cyclingnews February 2015

PRODUCT FEATURE

SEEING STARS Feel safe in the saddle and embrace the spirit of competition with Rudy Project’s Agon glasses. The sleek half-rim structure will help you avoid obstacles by allowing a broader field of vision, while the temple tips and ErgoIV adjustable nose piece will ensure the glasses remain firmly on your face in any condition.

RIDE OF YOUR LIFE Designed to excite, the Pinarello Dogma F8 will carry you around every curve and let you fly over the flats. You will fall in love with its effortlessly aerodynamic frame, feather-light 860 gram weight and hidden ONDA RS F8 rear brake. The Dogma F8’s new FlatBack tubes, ensuring that it is 12 per cent more rigid than its Dogma 65.1 predecessor, sets Pinarello’s new bike a cut above the rest.

Cyclingnews February 2015

PRODUCT FEATURE

A HEAD RUSH The stylish new Rush helmet by Rudy Project is designed for maximum comfort and will leave you with a fresh, slick look. The removable visor will protect you from this season’s rays and the 21 air intakes and in-mould shell will keep you cool and comfortable.

A PERFECT FIT Looking for the perfect saddle? Selle San Marco’s DiMA selector tool allows you to find your perfect fit. By simply entering your vital statistics such as age, body type, sensitivity to pressure and ride style, the selector will choose the right saddle for you, including the option of the regular narrow or new wider saddle, depending on your preference.

THE WHEEL THING Push your limits this season with Vision’s aerodynamic wheels. Using only the latest cutting-edge technology, Vision’s wheels are guaranteed to keep you on the road. Choose from a wide range of options, including the Metron 81 series, designed with deep-section carbon tubular rims and Sapim Aero bladed spokes, and the popular Metron 55 series, equipped with direct pull-bladed spokes, ABS brass nipples and ceramic bearings in PRA hubs. •CN

Cyclingnews February 2015

2-6 March 2015

SUPPORT THE 2015 TOUR DE BOLAND WATCH Stage 1: Monday 2 March Paarl through Franchhoek to Worcester, via Villiersdorp (113km) Stage 2: Tuesday 3 March Worcester to Op-die-Berg, via Ceres (110.9km) Stage 3: Wednesday 4 March Individual Time Trial â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ceres to Tulbagh (30km) Stage 4: Thursday 5 March ulbagh to Riebeek-kasteel, via Piketberg (138.4km) Stage 5: Friday 6 March Riebeek-kasteel to Paarl, via Wellington (72.2km)

FOLLOW Social media Follow us on facebook Website Visit tourdeboland.com for up to date results

5 DAYS – 5 STAGES – 460km

FEATURE

Words: Coetzee Gouws • Picture: Craig Dutton (www.pics2go.co.za)

Medals and smiles

for SA women The SA women’s cycling scene has been in a state of flux for a few years, with the rise and demise of some teams often leaving individual riders scrambling for sponsorship. ONE team that has bucked the trend and attracted growing support and stability from sponsors is Team Bestmed-ASG-Multihull. Focusing on the development of riders across all age categories, from under-16 to veteran level, the team seems to be making the right moves. New co-title sponsor and Multihull managing director Paul Hough concurs. “Currently most of the emphasis nationally is on the men, and we thought it opportune to get involved in women’s cycling,” says Hough. >

“The elite women don’t have an under-23 age group, so it was a massive jump from junior to elite for the three teenagers.”

Cyclingnews February 2015

FEATURE

“We chose the team as its cyclists have a good track record, are well organised and have a great team spirit, with a dedicated management team supporting them.” The 15-rider squad got the new season off to a good start with a few new signings and some notable national and international achievements. In January, new member Maroesjka Matthee obliterated the competition at the African continental track championships, winning all six her omnium events. Just over a week later, the track specialist used her explosive power to outsprint defending champion Anriette Schoeman and claim her first big national classic win at The Herald VW Cycle Tour in Port Elizabeth. That same weekend, Matthee’s Namibian teammate Vera Adrian carried all before her as she retained her national road race title and added a victory in the time-trial. 16

Cyclingnews February 2015

The team turned out in force for the SA road championships the following week, winning seven medals in the various categories. Team captain Desray Sebregts led from the front, earning the national champion’s jersey in the veteran’s category (35-39) in both the time-trial and road race. Her time-trial time would have placed her in the top six in the elite category, says team manager Owen Botha. The first-year elites failed to shape in their time-trial, but they surprised with strong performances in the road race. “We entered new elites Michelle Benson, Catherine Colyn and Chanté van der Merwe in the road race, alongside Charlene du Preez,” says Botha. “The elite women don’t have an under-23 age group, so it was a massive jump from junior to elite for the three teenagers.” Battling intense heat and humidity in the 114km race, Colyn achieved a

ninth-place finish, only 13 seconds behind the winner, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio. Benson was 12th. In the U-16 and junior categories the team swept the silver medals across the board. Jessica Brown just missed gold in a photo finish in the U-16 road race and her teammate Azulde Britz took bronze. Britz also grabbed the runner-up spot in the time-trial. Lynette Benson’s pair of medals in the junior events was enough to earn her inclusion in the junior national team for the continental road championships. There her SA team won gold in the team time-trial and she again took silver in the individual event. Botha says the early-season podiums are encouraging and he hopes the team will continue to build on this solid foundation. Follow the team’s progress at www.teambestmedasg.co.za, on Facebook and @TeamBestmed_asg. •CN

