South African para-cycling hopeful Dane Wilson sets off during the C4-C5 men’s 1km time trial on day two of the African Continental Track Championships at the Sax Young Cycling Track in Pietermaritzburg. Photo: Craig Dutton/ Gameplan Media

The first evening of action at the Confederation of African Cycling (CAC) Continental Track Championships in Pietermaritzburg saw the expectant victors coming out on top with Nolan Hoffman and Maroesjka Matthee winning their respective scratch events but Thursday morning’s action proved to be hotly contested as riders weighed each other up in some tight heats.

Halfway through her scratch event Matthee thought the race would come down to a bunch sprint which it did but not before she had broken away from the bunch with Western Province’s Elfriede Wolfaardt and fellow South African national Ilze Bole.

South African track cycling hero Nolan Hoffman powered his way to victory in the men’s the African Track Cycling Championships at the Sax Young Cycling Track in Pietermaritzburg. Photo: Craig Dutton/ Gameplan Media

“In the sprint, I was confident that I was faster than Elfriede and Ilze, so I took the sprint from quite far out to use the wind to my advantage.

“I was pretty happy with how the race panned out,” Matthee said.

A regular competitor overseas, she welcomed the introduction of the Continental Championships.

“As a continent, there are not a lot of track riders because there are not many tracks. It is cool that the African Champs have happened. It’s putting us on the map and giving us valuable UCI points. I think we can only become stronger from here and get more riders on the track,” Matthee said.

Men’s scratch champion Nolan Hoffman said his victory was far from a solo effort: “I think it was a really good team effort,” he explained. “We started with three guys in the national team and we did a really good job to secure the win. I am very happy with that. The guys committed themselves to riding for me and I’m super-stoked to pull off a victory. I am really glad that we rode so well as a team.”

Hoffman also said he enjoys the outdoors track in Pietermaritzburg’s Alexandra Park. “This is the second time that I have taken part in a Championship on this track. It is surprisingly fast for an outdoor track. We’re not going at the same sort of speeds that one goes on a velodrome, but for an outdoor venue it is fast and I enjoy racing on it.”

William Newman, the President of the African Confederation Track Commission said Hoffman has set an example young cyclists should follow: “Nolan is smart because he has come through a development programme where he was brought up on the track, so that is why he beats these guys on the road because he is faster.

Libya’s only representative at the Sax Young Cycling track is Mohamed Elmokhrtar Elkamaa who took part in the Elite men’s scratch event during the evening session of day one of the African Continental Track Championships in Pietermaritzburg. Photo: Craig Dutton/ Gameplan Media

“Hopefully youngsters will see that track is a very important part of road development, so they need to twin the two disciplines.

“You look at the Tour de France, an outstanding sprinter like Mark Cavendish grew up on the track, Bradley Wiggins too. He is now converting back to the track for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.”

Para-cycling star Roxy Burns declared herself satisfied and a little relieved after a strong ride in the time trial. “It was very good. I got my qualifying time for Worlds, so it all depends on selection. I thought it went well,” she said.

Thursday morning saw a continued dominance from the South African riders with Western Province’s Eugene Soule edging out Jean Smith of the South African national team to win the one kilometre time trial in the elite men’s category.

On the large Sax Young outdoor track, with weather conditions also featuring as a factor, Soule won his heat against Steven van Heerden of the VWE-Europcar Cycling Academy in 1:08.58.

Smith, competing in the very next heat against Tunisia’s Ali Nousri, came within a whisker of Soule’s time but had to be content with stopping the clocks at 1:08.97. Matthew de Freitas picked up the final spot on the podium, finishing only 14-hundredths-of-a-second behind his national team mate.

In other medal events, Juan Odendaal, who played second fiddle to Craig Ridgard in the 3 000 metres individual pursuit, turned the tables on his team mate to capture gold in men’s C1-C3 1km time trial in 1:24.36, crossing the line over two-and-a-half seconds ahead of Ridgard.

