Port Elizabeth cycling maiden Kelsey van Schoor added the latest achievement to her growing cycling CV as she crossed the line as the first junior woman home at the Cape Town Cycle Tour on Sunday.
Kelsey, 17, was also the first rider Eastern Cape rider across the line and finished eight overall in the 78km showpiece as she claimed the junior title for a second year running at the world’s largest timed cycling race.
Travelling back to the Bay after her triumphant feat at the weekend, Kelsey said: “It was a great race yesterday, all the elite ladies made the racing very tough from the start.
“It was very windy in Cape Town, which added another level of difficulty to the race, so I was very happy to take the win in the juniors,” the St Dominic’s Priory pupil said.
“I tried as much as possible to stay with the leading pack, just to give myself a shot at the line towards the end and I am glad I did that as it came down to a sprint finish at the end,” she added.
Kelsey said that earlier in the race there had been a group of about half a dozen riders who broke away, but riders in the chasing pack managed to haul them in with about a kilometre to go, which they managed to catch and force the sprint at the end.
“I have to say that Chappies [Chapman’s Peak] was probably the toughest part of the course this year because the elite ladies really went hard and attacked up there.
“There was no specific plan going up there other than to push yourself to the limits. The ladies really went hard, so one just has to go as hard and hope to stick close to them,” the Team African Pride rider said.
Asked who her biggest threat was in the junior section of the race, Kelsey said: ‘I wouldn’t say that there was much competition in the section, not to take away from any of the other junior ladies who also raced, but I don’t really have that much competition in that category,” she said.
“I was pretty excited to defend my title this year, and to be the first lady from the Eastern Cape to cross the line makes it all the more special,” she added.
Heading into the race, Kelsey missed out on the Herald Continental Cycle Tour in the Bay at the back end of last month, she also had good results in a few races which she used as preparation for the race.
Looking ahead, Kelsey said she would get back to the drawing board as she aims to secure a spot on the national team heading to world championships alter this year.
Before that, she will take on the Tour of Durban later this year, but before that, she will also focus on doing some more strength and conditioning work as she looks to get into the best shape possible in order to achieve her goals.