Hayley Preen surprised herself with a clean sweep of titles at the USSA Cycling Championships in Pretoria last week.
The first-year engineering student from the University of Cape Town won all five events in which she competed over the three days.
Her final GC time of 5:15:55 was more than two minutes faster than that of Linda van Wyk of Stellenbosch. Pukke’s Kristin Louw came third.
Hayley Preen (pictured) surprised herself with a clean sweep of titles at the USSA cycling championships in Pretoria this week. Photo: Double ST
Preen said after the event, which finished on Friday, she was not a full-time cyclist. She also enjoys running and horse riding.
During the past few years she had cycled only during the first three months, up until Cape Town Cycle Tour, she said.
Last week was the first time she competed in the USSA championships ‒ and she was delighted with her performance. “Winning was so unexpected. It could be the start of more cycling for me.”
She joined the UCT team after the Cycle Tour and participated in a few league races before the USSA championships.
“Before the Cycle Tour I cycled only for about two months. And this year was the first time I carried on after that. I was chosen as the general classification rider for the USSA champs.
“On day one, in the shorter road race, I managed to win in a sprint finish on a small hill.”
Along the invidual time-trial route, she passed Michelle Benson of Tukkies, who had started one in front of her and finished second.
“In the afternoon I rode in the time-trial; only the second one I had ever done. I just kind of went for it,” she recalled.
“They started it in reverse order, so I started last. I passed Michelle about halfway through and pushed on until the finish.”
Preen also won the main “queen” road-race stage on the second day before competing in the first criterium race of her career on the third day.
In the road race, she “sort of relaxed on the first lap before I attacked on a hill on the second lap. Everyone followed, which broke the group up a bit.
“I just stayed in front and managed to take two hot-spot sprints.”
She enjoyed the final event, the hill climb. “I like hills. The first part was quite steep and I pushed hard. Then it became quite flat and easier and I won that as well.”
Preen finished 22nd when she rode with the elite women in the Cycle Tour this year; only nine seconds behind the winner, Kim le Court.
But she still is unsure about her future in cycling. “I’m actually more of a runner,” she said. “I have to train for some big races in the second half of the year.
“I also do horse riding and I have to study, so I don’t have much time. But I hope to keep on cycling and do the same next year: take part in the Cycle Tour and then in the USSA.”
