09 May 2012 Van Wyk thrilled with victory at African Continental Championships, Mauritius
The 2012 African Continental Championships was held on the lovely island of Mauritius on the 5th of May. Team bizhub-FCF’s Junior Linda Van Wyk participated in the ...
Trials and tribulations - Perth Australia: 31 January 2012 Monique Gerber
It all started in April last year when Team bizhub sent me to Cape Town to attend a training camp
with Australian Nasional Coach, Darryl Benson.
The training camp ran into the S.A Track Championship, so I had the opportunity to work with Darryl for about ten days. Darryl is employed by the Western Australian Institute of Sport and is a full time
proffessional coach who has coached many junior Ausies to become world champions.
During the S.A. national champs Darryl invited me to come and train with him in Australia with the
Australian National squad based in Perth. I immediately accepted the invitation as I realized this
was the golden opportunity I had been waiting for. When I approached my bizhub sponsor, team
manager John Robertson with the idea of going to Australia he agreed to fund the trip as he believed it was a wonderful opportunity to gain international experience. It was also agreed that the team would send my father / coach along to Australia so that he could learn as much as possible from the Australian coaches.
After many months of planning it was decided that my whole family, including my father, mom and
sister would travel with me to Australia as I would be training and racing there for two months.
We arrived in Perth on the 6th of December during a huge lightning storm. Our plane was struck
by lightning just before we landed, so we litterally arrived with a bang.
The Western Australian Institute of Sport supplied us with a car for the two months and we were luckyenough to stay with an old school friend of my parents, whom had emmigrated to Australia a couple of years ago. My bikes arrived in Perth two days after our arrival, so I was relieved when I was finallyready for my first ride ever on one of the famous board tracks of the world. When I walked into thePerth Speed Dome (before I could even see the track) I immediately became aware of the fact that I could smell the wood. It's awesome !! Inside the Speed Dome it's clean and bright - with sky lights but also extremely hot. The temperature inside the stadium is over 40 degrees celcius on most days during this time of the year.
First major problem: Gearing. In Australia, what we know as under 16, is called junior women 17, and what we call junior back home, is called junior women 19 in Oz. The junior women 17 use an 82 inch gear (46/15) so you have to have increddible leg speed to keep up with the girls. However,during many training sessions they use a much bigger gears, example 92 inch (48/14) which is a junior 19 gear.
First training session:
Luckily, during my first training session we all used a 48/14 gear (nice big gear). It was a very important moment for me because for the first time I was able to measure my ability against the best girls in the world. If I saythe best in the world, then I really mean they are the best in the world by far.To prove it, consider the following fact: In the 2000m pursuit event, during the recently held Australian junior under 19 Track Champs, the first 12 girls, all set faster times than the gold medalist at the British National Championship. So the 12th fastest Australian girl is faster than the best girl in Britain !
I rode beyond myself during the session, clocking a time of 2min31 in a rolling start 2000m pursuit. I was sorelieved that I could do such a fast time on the wood. For many years I had been riding on the cement surfacedOval back home in Port Elizabeth, in the wind, wondering how good or bad I really was in comparison with thebest girls in the world, and finally, yes, I realized that if I work really hard I can also do it.
The fastest time during the session was set by Kelsey Robson, the Australian junior women 19 champion, clocking2min 23 seconds.Kelsey is one year older than me, so that gives me one year to improve my time by 8 seconds over the distance.I'm gonna work very hard to do it !
Track Racing Week one:
During racing I had to use the very small Ozzy gear (46/15) and in the beginning I struggeled. These girls train trackall year round and spend so much time working on legg speed behind the motorbikes. I competed in the Australian junior series and during the bunch races I was only able to finish mid field. The gear is so small, you cannot even stand up when you sprint, you have to sit and spin as fast as possible. The result is that if you are not in the lead or at least in second position when you get the bell (250m track) you can forget about winning. But it was good experience and I learned a lot about positioning myself in the bunch. I also learned that these girls go flat out from the gun. There is no slowtactical riding. If you're not awake when the gun goes you're in trouble.
First Criterium Race:
On the Sunday morning (following my first track races on the Friday and Saturday) I raced in my first criterium against the same girls. The same gear restrictions applied during the road races but there was a small nastly little hill on the circuit that caught my attention before the start.
That morning I felt very aggressive during the race, probably because of the frustration during the previous two days of track racing on such a small gear. I attacked the bunch every time we went over the hill. I remember mydad shouting in Afrikaans; "moenie bang wees nie, nou, nou, nou !!" (don't be scared, now, now, now !!) and after attacking the bunch on that hill for about seven laps I finally got in a break with the Australian under 17 time trial champion, Molly Booker.
