velodrome – TrackCyclingSA

First taste of international racing for Nikalau

6 riders from South Africa competed at the Next Generation meeting in Appeldoorn, Netherlands, from 10 to 12 January 2025. One of them was Track Cycling SA club member, Nikalau Volsteedt.

We spoke to Nikalau about her experiences at her first international competition.

What was it like to compete on a wooden velodrome as opposed to the concrete one in Bellville?

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG-20250113-WA00171-1024x677.jpg — Nikalau in a sprint qualifier at Appeldoorn

“I could not believe how smooth it felt. I could race a gear that is 2-3 inches heavier than usual.”

How much opportunity was there to race?

“I rode both sprint and endurance events over the course of the three days. Six events in total. On Friday I rode 3 keirins. On Saturday I rode a points and elimination race. Finally on Sunday a scratch race”

What was your favourite race?

Nikalau (centre in SA kit) surrounded by all of the major cycling nations

“My favourite race was the elimination race. The bunch racing was exhilarating. It was so much fun to be in a bunch with all the other countries. So happy I didn’t crash in this race since there were a few close calls. I got 19th in this race which is more than I hoped for. I gained loads of experience out of all the races. Forever grateful for that.” (Editor’s note – Nikalau’s positioning was great in this race, but there were some neutral laps at a crucial stage when a rider suffered a burst tire. She unfortunately found herself boxed in when the racing restarted. A neutral lap on the track is still at a high pace. It only means that nobody is eliminated during neutral.)

What was the highlight?

“The highest point for me was entering the velodrome on the first day of racing. The atmosphere was surreal. It was amazing seeing all the countries knowing that I’ll soon be racing against them.”

Do you have advice for young riders?

“Take your time trying new things and have fun while doing it.”

Are you looking forward to any races?

“For now my focus is on the SA track champs in April. Maybe try and qualify for the African champs.”

Nikalau Volsteedt (Centre) secured first position at the Jeanné Nell track Classic in Bellville after returning from Appeldoorn. Fellow Appeldoorn participant, Hannie Vreken (left), was second. Up and coming rider, Catalina Rose Lamers (right), was third.

Credits: Photos provided

8 good reasons to try out track cycling

Track Cycling SA club provides structure for riders from other disciplines to experience the joy of track cycling. Here is why we recommend considering track cycling.

Beginner sessions – Track Cycling SA club helps new riders to get started in a supporting environment.
Access to bikes – New riders start on the club’s bikes. There is no barrier to entry.
Structured training – We have free training sessions at the velodrome.
Fun and excitement – Riding on the banked walls is exhilarating. The atmosphere is lively. There is a huge sense of achievement.
Camaraderie and community – Track cycling involves training and racing with others, which can create strong bonds and a sense of community.
Improved skills – Better bike handling skills and race craft.
Physical benefits – Improved fitness. Increased strength and power. Enhanced anaerobic endurance.
Safe environment- No cars, no pedestrians, no wind, no rain, and no dark. First Aid level 2 and Guardian approved club staff. Structured training.

Track Cycling SA club offers free track intro sessions at Bellville velodrome. Bikes and coaching are provided. Our next one is a Women’s track day on Sunday, 19 Jan. Pre-bookings close on Tuesday, 14 Jan.

Successful “Try out track” at velodrome

12 new riders tried out track at a free session hosted by Track Cycling SA cycling club.

The event took place on Sunday, 24 Nov, at Bellville velodrome.

There were 7 riders ages between 14 to 17 and 2 under 10 riders. There were also 3 veterans who joined.

Here are some pictures of an enjoyable and fun skills session at the track.

The next track day is in Feb 2025 and will focus on girls and women’s participation.

Building for the future

TrackCyclingSA cycling club will host a track introduction for scholars on Tuesday, 5 Nov from 6pm to 8pm at Bellville Velodrome . The session is open for Under 13 to junior riders.

The cost is R500 and includes club membership until end of this year, use of a bike and learning to ride.

The session is aimed at kids who already ride bmx, mtb or road bikes and would like to pursue track cycling. The goal of the club is to provide a platform to learn from now through to the South African champs taking place at the end of March.

Club membership will allow the use of a bike at club training sessions. This is a great opportunity for young cyclists do develop bike skills and race craft.

Pre-booking only. Closes at end October 2024. Please mail jaco@trackcyclingsa.co.za to book.

Higher power for longer in 4 weeks

Vo2 max intervals may be beneficial to athletes who already have a solid aerobic endurance base and who have reached a power plateau. Vo2 max training may give a competitive advantage in events which require higher power demands such as track endurance events, hill climbs and criteriums.

