Modern Cyclist Magazine Issue 1, September 2014 | Page 20

“My first time at a track meeting was at Hector
Norris Park and I managed to keep about 20
metres behind the last rider. When it came to
the last lap four riders went off the front racing
for the finish line but the rest of the field just sat
up.
“I didn’t know where else to go so I closed
my eyes and squeezed between them, going
very fast,” he explained.
This was very different to what he experienced
as a middle distance athlete where you push
right until the end, always aiming at improving
on your personal best times.
And so began a track career that has seen
Wendell being awarded his National Colours
at the age of 45 and race to two silver medals
and two bronze medals at the UCI Track World
Championships over the years. And those
“world” achievements came in addition to
countless local achievements, like the 18
South African Championship titles and 44
South African records that he has set up.
Sound busy to you? Not really for the likes of
Wendell who decided to be a coach as well,
and took three particular cyclists, Dalena Nel,
Steve Esthuizen and Kyle Swaine to compete
in the Junior World Championships in Cuba.
Challenges come in many forms and, in the
second half of 2013, Wendell, while preparing
for the World Mountain Bike Championship in
June, had a fall and broke his right shoulder.
Surgery fixed this but as fate would have it, a
“freak” accident occurred five weeks later as
an “A” frame advertising trailer blew over and
crushed him underneath it. He not only broke
his other shoulder but broke the L2 vertebrae
in his back and once again he landed up in
the operating theatre.
“I should have started acting my age and
hang up my bike,” he said. But then with a
twinkle in his eye, he asks: “how do you give
up on a dream?” After a six and half month
layoff, Wendell started riding his bike again
and had his eyes set on medals at the SA
Track Championships to be held in April. The
result was that he went home with a handful
of medals, two gold, a silver and three bronze
medals.

he’ll also be aiming at the World Age Group
pursuit record in 2015.
Wendell’s mountain biking career started
around six years ago after a road riding
accident claimed the life of a close friend
who was killed while they rode together.
“It took a long time for me to get over that
accident. So I decided to take up mountain
biking. I’m a nature person by nature and I
really enjoyed the trails so it just seemed like
the right thing for me,” he explained.
Although Wendell has enjoyed a number
of mountain bike successes, including
representing South Africa at the UCI World
Cross Country Championships in Brazil in his
age category, it seems that this side of his
racing career is also over.
“I’ve had two thrombosis, one in 2000 and
one in 2012, and the haematologist strongly
advises me not to race mountain bikes
anymore. The risk is too great, if I have to fall
and break a rib or a severe head bleed, I
probably won’t be taken out of the trails quick
enough to survive it,” he mused.
So now he uses his time on the trails at Thaba
Trails to train for the 2015 track season. And
to get the trail ready for events, like the
South African Cross Country and Downhill
Championships which took place in July this
year.
“I really enjoy seeing people enjoy riding their
bikes and enjoying our trails. Thaba Trails is
like a Picasso, it’ll never be finished as I am
constantly closing old sections and opening
new sections,” he said.
The one “glitch” on his cycling record is that
Wendell Bole has never ridden the Argus!
“People are really flabbergasted when I tell
them this, so I normally ask them how many
world championships have they ridden
and the answer is normally none.
Then I say that I’m sitting on
nine so it’s a bit of a
difference!” he smiles.

What next? “I’ve come fourth many, many
times too. But I just don’t enjoy that rubber
medal, so I am aiming for the 2015 World
Champs!” he said but there is still a long way
to go and, overcoming the physical
setbacks he has, he aims to use the 2014
World Track Championships as part of
his preparation for his future goals.
Not only is Wendell, who will
be 65 and in another age
category, aiming at gold
for both the pursuit
and points races,

20

ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER 2014 / www.moderncyclist.co.za

Looking back on that
career, it is not surprising
that Wendell’s favourite
saying is “if you can dream
it you can do it!”