Young South African rider Azulde Britz (left), pictured here after her podium at the Satellite Classic, feels racing in Europe will be important to develop her career. Photo: Mariola Biela
Promising South African rider Azulde Britz believes exposure to the competitive European racing circuit is what she needs to keep on building her burgeoning career.
The 20-year-old from Pretoria has just finished her second year of a psychology degree at the University of Pretoria and her immediate goal is naturally to complete the course.
But, for someone with long-term aspirations of racing fulltime, she knows that the more she competes in Europe, the better it is for her prospects.
Britz, who placed fourth at the Joburg Classic and third in the Satellite Classic within the space of a week recently, said there was nothing specifically planned at this stage, but she knew it would be the right move.
“I feel that is what I need to do to take the step to the next level,” said the Positive Sports Solutions rider. “The more you race overseas the better for you, because you are exposed to a really competitive type of racing.
“For someone like myself, who sees cycling as a career, doing as many races in Europe has to be a big goal. Even if it’s not with a team, just to gain that experience would be priceless.”
She got a taste of the big leagues when she represented South Africa in the junior category at the UCI World Road Championships in Innsbruck, Austria, in 2018.
“That was the hardest race I have ever done, but also the best experience,” she said. “I learnt so much on that trip, not just about racing, but about myself on and off the bike.
“I think the Worlds really opened my eyes to what is needed to race in Europe and gave me great insight into how the world of racing operates.”
She felt she was unable to measure her progress this year due to the strange circumstances created by Covid-19 but believed she could compete on the SA scene.
“There have been some serious challenges because I had a big crash doing the Fast One road race in January which put me out of action for longer than I expected,” she explained.
“A week after I recovered, we were hit by level five lockdown, so I spent several months trying to get my fitness back.
“No sooner had the lockdown begun to ease when I contracted Covid-19 in July and that really set me back.
“I didn’t expect the effect to be so dramatic and thought I would be off for two or three weeks.
“But it took a lot longer and even after I recovered I was only able to ride three or four hours a week, so it was some time before I was able to find any sort of racing form.
“That meant I did only four road races this year so it’s difficult to measure my progress, although I think I developed from a mental perspective.
“But after Satellite Classic I do feel I can compete with the top riders.”
Perhaps not unexpectedly, given the year she has had, Britz said the highlight for 2020 was completing the Otter Trail, a 41km hike over five days in the Southern Cape.
“It may sound weird to say that,” she said, “but joining a group of friends to do that was a great experience for me.
“I think it is important to have something off the bike as an alternative interest to keep up your motivation and also to provide a different perspective on things.
“Doing stuff like that, I believe, helps you to keep an open mind and an open approach to life.”
