Ace South African track cyclist Charlene du Preez is already experiencing the highs and lows of the British racing scene, writes Mark Etheridge
Du Preez relocated to London earlier this year as part of a long-term plan, which will hopefully see her in the hot seat for Team South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics three years from now.
Living in Swanley on the outskirts of London, she’s now taken part in two local events, both of them Criterium formats, and they’ve proved to be entirely different experiences.
She went from the high of winning the Hackney Primavera Circuit Series to the low of being lapped in the Rapha Nocturne Criterium.
‘I think what made my first race so much different, was that the level of racing was definitely a notch down,’ she said from England this week. ‘Cornering was a bit easier, I was comfortable from the start and I felt a bit more on the dominating side, whereas in the Rapha Nocturne, I was just hanging on.
‘It was definitely two different levels of racing and levels of confidence. But it was all good, it was a great way to break the ice in London.’
The Rapha Nocturne Criterium was only her fifth race in that format. ‘I ended up finding myself behind the start line with some of the world’s best riders and it was amazing to be part of such a great experience and vibe.
‘Starting full blast, there’s no time to think about what line to take through the corners and not having the confidence. It took me at least two laps to be comfortable around the corners, but then it’s already too late, once you lose the rear wheel of the front riders, chances are good that the chase back alone won’t be successful, as most of the riders in the “chasing” group have a rider up in the front group, so that basically turned into a ride to practice cornering at high speed.’
‘Criterium racing is also a skill on it’s own, you’re either good at it, or not. The pace, however, I do think is great for track pace training, but I’ll stick to the track, where I belong.’
Du Preez is firmly focused on a track spot at the Tokyo Olympics. ‘But the reason I’ve just been jumping in and doing a few non-track races is because there is quite a process to go through before one can start racing on the track.’
She did her training accreditation at the weekend at the Herne Hill Velodrome not far from Swanley, and next step is for her to do her race accreditation. After that she’s allowed to race on the track.
‘There are other pathways to follow at the Lee Valley Velodrome, but for now I think the VC Londres Club, which is in charge at Herne Hill and the club I’ve joined in London, have proper training sessions available at the track as well, and are keen to make champions out of their riders.’
There’s also been a form of stress relief on the job front. ‘I’ve recently started working part-time at Evans Cycles in Waterloo, which allows me enough time during the week for proper training sessions, and I believe enough time for the recovery needed – it’s always good to keep a healthy balance and every little bit of income helps towards reaching my cycling dreams.’
