Jubilation! 2018 South African Road and Para-cycling Champion Carla Oberholzer.
Demacon Women’s Cycling Team star Carla Oberholzer was crowned national champion following another dominating performance by her team at the South African Road and Para-cycling Championships in Oudtshoorn on February 10.
The 31-year-old found renewed energy in the final kilometres to pull away from the leading bunch before completing the 122km race in a time of three hours, 42 minutes and 23 seconds (3:42:23).
Maroesjka Matthee and 2009 winner Lynette Burger, a Boksburg resident and teammate of Oberholzer, finished second and third respectively.
Oberholzer worked well with teammate and defending champion Heidi Dalton as she broke away from the main bunch during the business end of the race. She proceeded to break free in the final 20 kilometres to solo to the finish line following a relentless display of sprint cycling.
“It’s a great honour to win the SA title and wear the jersey [South African National Championship jersey] for a year, but it wouldn’t be possible without my teammates,” Oberholzer said. “I’m just a representative of the team; this one is for all of us.”
Team Demacon (from left): Skipper Lynette Burger, Kim le Court, Heidi Dalton and Carla Oberholzer.
Team captain speaks
When the Advertiser approached Demacon Women’s Cycling Team captain and Boksburg’s own, Lynette Burger, for comment on Oberholzer’s performance and a successful defence of the SA crown, she said: “With about 10km to go I knew that even if she got a mechanical, she could still win it.
“I had tears in my eyes with 10km to go already, knowing that the jersey is going to stay with the team, so it was just a phenomenal feeling.”
Burger, a Cape Town Cycle Tour champion, continued: “I’m absolutely over the moon, I don’t think we can ask for anything more or better.
“With our great results over the last couple of years, and winning 10 out of 13 races last year, it’s always difficult to top that, so to start the year off with two wins already, including the national championships, no sponsor can ask for anything better and no team can ask for anything better.
“It just shows us that our unity is there and we have each other’s backs and we look after each other.
“And no matter who wins, it’s a team sport. So even though Carla won for us, we all cried afterwards and we celebrated the evening purely because it’s a win for the team.” – @SabeloBoksburg
