15 Aug 2016

 Twenty-two year-old Gaborone Cycling Club rider, Thato Madimabe became the overall winner of the inaugural X-country Olympic on Sunday (August 14).
The off-road championships hosted by the Botswana Cycling Association (BCA) took riders on different laps trail around the old Gaborone dumping site.
Madimabe arrived first in the under 23 years male category with an impressive time of 1 hour 24 minutes and 57 seconds, a minute ahead of his bitter rival James Masimo, while on the third spot was Abeng Malete to complete the five laps race.
Madimabe had an easy task in the absence of perennial winner Bernado Ayuso who had been relegating him to the second spot in the last two editions of the championships.
 Enterprising Kagiso Senior Secondary student, Arnold Kokwane reproduced his past form and clinched the junior male three lap’s race in 52 minutes and 44 seconds followed closely by Dimpho Masi.
It was Kokwane’s third championship and also sweet revenge against Masi as he succumbed to the latter in the last championships.
Kokwane won the race two years ago and has been in fine form representing the country in tough contest regionally.
He has just returned from Lesotho where he took part in the African Continental Championships.
The Jonmol cycling team rider formed a formidable team with the likes of Bonno Motlhetlhe, Madimabe and Bakang Ebudilwe.
In the vet male five laps race newcomer Shawn Bruwer caused an upset when he arrived ahead of favorites Victor Makgwelo and Victor Potgieter with an impressive time of one hour 27 minutes and five seconds.
In the master’s male four laps race tried and tested rider Seamus O’Neil came on pole position ahead of Warren Rigelsford and Jan Louwies.
In the open female laps, Reza Armstrong beat Gobona Mantle and Kagiso Pelopedi to the first spot. Kyle Poppleton beat Tumisang Ramasankate and Daniel Kealotswe in the Open male race.
Meanwhile the association held its annual general meeting on Saturday and retained its past executive committee with only two additional members, Game Mompe as additional member and Kagiso Potongwane as the publicity secretary. ENDS