Lowvelder wins six gold medals at South African Track Cycling Champs

South African Track Cycling is having a resurgence, as shown at the South African Championships which attracted 250 participants across all age groups to compete in Bellville.

Among the elite riders, South Africa’s Olympians Jean Spies and David Maree, put in sterling performances, but it is the professional tennis player, Wikus Myburg, who is relatively new to track cycling, that dominated the elites with three golds and one silver in world-class times.

Thornhill made sure his legacy continues as he dominated the Vets Masters bringing home golds in the 200m sprint, 500m time trial, 1 500m, 7 500m scratch race, 2km individual pursuit and the Keirin. He brought home six gold medals.

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In Keirin the first few laps are ridden by the cyclists behind a motor bike to raise the speed above 55km per hour, before racing the last few laps on the steep 42 to 48-degree track.

Although Walter did not break his South African records, which he set at the World Masters in Manchester in 2019 for the sprint, time trial and pursuit.

He said, “The conditions of the track were much heavier”.

Notwithstanding, he was more than satisfied with the results and spoke of the great involvement among the cyclists.  “It was marvellous to see so many youngsters participating. I hope to encourage more cyclist of my era to compete again,” he said.

Walter started cycling when he was 13 years old and had a break from the sport after the age of 25 until his mid-fifties.

“It’s like reliving my second youth and enjoying the fellowship of this healthy fraternity. No cyclist ever talks about the sheer dedication and discipline it takes, nor the burning sensation in the legs and lungs, as we push to our limits; that is the unspoken code binding us all”.

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Unfortunately, many tracks in South Africa are in various states of disrepair, and in the Lowveld there is no track.

“Wednesday and weekend rides organised by local cyclists, Euan Ormiston and Anton van Tonder, from Bicycle Boys, who are doing so much keeping the sport alive, are sacrosanct training for me. They are dubbed the A-Team and I judge my fitness against them,” Thornhill stated.

The next event for Thornhill is World Championships in October in Los Angeles, where he is hoping to have a go at the world 500m record in his age group, but various considerations may mean rather looking at the 2023 World Championships in Manchester.

Times Thornhill won gold:

• 200m qualifying sprint – 13.69s.
• Individual pursuit 2km – 02:56.0.
• 1 500m bunch race – 02:09.8.
• 500m time trial – 40.49s.

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