RACE REVIEW

Words: Coetzee Gouws

Super Sauser

is king of the Attakwas Multiple world champion and mountain-bike star Christoph Sauser got his racing season off to the perfect start when he won the Fairview Attakwas Extreme MTB Challenge on January 17. FOR the ninth edition of the Western Cape ultra marathon, the first event on many a rider’s yearly calendar, the riders made their way from Chandelier Game Lodge in Oudtshoorn to Pine Creek Resort at the Great Brak River. After preparing vigorously throughout his off season, Sauser was eager to shake up his training routine and push himself to the limit. “Racing out of training is always hard, especially when it is the first race of the season and, on top of it, a race like the Attakwas Extreme, which is one of the

hardest one-day races in South Africa,” he said. Securing his second Attakwas victory in three years, the Investec-songo-Specialized rider came home in 4 hours 51 minutes 59 seconds, almost four-and-a-half minutes ahead of German star Stefan Sahm of Team Bulls. Two of South Africa’s top U-23 talents, Scott Factory Racing’s Gert Heyns (third) and Team Jeep SA’s Matthew Beers (fifth), sandwiched Team Elite’s Swiss star Konny Looser. Enforcing the Swiss theme, Team

RECM’s Ariane Kleinhans retained her title in the women’s race, winning in 5:30:58. “It’s really important to start the season with a win. It’s a good indication of your form after all the December miles and it’s a big weight off my shoulders to get another Attakwas win,” she said. Kleinhans was followed home by SA champion Robyn de Groot and, later, the latter’s Ascendis Health teammate Jennie Stenerhag, who was fighting for the victory until mechanicals brought her charge to an end. >

Cyclingnews February 2015

RACE REVIEW

For this year, the organisers introduced an incentive of R100 000 for any rider breaking the 4:30 barrier. For Sauser, however, this was of no consequence. “We started super slow for the first two hours; actually more than ten minutes slower than last year.” In the end there was no clear effort to break the record of 4:47:46, much less eclipse less the incentive time. “Achieving that time would only be possible if I were in world championship shape, had five super strong riders pacing for me, and a whole lot of tail wind,” said Sauser. Saving energy at the start paid off for Sauser by giving him enough strength to face the second half of the race. The 38-year-old emerged from the notoriously difficult Attakwas Valley in as good a shape as one could hope to be. “The only survivors were Gert and Stefan. Gert did not look good anymore and got dropped at the beginning of the never-ending gravel road towards the finish. Stefan also ran out of power, so it was a long time-trial to the finish. It was then that I knew I was going to win,” the champion said. The 121km race included 2 900 metres of climbing, making it a serious challenge by anyone’s standards. The severity of the terrain and weather extremes also made

Cyclingnews February 2015

it an impressive feat to finish within the allotted 11 hours. “Every finisher can be proud, especially the weekend warrior,” said Sauser. Winning the race in a personal best time is a good omen for Sauser as he takes aim at a fifth Cape Epic title. “I am super happy to win not only my second Attakwas, but my first race of the season. It is always good to start your season with a win,” he said. When he is not scooping up titles or training, Sauser is heavily involved in the

sports and social development initiative at songo.info. Sauser, along with athlete and Kayamandi (near Stellenbosch) community leader Songo Fipaza, created the initiative to provide sporting and educational opportunities to the township’s children and young adults. The programme focuses on sports such BMX, mountain biking and road cycling and Sauser is among the sports stars who spend much time coaching and riding with the children. •CN

RESULTS MEN 1 2 3 4 5

Christoph Sauser Stefan Sahm Gert Heyns Konny Looser Matthew Beers

4:51:58 4:56:24 4:59:39 5:05:39 5:05:55.

WOMEN 1 2 3 4 5

Ariane Kleinhans Robyn De Groot Jennie Stenerhag Yolandi De Villiers Fienie Barnard

5:30:58 5:38:12 5:55:08 5:59:06 6:04:40

DATES: 17-19 July 2015 START/FINISH: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit ON-LINE ENTRIES: www.asgevents.co.za ENTRY FEES: 1-Day event: R720 3-Day event: R3 950

BRACE YOURSELF! The 2015 Bestmed Jock offers a brand new challenge to serious road riders across the country. Besides the existing 3-stage, 1-day event which takes place on Saturday 18 July, the organisers have added another dimension to the event with a 3-day stage race covering 334km and a daunting 7200 metres of vertical ascent. The existing one-day Jock, which is an official premier seeding event for the Cape Town Cycle Tour, keeps its name as the Bestmed Jock Classique while its 3-day big brother will be known as the Bestmed Jock Tour. The Bestmed Jock Tour, which takes place from 17-19 July, is not a challenge for the average rider. It constitutes the first event in South Africa which is mirrored on the Classic European Alpine road race stage races, such as the Haute Route. There is no tougher 3-day challenge on a road bike anywhere else on the African continent. ENTRIES FOR THE TOUR EVENT IS LIMITED TO 400 RIDERS The 2015 edition of the Bestmed Jock Cycle Classique, which takes place on 18 July 2015, will feature a new stage 1 route from Nelspruit to White River.

THE JOCK CLASSIQUE

THE JOCK TOUR 2015

1 Day - 3 Stages - 154km – 2900m Ascent

3 Days - 3 Stages - 334km – 7200m Ascent

STAGE 1 • Nelspruit – White River: 44km

STAGE 1: FRIDAY 17 JULY • Individual Time Trial; Nelspruit to Kaapsehoop; • 30km, 1200m ascent

STAGE 2 • White River – Sabie (via Spitskop): 45km STAGE 3 • Sabie – Nelspruit (via Long Tom Pass): 63km For further enquiries phone the race office on 076 621 1807 or email eventsupport@asgworld.co.za

STAGE 2: SATURDAY 18 JULY • Nelspruit to White River via the Kruger Airport Road/Sabie and back to Nelspruit; • 154km, 2900m ascent. STAGE 3: SUNDAY 19 JULY • Nelspruit to Kaapmuiden via Barberton and back to Nelspruit • 150km, 3100m ascent

