This past weekend saw the 2021 National Road Championships take place in Swellendam in the Western Cape. All the top contenders streamed down to the small Western Cape town to contend for the much-coveted national titles on offer. Our very own Caitlin Thompson was one of the riders looking to put her many hard months of training in action in pursuit of the Junior Women’s titles on offer.

The event kicked off with the Individual Time Trial on Friday the 19^th. This event is an all-out effort over a specified route against the clock. The junior women were tasked with a challenging 15km out and back course in very wet and cold conditions. Caitlin had the misfortune of being sent off second on the course. Ideally in these events you want to go off last or close to last. She however put this obvious disadvantage behind and set off to prove a point having been overlooked earlier in the year for the African Road Championships team. She managed to set a blistering time of 25 minutes flat and in doing so won the event ahead of the reigning African Individual Time Trial champion.

She also went on to take on the 80km road race on Sunday. With the junior women seemingly looking to ride very conservatively in the hopes of leaving the racing to the final kilometer. Caitlin was forced to work hard on the front for most of the event in an effort to stress the rider’s legs and possibly shrink the group. With a prevailing headwind on the last half of the race the option of a solo break away was off the cards. She did however out of frustration attempt to break away on the 2^nd last climb of the route but was unable to make it stick. This left the race to the final 1km climb and it came down to her and one other girl attacking at the base of the climb. Unfortunately, on the day her legs just didn’t have enough left in them to hold with the eventual winner. She however finished with the silver medal some 5 seconds off the winner.

This is Caitlin’s first year as a junior and she will have the privilege of defending he National Time Individual Trial Champions title next year and hopefully also look to secure the National Road Champions title.