17 Sep 2018

Biker, Nolan Hoffman of South Africa, continued his good form when he was crowned the overall winner of the Mascom cycling challenge on Sunday morning.

The 32-year-old Hoffman of BCX Cycling Club clocked 2 hours 45 minutes and 39 seconds for the 110 kilometres loop. 

It was yet another South African affair in the female category of the 110km when Zanri Rossouw of Team Clover rounded up her race within 2:54:58.

In the 110km elite race, Zimbabwean rider, Nkulumo Dube, failed to defend his title when he finished third, trailing youngster Abeng Malete of Team Swift and the eventual winner Jan Montshioa of Sampada who clocked 2:45:40.

Malete’s teammate, Thabo Pono, finished first in the 110km veterans category ahead of the experienced rider Sean McCormick who recorded seasons’ best of 2:55.30.

In the 110km masters category, Charles Naude of Troisport finished in position one ahead of Martin Ayuso and Warren Rigelsford. In the 110km Under 23 race, it was a tight battle between Andrew Chikwakwa, Oabile Tingwane and Advocate Phiri.

Chikwakwa and Tingwane arrived on 2:45:39:88 and the clocked waved in favour of Team cycling rider Chikwakwa who went beyond the finish line a split second earlier.

The physically taxing route started at the Central Business Districts’ Three Dikgosi Monument coiling around the city before heading to the A1 highway all the way to Rasesa and Malotwane in the Kgatleng district. 

An interesting duel was witnessed just after Bela Bela farms when Chikwakwa, Malete and Hoffman broke away from the entire pack.

Kopano Kgosibodiba and Kitso Moseki of Ramotswa based Jon Mol Club reigned supreme in the youth 60km race while Gontse Lethokwe of Gaborone Cycling Club won the open 60km race.

The year 2018 is the time when the main sponsors, Mascom, celebrate 20 years of existence in Botswana and as an incentive offered P10 000 prize money each for the first man and woman who crossed the finish line in the 110km race. 

The Mascom Cycling Challenge started in 2015 through a partnership with Tsela Riders Cycling Club.

The race has since tremendous growth since the partnership started.  In an interview on the sidelines of the race Tsela Riders chairperson Charles Vaughn said they were delighted by the record number of riders who turned up for the Sunday race. 

This year, he said they registered over 199 riders compared to last year’s 97. ENDS