NUTRITION

FUEL UP WITH MILK! High-intensity training for running and cycling is tough. You feel every muscle and every tendon burn as you push through the pain. But you keep going. Failure is not an option. YOU know the importance of focusing on your goals and you know the importance of providing your body with the nutrients it needs to help you reach them. But do you know that milk is an excellent sports drink, capable of fully supporting your body during and after training? Carbohydrates are the main fuel source for athletes and are generally needed in large amounts. The carbs found in milk (lactose) don’t only refill depleted fuel stores, but also help boost energy and combat fatigue. Being a liquid, milk naturally helps prevent heat stress and exhaustion during training and also ensures adequate hydration; a critical factor, because dehydration has been linked to impaired performance and negative health implications. Flavoured milk, milk and low-fat flavoured yoghurt and drinking yoghurt are good sources of carbohydrates. They also contribute to your protein needs, which is important because, as an athlete, you need additional protein to replace broken-down muscle protein and to promote muscle repair and growth. Milk has been proven to be an effective post-exercise recovery drink because it contains high-quality protein for muscle repair, easily absorbed calcium to build and maintain strong bones, potassium, sodium and magnesium that efficiently replace the electrolytes lost through sweating. Chilled flavoured milk is a refreshing post-workout drink. Drinking just 500ml of flavoured milk after training provides your body with 60g carbohydrates, 16g protein, 85% water and all the electrolytes you need for optimal post-exercise recovery. Flavoured milk contains approximately two teaspoons of added sugar, providing extra energy and promoting quick recovery. If you need another reason to add a bottle of milk to your sports bag, consider this:

Resistance exercise or repeated high-intensity contractions of different muscle groups to build lean body mass must be supported by a combined protein and carbohydrate intake just before or shortly after exercise to stimulate protein synthesis and muscle growth. Research shows low-fat drinking yoghurt and flavoured milk contribute significantly to the recovery of macro-nutrients in strength-training athletes if included in the post-exercise meal. “Optimal nutritional recovery maintains energy levels and limits tissue breakdown, especially during high training loads, says Maretha Vermaak of the Consumer Education Project of Milk SA. “Glycogen stores are optimally replenished within one or two hours

after exercise. To ensure effective recovery, milk and flavoured milk can provide athletes with all the nutrients they need.” Milk is an attractive alternative to sports drinks. It provides your body with the energy it needs to maintain your ideal weight, minimise the effects of training, and sustain optimal health, all while supporting increased performance levels. Athletes in training should consume three to four servings of dairy per day as part of a healthy, balanced diet that also includes five daily servings of vegetables and fruit. Those who are involved in strength training should aim to consume one gram of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight and 0.4g protein per kilogram body weight during the first two hours after training. •CN

Cyclingnews February 2015

PULSE PAGES

THE POLAR A300 TELLS YOU EVERYTHING Polar have remained at the forefront of technology in the field of heart-rate monitors for more than two decades. Now another chapter in the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s illustrious history has dawned with the launch of what they label as the beginning of a new era of fitness monitors.

Cyclingnews February 2015

PULSE PAGES

THE product they are referring to is the Polar A300. In addition to Polarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s familiar Smart Coaching features based on heart rate, the A300 includes 24/7 activity tracking. Designed for fitness enthusiasts, the Polar A300 makes its user look good and feel great. The stylish A300 is comfortable, lightweight and seamless in design, and available in six trendy colours. To suit every style and occasion the silicon wristband can be easily changed. Additional wristbands will be made available and can be purchased separately as accessories. The waterproof A300 keeps up with the user 24 hours a day for up to four weeks before it needs recharging. When worn together with the accurate Polar H7 heart-rate sensor, the A300 gives insight to heart-rate based training.

It helps users to train correctly to improve fitness and to push the body to healthy limits. Motivating feedback is delivered immediately after exercise. This includes the Energy Pointer: a simple-to-use feature that shows whether the main effect of training was improving fitness or burning fat. The Smart Calories feature calculates the total number of calories burned in training and daily activity, showing exactly how many calories were expended during the day. The Polar A300 is an all-day lifestyle product ideal for tracking daily activity. It measures active time, steps, distance and sleep time, even showing how restful the sleep was. The Activity Benefit feature tracks all the active choices made throughout the day

and shows how they help in staying healthy. The A300 rewards users when they have done enough and makes them move if there is still a little missing from their individual daily activity goal. Moreover, the A300 will interrupt long periods of sitting with a vibration alert encouraging the user to move. Activity and training details can be synced between the A300 and Polar Flow web service and app with Bluetooth Smart. The Polar Flow web service and mobile app explain the benefits the active choices bring each day. Daily activity and training summaries can be shared with friends for more motivation in Polar Flow. The product will be on sale in the United States and Finland in February but South Africans will have to wait a while until the bigger roll-out starts in June. â&#x20AC;˘CN

Cyclingnews February 2015

FEATURE

Words: Coetzee Gouws

Terrific 25ers make Cycle Tour history

It was a blistering hot day in March. Mercury levels were rising well into the forties, refreshment stations were running out of water and about 36 000 riders were taking strain. ASK anyone who completed – or rather, attempted to do so – the 2012 Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour (now known as the Cape Town Cycle Tour) and that’s probably what they’ll say. But if you ask 75-year-old Olga Basson, she’ll tell you about the day she reached a milestone of epic proportions. That was the day she became the first woman to ride 30 Cycle Tours. One would think such an achievement would have been highly publicised, but it was not the case. There was no fanfare, no mention of her in any of the tour’s publications,

no interviews, no congratulations. Nothing. Janet Moss, another veteran of the event who, along with Marje Hemp, was due to complete her 30th Cycle Tour the following year, saw that this was not up to snuff. “I decided that I would make sure Olga and all the other women who had kept at it for 25 years or more would get some kind of recognition,” says Janet. And, in 2013, the Most Cycle Tour’d Women – the Terrific 25ers as they ended up calling themselves – was born.

