Silver? Not my colour! South Africa’s Mellet rides to Under-23 road race gold in Kisumu
Kisumu, Saturday, October 24:
South African youngster Marzaan Mellett has little appetite for silver medals, and the disappointment of settling for second place in Wednesday’s Individual Time Trial (ITT) proved to be all the motivation she needed to strike gold in Saturday’s women’s Under-23 122.2-kilometre road race at the CAC Road Cycling African Championships in Kisumu.
After missing out on top honours in the women’s U23 20.4km ITT, where she clocked 31:45.36 to finish behind Rwanda’s Jazila Mwamikazi (31:17.58), Mellett returned to the saddle on Saturday afternoon with redemption firmly in her sights.
This time, she conquered the grueling road race to claim the coveted gold medal. Mellett led a South African one-two, with compatriot Megan Botha settling for silver, while Ethiopia’s Tsige Kiros completed the podium with bronze.
Driven by Disappointment
The young cyclist admitted that her intense dislike for silver medals had spurred her to dig deeper and go one better in the road race, beautifully turning Wednesday’s disappointment into Saturday’s triumph.
“I don’t like silver medals, so that was my motivation to win gold today,” Mellett said proudly.
Despite her fierce determination to climb to the top step of the podium, Mellett revealed that she had not initially realised she was in contention to win the U23 race. The women’s elite and U23 road races are contested concurrently on the same tarmac, blurring the lines of the battlefield just as the men’s categories do.
Surviving the Final Ascent
For Mellett, it was only when the race approached the final, punishing climb towards the finish that she began to appreciate the golden opportunity unfolding before her.
“The race was good. I only realised I could take the U23 when we came off the climb towards the finish,” she added.
The final ascent, however, proved a stern test of grit for the South African, who acknowledged that scaling steep gradients is not necessarily her strongest suit. Instead, she relied on tactical patience and her superior handling skills on the subsequent downslope to stay in the hunt.
“On the climb, I was just following wheels, just trying to get over because I know I am a better descender than some of the ladies,” Mellett said.
A Dream Finished in Gold
It was only in the closing metres, as the race hurtled frantically towards the finish line, that she realised she had a genuine shot at claiming the U23 crown. That realization gave her the final surge of adrenaline to press on and secure the gold medal she had coveted since missing out in the time trial.
“Coming into the final metres, that’s when I saw I had a shot at the U23,” she added.
Mellett was quick to credit her teammates for playing a crucial role in her triumph, describing the tactical victory as a collective masterpiece by South Africa’s elite and U23 riders, whose tireless work throughout the day put her in a perfect position to contest the finish.
“My team did a very fantastic job leading me out in the sprint. It was a great race,” she said.
Women's U-23 122.2km Road Race Results |
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