With a surname like Speedy, it should be no surprise that Yolande is indeed rather rapid once she clutches the handlebar of her Mongoose mountain-bike.
These remarks and jokes about speed and her surname have been part of Yolande Speedy’s life ever since she started competing in sport. The first time she heard the Speedy joke was when she was winning races at athletics meetings.
"It’s funny, but sometimes it can be sort of embarrassing," she notes. But nobody can deny that Yolande Speedy (IMC/Mongoose) is currently one of the fastest female mountain-bikers in the country.
She has won 70% of the races in which she has competed so far, and is ranked 39th internationally on the UCI (International Cycling Union) cross-country rankings.
Speedy has also won four of her five races in the Mazda Series, and the final race in the Series is the Colorpress Crater Cruise (13 and 14 October) in Parys, the one event that Speedy is yet to win.
It is going to be an exciting day out on the bike for her with the organisers having decided to make Sunday, 13 October, "Women’s Day" at the Cruise, where the half-marathon 56km race acts as the women’s blue ribbon event.
"The main reason why we decided to move the women’s event to the Sunday, is because of the complaints we received that male riders have an influence on the outcome of the women’s race," said race organiser, Attie Koekemoer.
"Female riders can still race in the 100km event and they will even win prize money (R5,000 for winning and a bonus of R10,000 for finishing 25th overall)," Koekemoer explained.
According to Speedy the fact that the official women’s race is now just 56km is going to make it harder. "It is going to be a time trial on dirt. What would make it interesting is if some of the roadies also race." Speedy believes that Tania Raats and Amy-Jane Mundy will be the riders to beat.
News from the roadies is that Cherise Taylor (Konica-Minolta), South Africa’s most talented female road cyclist, is going to do the long ride on the Saturday with the men.
"I would have loved to race on Sunday, but it clashes with the Vodacom Race for Victory. For my sponsors it is more important that I get good results on the road," explained Taylor.
When it was mentioned to Taylor that she could win R5,000 by being the first female rider across the finish line on the Saturday – and an extra R10,000 if she finishes among the top 25 overall – she made it very clear that money will be the last thing she thinks about when racing on her mountain-bike.
"For me it is just a nice personal challenge. I won’t even be thinking about winning. If I have to be honest, the Crater Cruise will be all about survival for me.
"Last year I rode the event and I can honestly say that it was the toughest race of my career at that point. About 10km from the finish I started crying because I was just so tired. The big mistake I made was that I started out too fast, and ended up paying for that in the end," she said.
"Being a good road cyclist doesn’t mean that you will be competitive in mountain-bike races. For me they are two totally different sports. You use different muscles," she said.
To say that Yolande de Villiers (Mazda/Merida) is highly frustrated is putting it mildly. It would seem that last year’s Crater Cruise female champion has been jinxed. Two serious falls, first at the Forest to Falls in Graskop and then at the Haernertsburg event in early September are the reasons why her season is over.
In her last crash at Haernertsberg she broke a collarbone quite badly. On Wednesday she was going to see a doctor in Cape Town for a second opinion.
"They have operated on my shoulder but I am still in so much pain when training on my indoor trainer. I don’t even want to imagine how I am going to hurt when I try to ride on a dirt road," she said.
"I am like a frustrated lion. Even my kids are looking forward to seeing mom back on her mountain-bike. But this I promise. I will be back and racing. I have still got a lot of unfinished business as a mountain-biker," she said.
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The 85km Colorpress Road Master Blaster on Friday 12 October (A road cycling event for 50-plussers only)
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The 100km Colorpress Crater Cruise on Saturday 13 October (Note: Mazda Marathon prize money for men only)
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The 56km Colorpress Crater Cruise on Sunday 14 October (the Mazda Marathon for women, and a half-marathon for others)
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The 25km Colorpress Dirt Flirt number 1 on Saturday 13 October (Free for all 56km half-marathon entrants, others enter separately)
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The 25km Colorpress Dirt Flirt number 2 on Sunday 14 October. (Free to all 100km Cruise entrants, others enter separately)
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A Colorpress Petit Cruise for Kids
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The annual Kêtathelons
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Crazy Cruise – a fun downhill event open to all cyclists 10 years and older.
A R20 discount applies to all riders who enter both the 100km Cruise and the 56km Cruise. For further information log onto the CraterCruise website.
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