A lot has changed since Janet put pedal to the tarmac for her first tour in 1982; even more since Olga’s first in 1979, just one year after the inaugural event. Back then the 102km race, which attracted 525 riders, was more of a recreational meander, starting outside the Castle in Strand Street and finishing in Camps Bay. After two years, it was already being advertised as the biggest cycle race in the southern hemisphere, attracting some of the top national and international riders of the time. >

Cyclingnews February 2015

Picture: Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust

FEATURE

The women, especially, were getting faster and faster with each passing year and in 1986, barely a year after taking up cycling, Cathy Carstens set a record time of 2:49:55. Cathy dominated the race for the next few years with five consecutive wins. In 1991, when Pick n Pay came on board, the event became known as the Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour. Another name change occurred six years later, when the tour was renamed the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour. By then it was attracting over 30 000 entrants. Last year the cumbersomely named Cape Argus Pick n Pay Momentum Cycle Tour was officially renamed the Cape Town Cycle Tour in recognition of its global status and international appeal. Speaking at the launch in September last year, Steve Hayward, the chairman of the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust, said the world’s largest timed cycle race had enjoyed a remarkable 37-year journey. The one thing that had remained constant over the years was the

Cyclingnews February 2015

extreme weather, which often left race organisers and riders anxious, he said. “Having been rained on for the entire race in 1986, I hope it does not rain this year,” says 63-year-old Janet, who will participate for the 32nd time. “I would also love to have a wind-free year like we had once in the early 90s when I managed my best time (3:09).” Janet was born in the United Kingdom, but she has represented South Africa 15 times on the road and track. She still oversees the Terrific 25ers, which now have 28 members. They range in age from 37 (Julie Beamish) to 79 (Maisie Swaboda). The latter rode her 30th tour last year and was crowned the oldest female finisher yet. A further 96 have completed 21 tours or more, with another 23 set to join the group this year. Janet says most would agree that the fantastic organisation and the camaraderie keep these tenacious women coming back. She particularly enjoys the enthusiastic cheers of “Go

lady!” when riding up Suikerbossie, the final and most punishing climb. “The crowd support really helps,” she says. Janet firmly believes each Terrific 25er deserves a special mention. To this end, she is hoping to convince the organisers to hold a celebratory party. “Any woman who has raised a family, held down a job and managed to find time to train and complete all these years deserves recognition.” Janet believes it is important to encourage them to keep going and to swell the number of women who ride the (now) 109km race. “Women, by merit of their tenacity, will stick to something and see it through to the end once they are committed. “That’s the amazing thing about cycling; particularly for women. It builds self-confidence and creates a feeling of wellbeing that nothing else can do.” Cycling legends Eddy Merckx and Mark Cavendish will be among about 35 000 riders expected to take part in the 38th race on March 8. •CN

FEATURE

Words: Coetzee Gouws • Picture: Mark Gunter

Aussie pro team

heads for Tour de Boland Australian-based UCI Professional Continental team Drapac have confirmed their participation in the Bestmed Tour de Boland, presented by Pinarello, from March 2 to 6. THE Aussie outfit, which is headed up by South African export Dylan Girdlestone, will take on this country’s top pro teams in the five-day road tour, which starts and finishes in Paarl. It will be the team’s first participation on African soil since being awarded ProConti status last year. Drapac was granted a wild card invitation to the Santos Tour Down Under in 2014 and this year Dutch member Wouter Wippert put the squad in the spotlight with a stage six win. Since joining the ProConti circuit, the team have also notched up stage wins in the Tour of Japan and at the New Zealand Cycle Classic. General manager Jonathan Breekveldt said team management were very excited to be bringing their riders to South Africa for the first time.

“It’s the home of our new signing, Dylan Girdlestone, and our bike sponsor SwiftCarbon, so we look forward to helping them in their native country and growing our brand in a new territory.” Breekveldt said Drapac would bring a full six-man line-up comprising team leader Girdlestone, sprinter Brenton Jones and domestiques Peter Koning, Cameron Peterson and Malcolm Rudolph. Tour director Carinus Lemmer said organisers were delighted that more international teams like Drapac would be able to compete in the tour after the UCI recently relaxed restrictions on pro cyclists riding non-UCI-accredited events. “This is on condition that only a certain number of riders from one team may participate and that teams may not renege on the contract they have with the UCI regarding participation in

sanctioned events scheduled for the same timeframes.” Lemmer said the window had opened up new opportunities for international riders and that organisers of the Tour de Boland were in talks with two other outfits as a result of this. “In addition to these pending announcements, we’ve also got multiple mountain bike world champion Christoph Sauser on board. “He has been a staunch supporter of the event for a number of years and will bring a number of well-known riders as part of his songo.info invitational team.” The 465km tour culminates with a mountaintop finish at a well-known South African landmark – the Taal Monument – on March 6. Visit www.tourdeboland.co.za, Facebook or follow @TourdeBoland. •CN

“It’s the home of our new signing, Dylan Girdlestone, and our bike sponsor SwiftCarbon, so we look forward to helping them in their native country and growing our brand in a new territory.”

Cyclingnews February 2015

FEATURE

Cyclingnews February 2015

FEATURE

Words: Coetzee Gouws • Pictures: Capcha

20 QUESTIONS FOR CARINUS LEMMER

Tour de Boland

must still grow Cyclingnews chatted to tour director of the Bestmed Tour de Boland Carinus Lemmer about life after professional cycling, the beauty of the Boland and keeping the federation on its toes. 1

You are known in the cycling community as somewhat of a maverick. Would you say this is accurate and how did this characterisation come about? A: I am not a maverick. I speak my mind, and do not pander to fools. I am careful, considerate and consistent in almost everything I do. I sometimes use emotion to effect action; I do not deceive and I do not misrepresent my intentions.

2 You were a pro cyclist for a

number of years. What was the transition like; going from competitive cycling to event organising? A: I made many, many mistakes, both as a pro and as an organiser.

