Lynette Burger was elated to blow away the cobwebs and win the elite women’s 110km Race for Victory in Johannesburg today.
The Demacon rider said the win was “a long time coming and much needed”. Despite her team’s dominant display this year, Burger last won a race at the Fast One Cycle Race in January.
“Even though we [Demacon] have won almost every race this year, which does in a way feel like a victory, I’ve been struggling personally with health issues,” she told In the Bunch today.
“Today’s victory really meant a lot. What you put in is what you get out eventually, and I hope this can put me back on track.”
Demacon’s Lynette Burger (middle) was elated to blow away the cobwebs and win the elite women’s 110km Race for Victory in Johannesburg today. Picture: Memories 4 U Photography
Burger described the conditions as “freezing cold and windy” and probably among the worst conditions they had raced in.
“I don’t think anybody wanted to race for large parts of the route,” she said. “You also cannot push yourself too hard in the wind because you need to save yourself a bit.
“We all held back a little in the beginning and knew where we wanted to make the racing start.”
This happened at about the 60km mark, she said. “That was about enough in these conditions to make a difference.
“Joanna van de Winkel really made it hard, but I managed to get away with her. We rolled through and then four other girls came across.
“The six of us then made it through together until the finish.”
Among the six riders were Burger’s teammates Kim le Court and Heidi Dalton.
“We knew with me and Kim being sprinters that we could take it for a final sprint, but we didn’t want to take the whole group so we had to make a bit of racing to split it up.
“Heidi was a very good workhorse and very good in the wind especially. It was good for us to have two sprinters in the last 20km and Heidi to take on any move if it got away.”
Their plan paid off as Burger won, with Van de Winkel second and Le Court third.
Burger said it was good to get a victory close to home “where we train a lot”, adding that “it was the first time I’ve felt good on a bike this season”.
“I’ve had a lot of health issues,” she said. “Every time I came right, I would just get sick again.
“It also depended on my kids and what they brought home. But for the first time I felt good on the bike today.
“Whatever comes up now, we should be strong for the last few races of the season.
“I just want to be a strong and if that involves me being a workhorse, that’s fine. Our team is a unit and that’s why we have been so successful this season.”
