Big year for cyclist

25th November 2009

Taking a break to do school exams at present might almost be a relief for Canterbury’s junior sportsman of the year, cyclist Michael Vink.

Vink, who was 18 on Sunday, has hardly paused for breath since he won a bronze medal in the team pursuit at the world junior track championships in South Africa last year.

Cycling honours have come thick and fast, including three gold medals at the Canterbury track championships, the national under-19 individual (in record time) and elite team pursuit titles, and recently on the road the national under-19 time trial title in Nelson and the Junior Tour of Southland.

His bulging CV also earned him the Sir Richard Hadlee Canterbury junior sportsman of the year award last month.

His dramas haven’t been just on the bike. He’s been selected for the Christchurch-based Subway-Avanti team which is registered with cycling’s world body UCI for international competition, but found he could not ride for it in this month’s Tour of Southland and Tour of Hainan (China) because he was too young under UCI’s rules.

Vink was allowed to ride his first senior Southland tour in another team.

"I finished ninth overall," he said.

"I wanted the top 10 and was third in one stage and second in the king of the mountains, so it was quite good."

Vink avoided the race’s big crash, but had a spill on the fourth stage and over-reached the next day trying to make up time.

The injury was to the same knee that he injured in Russia several months ago training for the junior track worlds in Moscow.

In spite of his world championship medal on the track last year, Vink sees his future very much on the road.

"It’s the only way you can make a career out of it," he said. "And I enjoy the road more. Everything about it – I always have, really.

"My track riding came off the back of the road."

Vink finishes his school days at Christchurch Boys’ High this month, and has several options available to him for racing in Europe – probably France or Belgium – for four to six months next year.

cer, and Vink started mountain biking when he was about 10 and then got into road cycling for a winter sport at Boys’ High when he was about 15.

Ask him what his strengths are as a rider, and he will tell you it’s a love of cycling.

"It’s just something I’ve really liked and genuinely wanted to do," he said.

"The training is hard, but I’ve absolutely loved it."

Coached by the master, Terry Gyde, he typically rides 500km a week.

He faces new cycling challenges from now on riding in the under-23 ranks.

"Races will be longer and more demanding, so training will increase slightly," he said.

However, the determination and talent Vink has shown so far make it plain he shouldn’t take too long to establish himself at the new level.