3 How did you first get into

cycling? We’re sure there is a story. A: Our parents owned a general dealer a few spots down from a bike shop opened by expat Belgians. It was visited by Cape Town-based cyclists every Sunday; many famous names of the time. My brother Hendrik and I spent all our time in the bike shop and started riding with the guys on borrowed bikes to the edge of town on Sundays. Then, some of the Stellenbosch students, whom we met through the bike shop, started taking us out on rides. More than a handful of these riders were at national level, so we had amazing tutors. It was very hard and I am still not sure why I persevered.

4 What is your favourite cycling

memory or cycling story? A: Only in recent years can I laugh at my late father shouting at the referees – in front of all the spectators – when they fouled the riders on the track. He was right, the refs don’t always put the riders first or, at least, not the right riders. I prohibited him from attending the events while I was still in my teens; he listened. When I turned pro, I was more mature and could invite him back to events. Unfortunately, most events occurred elsewhere in the county, so he never saw much of me racing at the top level. My brother and I both inherited this awkward sense of justice and I, for the life of me, cannot remember ever wronging a rider after my career. (I wronged a few during my career). >

Cyclingnews February 2015

FEATURE

You live in Stellenbosch. What makes the Boland so special for you? A: I do not know any better. Jokes aside, there are not many places in the country where one can raise one’s kids the way we do in Stellenbosch.

What is your personal vision for the Tour? A: To grow it into a two-week race; to cater for all racing categories and all genders, and to turn it into a major sports tourism project for the Western Cape.

10 What are the best and worst 6 You are the chief organiser of

the Tour de Boland. How much of your year do you dedicate to organising it? A: Six months. 7

How do you keep yourself busy during the rest of the year? A: I run my communications agency. What are your expectations for this year’s Tour de Boland? A: To suffer no incidents that could jeopardise the safety and fairness aspects of the tour, and to increase the level of niceness and professionalism year on year.

Cyclingnews February 2015

parts of organising the Tour? A: Best part: I have great partners. Worst part: not having enough time to introduce all the nice-to-haves. It is a problem I’d like to overcome. 11 Road races and, by extension,

road tours, seem to be a dying breed. In this context, how important is it for the country to have a top-tier event such as the Tour de Boland? A: We need ten of these and 200 single-day races. The Tour de Boland is unique in the sense that it costs rather little to organise. It is an entrepreneurial event, with a low budget, but a high standing. I can easily stage several more tours, but the riders won’t support it.

Nowadays they want to see super prize money, see an event go bust and then sit on their asses complaining about the lack of events. 12 When was the Tour “born” and

what is your standout memory? A: We haven’t researched exactly how old it is. But what is cool is that there were two Tours de Boland in the apartheid days: one for black riders and one for the others. This needs uncovering. Each year gets better; I am not emotionally wired to be able to remember much. 13 What have you planned to

keep things interesting this year? A: The racing and setting make it interesting. I choose routes that invite joy and suffering.

FEATURE

14 Tell us about the National

Cycling Academy and your involvement. A: I am a founder. We put people on bikes. First, we teach them all of the essentials for being safe and doing repairs. Then we reward them with bikes. We are writing an all-encompassing curriculum that will be made available to tutors at various levels to teach safety, workshops, officiating, marshalling and so on. 15 It is fair to say that you do not

enjoy being tied down to just one thing. What is next for Carinus Lemmer? A: The usual: raise my kids, work my day job, trying to take care of my clients, run the academy sessions, restore old bikes, head the non-motorised transport forum of

Stellenbosch and complete the plan for cycling in Stellenbosch.

19 Favourite meal, drink and

time of the day? A: Game meat in stews; meat that I hunt and prepare. One craft beer at night, three barista espressos in the morning. I work best mornings. I only work mornings. Rest of the day I yak.

16 How would you describe your

role in SA cycling? A: I keep the federation on its toes. 17 Take us through a day in your

life. A: Work from 6 to 8am; coffee in town; cycle/work; coffee in town; yak/meetings; rest; hang with family; work; sleep nine to ten hours per night … I go to bed the same time as my youngest kid. 18 Your brother was also a

Complete this sentence: Back in the day, when we used to race . . . A: . . . we raced twelve months of the year, and that is why our generation was faster and tougher than this one. Fewer opportunities meant more hard work. •CN

successful cyclist. Any sibling rivalry there? And these days? A: He was a top amateur and my biggest supporter… and is to this day.

“The elite women don’t have an under-23 age group, so it was a massive jump from junior to elite for the three teenagers.”

Cyclingnews February 2015

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FEATURE

Words: Coetzee Gouws • Pictures: Craig Dutton (www.pics2go.co.za)

Paarl Boxing Day decision explained Track cycling has largely fallen out of the national spotlight, but one incident at the recent Paarl Boxing Day event certainly sparked public debate and got people talking about this neglected discipline once more. SPRINT sensation Nolan Hoffman was on track, so to speak, for a record-breaking sixth consecutive victory in the 25-mile event when an infringement on Evan Carstens in the final 200m resulted in him being relegated from the race.

Fans threatened to storm the track at the Paarl stadium and social media networks exploded with post-race commentary and analyses. The officials offered only a “no-result” decision. The following day, Carstens was declared the winner and awarded the official time of the first rider (Hoffman) to cross the line: 53 minutes and 40 seconds.

To find out exactly what happened, Cyclingnews asked Cycling SA track commissioner Johan Smith for the official explanation of the events. “What happened was that Nolan tried to move around the rider in front of him while Evan was passing him,” said Smith. “This caused Evan to move up the bank and lose time. The move by Nolan was interpreted as illegal by the official and he was subsequently relegated.”>

Nolan Hoffman on his way to winning the Elite Men 15km Scratch during the 2015 African Continental Championships at the Sax Young Cycling track in Alexandra Park.

