09 Nov 2020

Organisers of Team Swift’s Vunani Fund Managers race have called for observance of all safety protocols for cyclists during the races. 

Race director, David Lebalelo urged clubs and team managers to revisit their cyclists’ safety during the races, saying ‘what happened during the Sunday race (November 8), especially with riders’ support cars and riders’ feeding was not acceptable’. 

Lebalelo said it was paramount to adhere to all safety measures, as they helped avoid crashes during races, adding that non-compliance often disadvantaged other riders’ performance. 

He implored teams to only avail official support cars, urging them to also be aware of the type of cars to use for support in the race. 

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) promotes smaller team support for the races, different feeding zones during the race, a reasonable minimum distance between vehicles and safer barriers and arrivals for races, among others, as a way of improving cyclists’ safety during race events as well as aim for professionalism in the sport.  

While the safety measures are put in place to maximise riders’ safety, Lebalelo added that they also enhanced the clubs’ ability to run race events in a manner that did not jeopardise the sport. 

He said they promoted safe, fun and professionally run races, which ensured riders compete at challenging levels. 

“We will engage team managers to discuss concerns over cyclists’ safety during races as a way forward for other scheduled race events,” he stressed. The Vunani Fund Managers 100km stage three road race was competitive as the riders battled for the overall in the last stage to be held on November 29. Lebalelo said the race had surprises of young riders finishing ahead of the elite bunch. 

He said such showed that Botswana was on the right path to grooming better cyclists, who would field a competitive national team in the future. 

Abeng Malete of Jwaneng Cycling Club won the stage, finishing in 2:15:27, followed by Lebopo Mompe of Tsela Riders Club, who did 2:15:27 while Malete’s teammate Lobone Rammidi finished in 2:15:28. 

Rammidi won the 30km Criterium stage in 1:02:13 followed by Malete in 1:02:14, while Mompe finished the stage in 1:04:06 in the Junior category. 

In the ladies’ category, Tsela Riders’ Bakang Ebudilwe, an Olympic hopeful, finished in 2:20:34, followed by Nonofo Maswabi of Jwaneng Cycling Club in 2:39:25 and Anouk van der Geest of Tsela Riders with 2:47:46.  Ebudilwe also led the Criterium stage with 1:05:07 while Maswabi finished second in 1:1:20; with Individual Time Trials (ITT) at 21:58 and 21:59 for Maswabi and Ebudilwe respectively.  

The overall winner of the Vunani Fund Managers stage race will be crowned after the 120km road race final stage, which is scheduled for November 29. ENDS