The gap got bigger and bigger. My dad shouted again; "sy is moeg" (she's tired) so I attacked again and with about four laps to go I dropped Molly on the same climb. I time trialed away from Molly and won the crit ! My first win overseas !
The first thing that went through my mind was: "I must be better on the road than the track" and I remember wishing I could race these girls in the 110km Argus, to show them what road racing is all about.
During the two months in OZ I went on to win two more criteriums and finished 2nd once, losing by half a wheel in the sprint, on a day where the girls worked together to catch me every time I broke away. The criterium races have given me a lot of confidence and I'm looking forward to now race on the road against the best of Europe later in the year.
Crash!!
The following day we did a 100 lap points race simulation (on the track) during a training session. I trained with Olympic road race champion Nicole Cook and I was surprized when I was able to beat Nicole on most of the sprint laps. Just as we completed the session two riders in front of me touched wheels and crashed right in front of me. Ina moment I had to decide to either swing up the banking or go down to the bottom. I dived to the bottom to try and go around them but the riders kept sliding down the banking untill they took my front wheel out. I fell hard, cracking my helmet and injuring my arm, hip and shoulder. The big difference when you crash on the wood compared with
cement is that on the wood you end up with hundreds of splinters in your flesh. I was out of action for five days but I was a lot more lucky than the boys who fell in front of me as they broke their collar bones. (and bikes)
South African Record:
The Australian track racing schedule is extremely busy so I only had one opportunity during the two months to try and break my South African Pursuit record of 2min 49. The officials allowed me to ride on my own South African gear for the record attempt, so I used a 52/16 gear with a low profile disc wheel on the rear and a five spoke carbon wheel on the front. On the night it was extremely warm (about 40 degree celcius),but also extrermely humid. Halfway, on the 1000m mark, I came through with a time of 1min 19 seconds, so I was well under way to go sub2min 40, but during the second half I could hardly breath with the high humidity and heat. The Ozzy crowed was very
supportive, shouting for me all the way. In the end I fell about 3 seconds behind schedule but hanged on to break the South African record by more than 6 seconds, with a time of 2min42.6 Although I broke the record I was disappointed as I wanted to go under 2min 40. So I'll work hard untill April and try again during the S.A. Track Champs in Cape Town.
State Track Champs - just before we came home
The Australian officials were kind enough to allow me to enter the State Track Championship. It was agreed that I wouldnot be allowed to win a medal but if I did manage to finish in the top 3 I would still go onto the podium along with the first three Australians. I also had to once again use the small 46/15 gear but by then I was getting use to spinning my knees past my ears. At least I had the opportunity to race.
The Australians specialize in either endurance or sprints from a very young age. The endurance riders simply have no chance in the sprints so I entered the scratch race and pursuit events.
The scratch race was first up on the Friday night. With 750m to go I found myself in the lead. I was at the bottom of the track and did not notice that two riders had climed high up on the banking. I noticed them up there just as they attacked and responded immediately but it was too late. I managed to get into 3rd position on the bell and caught up with the front two girls, almost passing them just before the line. As I saw the winner lift her arms with joy I could kick myself for not starting my sprint earlier. It took me quite a while that night to get over the dissappointment, it was so close to my best win ever, but yet so far. You only get one chance in these track races and if you don't take it the race is over.
Pursuit
Once again I had to use the small gear. To put it in perspective, it is a smaller gear than what the under 14's in South Africause. But by now I was starting to get use to the spinning and I managed to qualify second fastest with a time of 2min43.44. So I was in the gold medal ride (final). Fastest qualifier was Molly Booker, the Australian road time trial champion whom I had beaten in every single criterium we raced. She did 2min 43,10 so either way it was gonna be a very close final.
Pursuit final State Champs:
So after being away from home for two months, this is what it all came down to. The gold medal ride against Australian time trial champion Molly Booker. I decided to forget about my disadvantage of having to ride the 46/15 gear and really go for it. Eight laps, flat out around the track before we fly home. By now we knew that Molly was a slow starter in the pursuit, and I would usually start a little to fast and then fade at the end.
So my dad instructed me to start slightly slower and then respond to Molly's pace as the laps counted down. To our surprize Molly started faster than ever before and as a result she was still in the lead with three laps to go.I eventually managed to catch and pass Molly on lap 6 and was leading with one lap to go, but Molly somehow pulled it back to win the final by only 200th of a second. I was not disappointed this time. I felt satisfied. I had given it my all on the day and it
was not good enough.
The crowd were on their feet... applausing both of us.... the commentator thanked me for having raced hard every time I stepped onto the track , wishing us a safe trip back home, and hoping we return again next year. I had lost the race but still, it was my proudest moment on the bike.