Cyclingnews February 2015

FEATURE

“We must remember that track cycling is a highly specialised sport and must be managed as such.”

According to Smith, Hoffman broke four UCI-prescribed rules: not holding his line in the last 200m of the race, not holding his line in the final sprint, making an irregular movement to prevent his opponent from passing and moving outward with the intention of forcing the opponent to go up. The first two rules were clearly infringed, but it was the question of Hoffman’s intention, the legitimacy of his move and the seeming indecision by race officials that raised public ire. “I think there was a misinterpretation of what happened after the race,” said Smith. “After the incident, the chief commissaire immediately discussed the incident with the corner judge and they agreed on the decision. The riders and managers were then called and the decision explained.” No video footage was immediately available for review. The officials discussed the ruling and the decision stood.

Cyclingnews February 2015

“Video evidence by a third party later revealed that the correct decision was made. This was also confirmed by a UCI commissaire,” said Smith. “It was decided by the chief commissaire not to announce the result because people were invading the track and he felt it would be better to defuse the situation by delaying the announcement of the result.” Smith said the outcome was conveyed to the organisers the following day. “The chief commissaire made the right decision under the given circumstances.” Smith said the incident highlighted the very technical and specialised nature of track cycling, which worked both in its favour and against its popularity in comparison with other cycling disciplines. “We must remember that track cycling is a highly specialised sport and must be managed as such.” Unlike road racing and mountain biking, he said, track cycling was not a mass-participation sport and had

therefore fallen out of favour with sports administrators and fans alike. Smith said a return to traditional league structures had started to yield positive results, with Western Province winning the first President’s Cup interprovincial series this year. Despite the latest controversy, he believes track cycling has taken a turn for the better. “The 2015 Boxing Day will be one not to be missed! One cannot ignore a meeting that is older than 100 years. The titles on offer here sometimes carry more weight than a national title.” Smith said the public response showed that the discipline in general was starting to build “huge” momentum under the new management. “The best riders of all the top road teams have been competing on the track since last year. The roadies are starting to realise that their chance of winning a national classic is very slim if they don’t have the kind of speed they can only cultivate on the track.” •CN

FEATURE

Words: Coetzee Gouws

Chic shapes cyclingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future A small non-profit organisation has quietly begun shaping the future of SA cycling in the heart of the Cape Winelands. ESTABLISHED early last year, the Chic Development Foundation in Franschhoek aims to assist children from disadvantaged backgrounds through the medium of sport. The picturesque Western Cape town, which has built its economy on the tourism and agricultural industries, straddles the conspicuous economic divide between privilege and poverty.

Many families in the area depend on seasonal work as farm labourers, and youth unemployment rates hover at around 21.5 per cent. For many youngsters, their opportunities for a better life are limited. This is where Chicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sports-mad founding members have stepped in to help those who truly wish to be helped, in a sustainable way.

The founders prefer to remain anonymous but their humanitarian initiative is being driven by former professional cyclist and multiple SA cross-country champion Geddan Ruddock. Still passionate about cycling, Ruddock remains involved in the sport through his business, Franschhoek Cycles, and a local club. >

Chic team: Guillaume Wessels, Jiyaad Johnson, Jason Boonzaaier and Rosco Neels.

Cyclingnews February 2015

FEATURE

Chic team WP: Sporting their Western Cape provincial tracksuits.

“Cycling was chosen as the initial backbone of the programme, while at the same time focusing on the children’s education,” says Ruddock. In the process, he says, the programme’s participants acquire invaluable broader life skills such as self-discipline, teamwork and perseverance, which will help them in their careers. “For example, they have to be on time for training and see the programme through. Of course, they are also learning and improving their physical skills, such as balance, coordination and aerobic fitness.” Ruddock can testify to the merits of cycling in his own enduring career. “I’ve learnt a lot, achieved a lot and earned a livelihood through cycling. “I’ve always wanted to put something back into the sport that has given me so much and played such a big role in my life. This has been an amazing, ideal opportunity to do so.” Ruddock says the programme is well structured and an intensive selection process is followed to make sure they have the right fit when it comes to potential candidates. “There are currently seven youngsters enrolled, six boys and a girl, who are all in high school.” Interested children are screened at their school, with input from their teachers and principal, to determine their potential, he says. “They then need to perform a time-trial to give an indication of their physical ability and attitude.”

Cyclingnews February 2015

Ruddock stresses that the candidate is not expected to be the fastest but has to show determination and commitment. “If selected, an in-depth interview is conducted by a social worker to find out more about his or her history and family background.” Once approved, the candidate completes a three-month probation period under the close guidance and supervision of a coach. “Successful participants each receive a bicycle as well as head-to-toe sponsorship of cycling kit and spares. All their entry fees and transport to races are also covered.” In May last year, four of the promising and committed riders were chosen to form the official Chic cycling team. They are Jiyaad Johnson, Jason Boonzaaier and Rosco Neels, all 18 years old, and Guillaume Wessels, 15. Racing mainly on road, with the odd mountain-bike race thrown in, the youngsters have already achieved local success. “Jason won a criterium race during the Lights by Linea series in a sprint finish. “Guillaume, our youngest rider, won the very first race he participated in in Atlantis.” All four represented Western Province at the youth festival in Bloemfontein in October. The plan is to grow the team, but Ruddock says the foundation’s first priority is to get youngsters into the initial programme. “If they complete the probation period and show some

A beaming Guillaume wins his very first race in Atlantis.

