29 Mar 2016

Botswana mountain bike riders are in Lesotho to take part in the highly coveted African Continental Mountain bike championships which started on  Tuesday.

The Botswana Cycling Association (BCA) secretary general, Tlamelo Dube said they have sent eight cyclists to the championships to represent the country. 

He explained that it was the first time Botswana attended the race which was expected to attract top mountain bike riders from across the continent. 

The AfriSki Resort which is hosting the race is one of the few ski resorts on the continent of Africa at an altitude higher than 3 000metres above sea level.

Speaking on the sidelines of an intensive training session before the team travelled to Lesotho over the Easter weekend, coach of the national riding team Jeremiah Kokwane said the recent training camp in Namibia had helped shape his riders physically. 

He said the fitness level was quite impressive while dealing with uphill and downhill terrains that were still a challenge. 

Part of the team has just returned from Namibia where they joined other African cycling teams for a two weeks training camp organised by World Cycling Centre Africa.

The team is represented by Bakang Ebudilwe and Bonno Motlhetlhi in the ladies category. 

Twenty years old Ebudilwe from Tsela Riders was part of the African Youth Games team. Dimpho Masi and Arnold Kokwane will battle it out in junior men. James Masimo and Abeng Malete will go for glory in the under 23 category. Masimo tried his luck at the All Africa Games in Brazzaville last year and had just returned from a month long camp in Potchefstroom courtesy of WCCA.

Twenty two years old Thato Madimabe from Gaborone Cycling Club will pair with the tried and tested off road biker Jabu Tabolane in the elite division. 

The energetic Madimabe has been on fine form coming out on the top 20 spot of the enduring South African Bubbleton 105km mountain bike challenge. 

Tabolane’s name is synonymous with local off road titles such as the top notch Kalahari Cycling Challenge. 

He has moved to Selebi Phikwe and now part of the Motloutse Cycling club. The 37 years old former GCC rider is expected to steer the young Botswana team to victory against strong opposition from South Africa, Namibia and the hosts Lesotho who are well accustomed to mountainous terrain. Ends