Racing and training in Australia have been an amazing experience. I have learned so much, during such a short space of time.Most importantly I haved learned that the Australians are humans too. They work extremely hard from a very young age to achieve heir amazing results. During some days there were up to 60 kids between 12 and 18 years old during one training session, with up to 7 coaches running around. Between the sessions the kids relax in air conditioned rooms at the Speed Dome, playing and socializing with each other, making friends, before they start their second training session in the afternoon. So I have seen how hard these riders work from a very young age, and I am more motivated than ever to work hard, and to become the best I can be. Thanks John, team bizhub-fcf, for believing in me at such a young age. The experience was amazing. I have come back from Australia a stronger and wiser person, and I know I have what it takes to become a world champion.
During the S.A. national champs Darryl invited me to come and train with him in Australia with the
Australian National squad based in Perth. I immediately accepted the invitation as I realized this
was the golden opportunity I had been waiting for. When I approached my bizhub sponsor, team
manager John Robertson with the idea of going to Australia he agreed to fund the trip as he believed it was a wonderful opportunity to gain international experience. It was also agreed that the team would send my father / coach along to Australia so that he could learn as much as possible from the Australian coaches.
After many months of planning it was decided that my whole family, including my father, mom and
sister would travel with me to Australia as I would be training and racing there for two months.
We arrived in Perth on the 6th of December during a huge lightning storm. Our plane was struck
by lightning just before we landed, so we litterally arrived with a bang.
The Western Australian Institute of Sport supplied us with a car for the two months and we were luckyenough to stay with an old school friend of my parents, whom had emmigrated to Australia a couple of years ago. My bikes arrived in Perth two days after our arrival, so I was relieved when I was finallyready for my first ride ever on one of the famous board tracks of the world. When I walked into thePerth Speed Dome (before I could even see the track) I immediately became aware of the fact that I could smell the wood. It's awesome !! Inside the Speed Dome it's clean and bright - with sky lights but also extremely hot. The temperature inside the stadium is over 40 degrees celcius on most days during this time of the year.
First major problem: Gearing. In Australia, what we know as under 16, is called junior women 17, and what we call junior back home, is called junior women 19 in Oz. The junior women 17 use an 82 inch gear (46/15) so you have to have increddible leg speed to keep up with the girls. However,during many training sessions they use a much bigger gears, example 92 inch (48/14) which is a junior 19 gear.
First training session:
On the Sunday morning (following my first track races on the Friday and Saturday) I raced in my first criterium against the same girls. The same gear restrictions applied during the road races but there was a small nastly little hill on the circuit that caught my attention before the start.
That morning I felt very aggressive during the race, probably because of the frustration during the previous two days of track racing on such a small gear. I attacked the bunch every time we went over the hill. I remember mydad shouting in Afrikaans; "moenie bang wees nie, nou, nou, nou !!" (don't be scared, now, now, now !!) and after attacking the bunch on that hill for about seven laps I finally got in a break with the Australian under 17 time trial champion, Molly Booker.
The gap got bigger and bigger. My dad shouted again; "sy is moeg" (she's tired) so I attacked again and with about four laps to go I dropped Molly on the same climb. I time trialed away from Molly and won the crit ! My first win overseas !
The first thing that went through my mind was: "I must be better on the road than the track" and I remember wishing I could race these girls in the 110km Argus, to show them what road racing is all about.
During the two months in OZ I went on to win two more criteriums and finished 2nd once, losing by half a wheel in the sprint, on a day where the girls worked together to catch me every time I broke away. The criterium races have given me a lot of confidence and I'm looking forward to now race on the road against the best of Europe later in the year.
Crash!!
The Australian officials were kind enough to allow me to enter the State Track Championship. It was agreed that I wouldnot be allowed to win a medal but if I did manage to finish in the top 3 I would still go onto the podium along with the first three Australians. I also had to once again use the small 46/15 gear but by then I was getting use to spinning my knees past my ears. At least I had the opportunity to race.
The Australians specialize in either endurance or sprints from a very young age. The endurance riders simply have no chance in the sprints so I entered the scratch race and pursuit events.
The scratch race was first up on the Friday night. With 750m to go I found myself in the lead. I was at the bottom of the track and did not notice that two riders had climed high up on the banking. I noticed them up there just as they attacked and responded immediately but it was too late. I managed to get into 3rd position on the bell and caught up with the front two girls, almost passing them just before the line. As I saw the winner lift her arms with joy I could kick myself for not starting my sprint earlier. It took me quite a while that night to get over the dissappointment, it was so close to my best win ever, but yet so far. You only get one chance in these track races and if you don't take it the race is over.
Pursuit