The stimulus of VO2 max intervals can improve power. The VO2 max program below is ideal to help athletes to cycle at a higher power for longer within 4 weeks. It starts with short VO2 max intervals to boost power and then works up to longer intervals to sustain it.

4-week VO2 max power training plan

The above 4-week VO2 max power plan is ideal to be applied after an endurance cycle such as per any of the below two plans:

4-week aerobic endurance plan ( 5-6h per week)

4-week aerobic endurance plan (6h – 7.5h)

Dial up aerobic fitness in four weeks

Aerobic fitness is key for cycling. Cycling events longer than a kilo on the track utilize aerobic energy. A well developed aerobic system will help a cyclist to ride at a higher intensity for longer.

The 4-week aerobic fitness programs in the links below can be used pre-season or at the start of a season. They can be applied to prepare for road, track, MTB and gravel disciplines.

6-7h per week aerobic fitness program

5-6h per week aerobic fitness program

Click here to view all programs by TrackCyclingSA coach, Jaco Scholtz.

The future looks bright at Bellville velodrome

The third round of the Western Province track league took place on Fri, 2 August, at Bellville velodrome. This event was back to back following the one on Friday, 26 July.

It was the second track event at Bellville velodrome under the new LED lights which replaced the existing 30-year old lights that that were at end of lifespan.

This upgrade solidified the Bellville velodrome as the top indoor cycling facility in Africa.

The program was fast and action packed. Racing started at 7pm and ended at 9.30pm. There was racing for category A to E and riders from under 11 up to 75 – 79 competed.

There were several highlights. Here is our top 5:

10km scooter scratch (30 laps scooter and 10 laps scratch) in 11min59s at 50kmh. Carl Bonthuys winning.

The Western Province elite team pursuit squad in action and closing in on 50kmh.

Imtiyaaz “Sparkles” Schultz first cat A win with a long sprint in the 8 laps scratch race.

The Cat D kids racing at 40kmh in their scooter scratch.

Cat E kids start list growing with 2 more riders joining in.

Here is the leader board:

WP track league #3 on 2 Aug 24 – results Download

WP track league 2024 points table after after 3 of 4 events Download

The next event is planned for Friday, 30 August, 2024. Follow WP track on Whatsapp for event updates.

Follow TrackCyclingSA on Facebook for news and updates about track cycling in South Africa.

Photos courtesy of Marc Pentz photography.

125th Paarl Boxing day

The 125th Paarl Boxing day track cycling challenge took place at the Faure street stadium, Paarl, on Tuesday 26 December.

This track cycling event started in 1897 with the open 25-mile race being the most prestigious event on the program. The winner of this races gets their name engraved on the Minnaar trophy that dates back to 1908.

90 riders participated this year ranging in categories from under 11 scholars to masters.

The elite field saw the professional rider, Jonas Rickaert, from Belgium lining up on the start line along side the top local track riders. He took top honours by winning the 25-mile and was also awarded the top rider of the day trophy.

Jonas Rickaert wins the 25-mile race. Photo Marc Pentz

Here are the results of all the races.

Track league goes back to the 80’s

The WP track league kicks off on Saturday, 20 May’23, at Bellville velodrome. The loadshedding schedule has been consulted and there is no impact on the event.

Entries close on 17 May’23. Click here for league and event details.

The maximum gear ratio is limited to 90-inches. This encourages rides to use leg speed. It is a fun way to get going again on the track after a break since the track nations in April.

Track cyclists ready to race

Track cyclists from across South Africa are ready to race at Maximum Velocity 7. This is the final event at Bellville velodrome before the national track cycling championships.

It takes place on the Cape Town Cycle Tour weekend. This allows visiting riders the chance to an outing on the track on Friday, 10 Nov, before the Cycle Tour.

The program is fast and action packed. It features a sprint invitation, a team pursuit and and endurance competition.

The sprint event is by invitation and these riders will entertain the crowds in a match sprint tournament.

The endurance events are there to sharpen the skills before the national championship. It features technical events such as the points, scooter scratch and elimination races. Riders in the Cape are familiar with the scooter scratch. This is an endurance race where the scooter paces the riders for a set amount of laps while they rotate. Riders may only sit behind the scooter for 1 lap. The scooter pulls of with a few laps to go and then it is a scratch race from there.

Spectator entry is free. There will be coffee and food on sale at the event.

Entries close on Tuesday, 7 March 2023. No late entries.

Sign-on and number collection closes at 6.30pm on race night. Racing starts at 7pm and finishes at 10pm.

Entry details are here: https://www.wpcycling.com/event/maximum-velocity-7-track-classic-bellville-velodrome/?instance_id=2526

The program is here: https://www.wpcycling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/MV7-DRAFT-PROGRAM.pdf