Dane John Wilson claimed the men’s C4-C5 1km time trial title with a time of 1:13.99.

Maroesjka Matthee, after winning gold in the 10km scratch on Wednesday, looks a good bet to add gold in the elite women’s 3 000 metres individual pursuit after finishing almost seven seconds faster than Ilze Bole, the next fastest rider on the track, during the heats.

The men’s 4 000 metres individual pursuit heats, however, were tightly contested, with Team South Africa’s Morne van Niekerk recording a time of 4:49.65, which was just over a second faster than Team Abantu’s HB Kruger and about two-and-a-half seconds up on his national team mate Stefan de Bod.

The African Continental Track Champs will be streamed live on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 January from09:00 to 18:00 on www.streamit360.tv. Uploads of the edited highlights packages from Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 January will be available to view on Wednesday and Thursday evening from 20:00.

Follow the conversation during the 2015 African Continental Track Champs on Cycling SA’s social media platforms using the hashtags #CACtrackchamps #africachamps on Twitter (@Cycling_SA) and Instagram (Cycling_SA).

Entrance for spectators is free of charge. More information can be found athttp://www.cyclingsa.com/2015-african-conti-track-champs

Shining light in South African women’s track cycling Maroesjka Matthee powered her way to victory in the elite women’s scratch event on day one as well as the 3000m individual pursuit on day two at the African Track Cycling Championships at the Sax Young Cycling Track in Pietermaritzburg. Photo: Craig Dutton/ Gameplan Media

SUMMARY OF RESULTS – African Continental Track Championships Day One (Afternoon session)

C4 – C5 Women Time Trial
1. Roxy Burns (RSA) 45.88

Junior Women Time Trial
1. Jennifer Abbot (RSA) 41.43
2. Kayla Edwards (RSA) 44.07

Elite Women Time Trial
1.Annerine Wenhold (RSA) 38.63
2.Myrtle Hagedorn (WP) 39.54
3.Lauren Burnett (RSA) 41.04
4.Lorna Carlstein (KZN) 41.25
5.Nour Dissem (TUN) 42.37
6.Jackie Church (KZN) 43.12
7.Ebtissam Zayed Ahmed Mohamed (EGY) 42.16
8.Claudia Gnudi (Gauteng) 43.28

Junior Women Team Pursuit Final
1.RSA (Jennifer Abbot, Jessica Gerber, Kayla Edwards, Shannique Loggenberg) 6:00.84

Elite Women Team Pursuit Final
1.RSA (Maroesjka Matthee, Ilze Bole, Claudia Gnudi, Danielle Norman) 5:27.71
2.WP (Elfriede Wolfaardt, Myrtle Hagedorn, Debbie Loffell-Dawson, Bronwyn Abrahams) 5:44.49
3.KZN (Sonya Kritzinger, Lorna Carlstein, Jackie Church, Siobhan Walker) 5:51.18

Elite Men Team Pursuit Final
1.RSA (Morne van Niekerk, Stefan de Bod, HB Kruger, Kellan Gouveris) 4:32.20
2.VWE- Europcar Track Academy (Jac-Johan Steyn, Jaryd Poulton, Oupa Maluleka, Steven van Heerden) 4:44.04
3.Gauteng (Dirkie Nel, Matt Roe, Jean Spies, Joshua Buchel) 4:49.03
4.KZN (Robert du Preez, Darren Goddard, Christopher Mlothshwa, Kyle Walker) 4:57.61

Junior Women Scratch
1.Jessica Gerber (RSA)
2.Jennifer Abbot (RSA)
3.Kayla Edwards (RSA)

Elite Women Scratch
1.Maroesjka Matthee (RSA)
2.Elfriede Wolfaardt (WP)
3.Ilze Bole (RSA)
4.Nour Dissem (TUN)
5.Bronwyn Abrahams (RSA)
6.Ebtissam Zayed Ahmed Mohamed (EGY)
7.Danielle Norman (Gauteng)
8.Aicha Tihar (ALG)
9.Claudia Gnuchi (Gauteng)

