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Teenage cyclist rides to bright future in Europe

Wait-Molyneux rides for national junior team

By Paul Danzer, Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter
Published: August 10, 2011, 5:00pm

When Butch Martin first saw Colby Wait-Molyneux race, the Vancouver teenager made an impression upon the veteran cyclist and coach.

“First thing I noticed was that he had a terrible position on the bicycle. He was kind of twisted up a little bit on the bike,” Martin, a two-time Olympian, said.

Two years down the road from that first glimpse, Martin sees Wait-Molyneux on a fast track as one of America’s more promising bicycle road racers. Wait-Molyneux, 17, recently posted a significant international victory. On Saturday he left for a month of training and racing in cycling hotbed Belgium.

On July 21 in Amos, Quebec, Wait-Molyneux won the time-trial stage of the Junior Nations Cup Tour l’Abitibi. One of the half-dozen major international competitions held each year for junior riders, the Quebec event attracted 132 riders ages 17-18 from nine countries.

The time trial win helped Wait-Molyneux earn the Best Young Rider honor for that week-long tour. He finished third overall and helped Team USA place first overall.

“Third place (overall) is incredible,” Martin said. “And winning the youngest rider award — that really bodes well for him.”

So does the chance to race in Europe, where the competition is intense.

“The 17-18 (age) category over there is incredibly tough,” the coach said, describing this opportunity for Wait-Molyneux as “immense.”

Wait-Molyneux is one of four riders representing Team USA for this month in Europe, a trip that will include several one-day races in Belgium and a stage race in Switzerland.

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This is the second time this year that Wait-Molyneux has traveled to Belgium to compete as a member of the USA Cycling Junior National Team. His first trip to Europe was an eye-opening two-week trip in April where he raced in events lined with spectators.

“Cycling is just a lot more popular over in Europe, especially in Belgium,” Wait-Molyneux said.

A crash at 35 mph resulted in a wrist sprain that ended the spring trip, but the bruises didn’t slow him down.

In June he placed fourth in his age-group’s time trial at the USA Cycling national championships, completing a 30-kilometer course in 38 minutes, 28 seconds. He also placed seventh in a 96-kilometer road race at the nationals.

Wait-Molyneux started cycling competitively in 2006. He’s been a regular at Vancouver Bicycle Club events, and raced with the Vancouver-based North River Racing Team prior to joining the Martin-coached Hammer Nutrition/CMG Racing Team in March of 2010.

Martin, now based in Portland and a coach for several of the region’s top racer, rode for Team USA at the 1964 and 1968 Olympic Games, and in the 1971 Pan-Am Games. He has also served as a national team coach.

He said Wait-Molyneux has the drive and focus needed to reach similar heights.

“Physically he’s a pretty powerful young man for his age,” Martin said. “He has really great recovery powers. And a very high level of concentration, which is needed for time-trialing.”

Wait-Molyneux will be a senior at Skyview High School and takes Running Start program classes. He said he plans to attend a four-year university, but that he will continue to train for elite-level racing.

He owns seven bikes and trains on his own 15-20 hours per week. Sometimes Martin will join him, riding a motorcycle in front of his student to simulate race speeds.

The fact that Wait-Molyneux is only 17, with another full year to compete in this youth age group, also bodes well.

Next year, Martin said, “Colby should be one of our country’s go-to riders for important international events.”

Wait-Molyneux hopes to make an impression sooner. His goal is to be a member of the U.S. Cycling Junior National Team for the cycling’s road racing world championships next month in Denmark.

A strong performance on this trip to Belgium could ensure that Wait-Molyneux will experience the world championships.

Even if that doesn’t come to pass, Martin is convinced Wait-Molyneux is in terrific position to make the most of his cycling ability.

“He is on track as far as I’m concerned for moving in the direction of becoming a professional bicycle racer,” the coach said. “I am expecting him to have a big year.”

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Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter