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www.radsport-news.com
The wondrous story of the oldest time trial participant
Every race has to have a winner and one who finishes in last place. On Sunday at the individual time trial of the road world championships in Flanders, the winner was Filippo Ganna. While the defending champion set a record with the fastest World Championship time trial ever driven, the 55th was also able to make a name for himself in the history books - and no, it wasn't the fact that Christopher Symonds from Ghana was a record deficit on Ganna.
At the tender age of 47, the native of London is the oldest starter in a World Championship time trial. "It was definitely not my best race this season. I can do it even better," grinned the Brit with a Ghanaian passport in an interview with radsport-news.com. He began his sporting career as a middle-distance runner, after knee problems he switched to triathlon and was the first Ghanaian to take part in this sport in the Commonwealth Games at the age of 40. At the Games in Glasgow, he then started in the cycling competitions.
As the 46th at that time, he even left ten athletes behind. This time he did not succeed in this feat, because, like in Yorkshire in 2019, Symonds was last in the World Championship individual time trial. But two years ago it was more than 28 minutes at the World Championships, so he was able to reduce his deficit on the even longer course from Knokke-Heist to Bruges to 18 minutes. "Maybe I should specialize in time trials now," said the 47-year-old.
As a classic exotic, it doesn't take itself too seriously, even if the average speed of almost 40 kilometers per hour makes ambitious hobby riders sweat on their foreheads. The 47-year-old is an athlete through and through and grew up on the streets of London. With his appearances he tries to establish Ghana in the cycling world. This is important pioneering work, especially with regard to the road world championships that will very likely take place in Africa in 2025.
So far he has not left the British island for his international appearances, at least for cycling. "It was a wonderful experience on a great track and in front of the fantastic crowd," said Symonds. Because normally he only competes in small local races in England. There he rides for the North Road Cycling Club, one of the oldest and most famous cycling clubs on the island. It has existed since 1885 and two things were in the foreground when it was founded: cycling races and records.
Symonds continued this tradition in Flanders. But the Ghanaian is not only a possible trailblazer for cycling in Africa, but also for top-class sport among mature athletes. Because he could even be the father of many drivers in the field. The 47-year-old is married to a Slovak woman and the two sons have already started cycling.
"They will follow me. You should take care of them because they will be faster than me," Symonds looked at his successors Lukas and Jakob. Like the father, they too should represent the colors of Ghana, even if they still repel their horns in the offspring on the island. In a year in Australia at the World Championships Symonds will probably not be seen, but he is already planning for 2023: "There is the World Cup in Glasgow, so back on the doorstep."
By then, in addition to the many amateur races on the island, he will also return to his bread and water occupation: As a door keeper in the House of Commons, he works as a security officer in the British Parliament, an honorable and traditional task. "I've now got a vacation for the race, but I'll have to go back to work on Tuesday," said Symonds in conclusion and caused a laugh: "Past prime ministers such as David Cameron, Theresa May or Boris Johnson know me. This applies to only a few cyclists in the UK."
www.tourdepologne.pl
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