Elite Men Scratch
1.Nolan Hoffman (RSA)
2.Jean Spies (Gauteng)
3.Kellan Gouveris (Abantu)
4.Dirkie Nel (Gauteng)
5.Douglas Abbot (VWE- Europcar Track Academy)
6.Robert du Preez (KZN)
7.Ali Nouisri (TUN)
8.Daniel Stroebel (FS)
9.Heinrich Stroebel (FS)
10.Steven van Heerden (VWE- Europcar Track Academy)
11.David Maree (RSA)
12.HB Kruger (Abantu)
13.Morne van Niekerk (RSA)
14.Mohamed Elmokhtar Elkamaa (LBA)

DAY TWO (MORNING SESSION) – 22 JANUARY

Elite Men Time Trial 1km
1.Eugene Soule (WP) 1:08.58
2.Jean Smith (RSA) 1:08.97
3.Matthew de Freitas (RSA) 1:09.11
4.Darren Goddard (KZN) 1:11.72
5.Steve van Heerden (VWE- Europcar Track Academy) 1:12.18
6.Ali Nouisri (TUN) 1:13.26
7.Matt Roe (Gauteng) 1:13.85
8.Douglas Abbot (VWE- Europcar Track Academy) 1:14.55
9.Daniel Strobbel (FS) 1:14.85
10.Heinrich Stroebel (FS) 1:15.25
11.Bamba Karamoko (CIV) 1:17.85
12.Reino Lourens (WP) 1:17.94
13.Jason Daniel Butler (NGR) 1:18.28
14.Mohamed Elmokhrtar Elkamaa (LBA) 1:19.21

Elite Men Omnium Scratch 15km heat
1.Oupa Maluleke (RSA)
2.Jac-Johan Steyn (VWE- Europcar Track Academy)
3.Joshua Buchel (Gauteng)
4.Charles Peter Mathewson (NC)
5.Kyle Walker (KZN)

Elite Women Individual Pursuit 3 000m heats
1.Maroesjka Matthee (RSA) 4:16.40
2.Ilze Bole (RSA) 4:23.38
3.Elfriede Wolfaardt (WP) 4:25.68
4.Ebtissam Zayed Ahmed Mohamed (EGY) 4:28.73
5.Nour Dissam (TUN) 4:30.22
6.Lorna Carlstein (KZN) 4:31.67
7.Claudia Gnudi (Gauteng) 4:35.08
8.Danielle Norman (Gauteng) 4:36.14
9.Jackie Church (KZN) 4:39.59

Elite Men Individual Pursuit 4 000m heats
1.Morne van Niekerk (RSA) 4:49.65
2.HB Kruger (Abantu) 4:50.88
3.Stefan de Bod (RSA) 4:52.34
4.Steven van Heerden (VWE- Europcar Track Academy) 4:59.91
5.Dirkie Nel (Gauteng) 5:09.12
6.Jean Spies (Gauteng) 5:12.28
7.Jaryd Poulton (VWE- Europcar Track Academy) 5:14.09
8.Daniel Stroebel (FS) 5:15.19
9.Ali Nouisri (TUN) 5:15.89
10.Robert du Preez (KZN) 5:20.33
11.Mohamed Elmokhtar Elkamaa (LBA) 5:32.20
12.Bamba Karamoko (CIV) 5:35.56

Junior Men Omnium Time Trial 1km heat
1.Mitchell Sparrow (RSA) 1:10.04
2.Joshua van Wyk (Gauteng) 1:14.06
3.Alroy Palm (WP) 1:14.23

C1 – C3 Men Time Trial 1km
1.Juan Odendaal (RSA) 1:24.36
2.Craig Rigaard (RSA) 1:26.94

C4 – C5 Men Time Trial 1km
1.Dane John Wilson (RSA) 1:13.99