The Western Cape Track Cycling Championships was held at the Bellville Velodrome the past weekend and Corné Bence, president of Western Cape Cycling, says it was a major success.

Corné said they had many more entries than usual and ascribes it to the fact that the riders have not had a chance to compete as often as they are used to this year due to Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown.

The cyclists were hungry for good competition and we could see why the Western Cape is the leading province in the country as far as track cycling was concerned. We also encourage the riders to take part in our track meetings, as that is where they gain the necessary skills and expertise.

All the districts were there and all five were well represented, explained Corné.

The standard was very high, particularly if one takes into account the fact the riders were not in action on the track for a long time. Yes, we had three league meetings before the championship, but that is not sufficient preparation for a championship meeting.

A lot of credit should go to our coaches Elrick Kulsen and Glen Bonthuys, who give personal attention to our riders. They are two of the best track racing coaches in the country and we are fortunate to have them in our fold.

A guy like Tiaan van der Bank is a veteran but he normally rides with the elites and he was in really good form the past weekend. We checked his times and if he were to go to a World Championship now, he would fare really well.

Amongst the elite men Wade Theunissen, Graeme Ockhuys and Rocco King were the outstanding competitors. Ethan Kulsen was brilliant, and he was by far the top under 17 rider on display.

He has a bright future ahead of him if we take good care of him and as an elite rider he can achieve great things one day. The best junior was Alexander Cradock and he too is a bright prospect. 

Amongst the female riders the youngsters were very well prepared, and the Kinetics Club from the Cape Town District were well represented and produced a fantastic performance. Jessie Mutton was excellent in the category for under 15 girls.

But the meeting was a success, and I am proud of the organisers and the riders for a job well done.

The next league track meeting is on 14 November in Paarl and on 15 November there is another track meeting at Killarney.