potential after their first few races, we’ll consider drafting them into the team.” The foundation members hope to expand their work beyond the limits of Franschhoek, once successful partnerships have been formed with the local schools. “The focus will remain on cycling but when it comes to education, we are looking for a partnership. We also have a long-term goal of establishing a cycling academy separate from the foundation. “The idea would be to give team riders who show above-average cycling talent the resources to further their sporting career once they have left school.” Ruddock believes the ideal scenario would be to partner with a tertiary education institution that shares a strong emphasis on sport. For now, he will concentrate on raising sponsorships and donations as the foundation has been privately funded until now. “I’m participating in the masters category of the Cape Epic this year and we would like people to pledge a rand per kilometre I complete as one of our fundraising initiatives.” With a masters category win, two top-20 finishes in the men’s race and a pair of podiums in the mixed category, Ruddock should be a safe bet. And all funds raised will go towards giving talented youngsters the break they need and the future they deserve. For more information, e-mail geddan@chicdevelopmentfoundation.org or find the foundation on Facebook. •CN

LEGEND OF THE PEDAL

Words: Coetzee Gouws • Picture: Annalene Coetzee

Wiele Wentzel keeps the wheels turning

They say you can’t keep a good man down. And Hennie Wentzel is such as man. Nothing ever keeps him down. HIS nickname is Wiele but it might as well be Endurance. Johnny Koen, the Legends of the Pedal mastermind, says: “Wiele remains one of the greatest characters and probably the most resilient, tough, unforgiving, never-say-die riders of all time.” A seven-time Rapport Tour finisher, world veteran duathlon champion and three-time Ironman age category winner, Wentzel’s records show he never gives up. Not even after hitting a stationary

vehicle at 40km/h last November. “I was out training because I had entered for the Ironman again, which is now at the end of March. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have gone out that evening because the southeaster was pumping,” he recalls. With a strong tailwind on the Bottelary Road, Wentzel was concentrating on avoiding stones on the road as he headed home towards Brackenfell in Cape Town’s northern suburbs.

“I looked up and the car was standing right in front of me in the yellow lane. It was within a metre; there was no chance to brake or swerve.” The 65-year-old hit a steel column on the back of the vehicle, with his body taking the force of the impact. He suffered four broken ribs. “I had almost 100 stitches, a skin graft and a knee op. They put five anchors in my left shoulder. The bone broke in two or three places and the tendon snapped off.” >

If looks could kill! Alan van Heerden and Robbie McIntosh snarl at each other while Wiele Wentzel wins the Mossel Bay stage.

Cyclingnews February 2015

LEGEND OF THE PEDAL

He missed hitting his head, though, by about 15cm. The doctors said he was lucky to be alive. “I was in ICU for three days, and ten days in hospital altogether.” But, true to form, he simply did not take the setback lying down. “After I got out of hospital on the Thursday, I walked four kilometres on the Saturday to go buy the newspaper. “I haven’t had any physio yet because I’m waiting to hear if I’ll need further surgery. So I walk between 40 and 50 kilometres a week just to keep me going.” Wentzel is also keeping his wheels turning on the indoor trainer. “I used to say to my sons: ‘Opstaan en op jul fietse!’ when they fell. That’s the way we grew up; I’ll go down fighting.” The three-month recovery period is the longest break Wentzel has taken since he took up cycling 50 years ago. (He had another while he was in the army.) “There was always cycling somewhere in my family. The Binnemans were big in cycling and Uncle Hennie, my mother’s cousin, won a Commonwealth Games gold medal in 1936.” Two other top cyclists, Eddie Kriel and Gotty Hansen, lived around the corner from his childhood home in Bellville. “They came to visit with their bikes. As kids, to see the bikes these guys were riding … it was great.” He joined the Bellville Cycling Club as a 14-year-old in August 1964. “I won my first SA title when I was 15. As a 16-year-old I rode for Western Province in the senior team. “I don’t want to blow my own trumpet, but I was quite good,” he says with a modest smile. In 1967, the all-rounder got his first taste of international competition as part of the junior team at the Youth Tour in Germany. “It was a weeklong tour. I had bad luck when I fell on the first day and finished 92nd. But by the end of the week I came 46

Cyclingnews February 2015

back to finish 31st, so my chances would have been good for a top-ten placing.” The next year, with South Africa booted out of international sport because of its apartheid policies, Wentzel’s Olympic dreams were dashed. He turned his attention to “tests” on home soil but had more bad luck. “In ’68, while I was in the army, an Aussie team came out here. But I broke my wrist on the Paarl track two weeks before the test.” Wentzel took whatever competition he could get and was one of the few riders to cross the divide and win both the closed (whites only) national road championship in Bloemfontein in 1973 and the SA open title in Port Elizabeth three years later. In 1982, he received Springbok colours for a three-test track series against a Swiss team whose members received a six-month suspension for their involvement with SA. “We beat the Swiss in all three tests. But I think we caught them on their off-season because they had two world champions and a world-record holder in their team.” There were also road races against Portuguese and Italian riders who came to compete without permission from their governing bodies. “At some time in the ’80s a team was chosen to go ride in the old West Germany tour. We were staying in Belgium and had an invitation to team up with the Germans.” The SA contingent included the powerful Alan van Heerden, for whose Highway Electrical and Southern Sun pro teams Wentzel rode, as well as Mark Beneke and Tony Impey. “Gotty, who was our manager, was running up and down from Belgium to the UCI head office in Switzerland to get licences for us. But because of the apartheid policies, they refused to give us licences, so we had gone there for nothing.”

