Ernst Van Dyk – World Champion!

[Matt]

Ernst Van Dyk – World Champion!

Press release: Cycling South Africa, 13 September 2011

 

13 September 2011 – The South African Para-cycling Team returns from the Road World Championships in Roskilde, Denmark with a new World Champion in their midst – Ernst Van Dyk.

 

Van Dyk won gold in a very tactical H4 Road Race over 62km, beating Wim Decleir from Belgium and Norbert Mosandl from Germany by less than a metre and reaching a speed of 55km/h at the end of the frenetic sprint for the finish line, claiming his third World Championship gold medal since he won both the Road Race and Time Trial four years ago in France.

 

Madre Carinus did exceptionally well in both the women’s T2 time trial and road race, finishing just outside the medals in fourth position in both events. In the 30km road race she was involved in a crash at a very crowded first corner, yet despite this hiccup still fell just 14-seconds short of the bronze medal.

 

Fellow medal contender Jaco Nel in the C2 road race was caught up in a bunch crash that saw six riders being taken to hospital. Although unscathed, Nel’s delay was followed by a puncture later in the race, dashing his chances of earning a medal.

 

After a two year absence from competitive racing, Riaan Nel (silver medallist at the Beijing Paralympics in 2008) showed that he is back with a

vengeance and finished 7th in the very competitive men T2 road race. In the men T2 time trial, two South Africans finished in the top ten with Gerhard Viljoen in 6th and Goldy Fuchs in 9th position.

 

Stuart McCreadie did exceptionally well in the H2 events, finishing 7th out of 26 entrants in the 15km time trial. In a race dominated by Jean-Marc Berset of Switzerland, Stuart missed the bronze medal by less than 30-seconds; and finished 10th out of 29 entries in the 62km road race.

 

Since all top ten finishes count towards the number of cyclists that South Africa may send to the 2012 London Paralympic Games, South Africa can look back on a very successful championships, and be confident in preparation for the 2012 Paralympic Games.

 

 

Ernst van Dyk won gold and the World Champion title by the narrowest of margins in the handcycling H4 discipline at the 2011 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Denmark.

[Cycling Addict]

[LeTurbo]

I think the paracyclists are incredible! And hell, if I could do 55km/h in a sprint, I'd be a happy chap. And I used to work with Stuart McCreadie - absolutely awesome guy.

[Zaskar]

Thats awesome news, well done to Ernst -

[Iron]

Im always amazed at people like this , they never complain or bitch just get on with life in the most exceptional manner .

 

Well Done Bud ,

[Bat-ass]

What a career he has had...... He's a machine...

[Prozac]

[RudoJ]

What a career he has had...... He's a machine...

+1 Excellent athlete, very humble person

[Wannabe]

He is a machine. One year with the 94.7 our bunch caught up with him just before the crest of a climb. We passed him VERY slowly, and he then stuck with us for a long period, before we managed to pull away from him on another climb. He sat with us with ease on the flats, went forward on the downhills, he only struggled a bit on the climbs.

What was so great to me was that we/the bunch actually eased up a bit on the ascents/drags once we saw we were pushing too hard, and he even acknowledged that.

 

Was one of my all time favourite cycling memories.