Parys Edwards takes second place at Gauteng Champs for new team

Craighall elite road cyclist, Parys Edwards can be proud of winning the time trial and finishing second overall at the recent Gauteng Road Cycling Championships.

Edwards, now racing for Heneways Karan Beef, came second to Stacey Paul in the 128km race in Brakpan, which she said had a disappointing turn-out of women.

“[Otherwise] it was a really well-organised route, like a lollipop, with a 15km ride to an 18.8km loop that we did five times then back to the finish (where we started),” Edwards told Rosebank Killarney Gazette.

“It was pretty flat but incredibly windy and this was the biggest challenge. It’s often very demoralising racing in the wind, but if you can stay mentally strong and not let it get inside your head it can be a big advantage.”

The cyclist added that at flat races, one must make their own breakaway to get away from the pack. “It can be very useful to create a breakaway scenario as so often in flat races it’s hard for a break to succeed, but I always prefer a small group coming into a finish than a big bunch which creates an increased risk of crashes.”

And despite the small field of elite women’s cyclists, Edwards described it as very competitive, with a 35km/h average speed and a close sprint finish between three cyclists.

In terms of Edwards’ new team, she hopes they can attract some youngsters and nurture them while at the same time increasing the strength of the team overall.

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