Undaunted, Wentzel became one of the few cyclists to remain competitive throughout the isolation years, claiming a dozen national titles on road and track. His rivals in his heyday included the legendary climber Ertjies Bezuidenhout and fellow all-rounder Robbie McIntosh. “I was in racing mode from the ’60s to the ’90s. I could be the only guy who received Springbok colours in each of those decades.” A three-time Argus champion (now the Cape Town Cycle Tour) Wentzel also claimed four victories in the male tandem category and one in the mixed. Having covered the full spectrum of cycling, the super-fit cyclist was looking to at a fresh challenge when the duathlon and triathlon bug bit. “I owned bike shops in Claremont and Cape Town. Then this triathlon thing started and lots of southern suburbs riders started coming in to buy equipment. That’s how I got interested.” With a business to run, he started putting in around three-and-a-half hours of training every day, swimming before work and running or cycling in the evening. With his power on the bike and the ability to run a sub-three-hour marathon, he more than compensated for his lack of swimming prowess. Making the transition to multi-sport, Wentzel added Springbok colours for duathlon and triathlon to his cycling achievements. “I won a world title in duathlon as a veteran when I was 42. I also got a third in the triathlon competition in New Zealand,” he says. At the age of 51, he finished 16th overall in the Ironman competition in Gordon’s Bay. “I did four Ironmans and won my age category three times. In the last one, four years ago, I blew on the run and was beaten by something like ten seconds. “In my whole career I’ve lost only one triathlon in my age group.”

LEGEND OF THE PEDAL

“I won my first SA title when I was 15. As a 16-year-old I rode for Western Province in the senior team. I don’t want to blow my own trumpet, but I was quite good,”

Wentzel wins the1987 Cycle Tour.

Wentzel says he made the switch from triathlon to the Ironman because of the triathlon rule that allows drafting in the bunch. An always tough competitor, he was unimpressed by the idea of a free ride. “If you’re a good swimmer, you can just sit in the bunch and draft, and if you’re a strong runner at the end, you win the race. In Ironman, there’s no drafting allowed. It must be a man-to-man thing.” Although he is out of action at present he still hopes to break the ten-hour barrier in Ironman and run the Two Oceans Marathon again. “My shoulder is still sore. I can lift it but I can’t make a swimming motion and swing my arm round, so I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to swim competitively again. “Especially in running, I’ve had injuries like you wouldn’t believe. That’s besides all the years of falling, breaking wrists and collarbones et cetera. I’ve been through quite a bit but this last accident was the worst.” One would think that it would have put him off competition for life but in the very next breath Hennie says: “I can’t wait to get out on the bike and riding with the guys again.” He has passed his passion for cycling on to his sons Rudolf, who was a professional cyclist in Belgium, and Konrad, who these days enjoys the more social sport of mountain biking. Despite his many successes and staying power, Wentzel remains self-effacing. “If you come into my house, you won’t see the trophies or anything because that’s not me. “I didn’t keep scrapbook clippings and I’m sorry about that now, because that’s something I could have given to my grandchildren. “It never worried me before but when you get older you suddenly want to read these things again and see your achievements. It’s all in the memory now.” •CN

Cyclingnews February 2015

BIKE SHOP FEATURE

Words: Coetzee Gouws

Upmarket new look for John O’Connor Cycles Five years after opening his first cycling store, former pro cyclist John O’Connor has given his Cape Town retail outlet a facelift by relocating and changing the entire look. O’Connor opened his first cycle store in 2009, with 15 years of cycling retail experience and many years of professional cycling as the foundation. “My passion lies in bike retail so I thought I would try and open a shop of my own,” he recalls. “I did it on a small budget and it grew from there to bring me to the position I am in now: to open a bigger store in a more upmarket environment.” O’Connor’s premium cycling store opened the doors of its elegant new home in Mouille Point in November last year. The building he had been in was being redeveloped and construction in the area caused inconvenience and parking constraints for customers, which reinforced his decision to move on. “The time was right to move to a slightly bigger shop. There is better parking where we are now. It’s a newer building and just a better spot for us,” he says. Although only a stone’s throw from the old spot, the new store on the corner of Rothesay Place and Bay Road has become a bit of an upmarket haven for cycling enthusiasts. After scoping out the retail scene while visiting his parents in London, O’Connor decided it was time to redesign his shop, from branding to store set-up. “It’s a whole new look, so we have had a lot of interest from our existing clientele and a lot of people coming to look at the store.” Despite wanting to move to a more upmarket space, O’Connor didn’t want to alienate his clients, so he chose a high-end store with a down-to-earth energy. “Basically what I wanted to do was create more of a retail experience. A lot of bike shops don’t give attention to detail when it comes to the customer experience, and that’s

Cyclingnews February 2015

what I want to create,” he explains. One of the main adjustments, and the focal point, is a larger workshop that runs along the length of the establishment, allowing customers to interact with the mechanics. “They can stand on the other side of the counter, see their bikes being brought in and interact with the workshop guys. It forces us to keep a clean, neat and upmarket workshop because it is in the public eye.” In addition to superior parking facilities, the location – close to the sea and away from the city’s hustle and bustle – is another drawcard for customers. “Think of someone who wants to buy a R40 tube and has to drive around for parking for 20 minutes. When he gets inside he’s frustrated and when he gets outside he gets charged R8 for parking.

“The convenience factor that we offer is unparalleled. Customers must want to be in the store, and that is the atmosphere I’m trying to create.” When he opened his first shop, O’Connor focused primarily on the often neglected roadie market. “I wanted to cater a little more for them because eighty per cent of the bike trade is for mountain bikers. “As a road rider, I wanted to create an environment where they could come and get their knowledge; get their products,” he said. These days he caters for both disciplines, stocking high-end brands such as Giant, Cannondale, Pinarello and Bianchi. “Our workshop has excellent mountain-bike mechanics so we’ve got the best of both worlds.” His cycling background helped prepare him for this chapter of his life. “I raced at a high level when I was young and I have continued to race at national level. From a knowledge point of view I can definitely pass that experience on to clients. “A lot of people come to you for advice, and if they know you can ride they will take your advice more readily than they would have if you were a non-cyclist.” Although cycling retail is a competitive business, O’Connor hopes to grow the store to become one of the leading brands in the country. “My passion is cycling. It is my sport. For me to be able to work and make a living from my passion is a dream come true. “I have a great team around me and we all love what we do.” The shop is open from 09:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and from 09:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays. Alternatively, go to their virtual office at www.joccycles.co.za or call them on 021 434 7741. •CN