A lot of grit at the Melrose Arch Crit

The spectacle of criterium racing returned to the Melrose Arch precinct in Johannesburg.

With the purpose of putting in place a medium-term strategy to develop the racing acumen of South Africa’s cyclists, Buhle Madlala from The Brand Factory organised the event with a view of turning the criterium racing into a national series in 2020.

Catering for all age groups from school riders up to veterans 50 years and older, including the racing professionals, the event attracted a substantial number of entries.

While the racing was fast and tight, families got to enjoy the day on the Melrose Arch Piazza relaxing at some of the many restaurants while the children loved the Clamber Club area.

The day opened with the youngsters racing over a totally closed 1km-long street circuit – the same one used later in the day by the professionals – with the only difference being the time period the race runs over.

The elite women’s race was won after a dominating performance from Parys Edwards, a multi-skilled cyclist who plies her trade between triathlons, mountain biking and road racing, with team Demacon rider Heidi Dalton in second place. SA Age Group champion and team Token rider, Desray Foyn placed third.

The elite men’s race saw the lead change several times, with gaps yo-yo-ing over the duration of the 45-minute race. Veteran pro-Nolan Hoffman also made his presence known late in the race to close a few gaps and even put in an attack. But it all came down to a two-way sprint that was decided on the very last corner when Enza rider Steven van Heerden, who had crashed heavily earlier in the race, out-sprinted Josh van Wyk from OfficeGuru to take the win. Van Wyk’s OfficeGuru teammate Andrew Edwards rounded out the podium.

Erik Vermeulen, from Ridgeline Consulting, the event’s main sponsor, was thrilled by the turnout. “As a company that values achieving potential through effective behavioural strategies, the synergy with athletes of all levels and ages is obvious and with the focus on developing the level of bicycle racing in South Africa to enable riders to compete internationally, getting behind the Melrose Arch Crit was as easy choice.”

The Melrose Arch Criterium will be back on the calendar in 2020 – hopefully, as the series finals of the National Criterium Series. The organisers wish to thank all those who supported the event.

Details: Melrose Arch Criterium www.criteriumracing.co.za

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