14 Dec 2020

Team Swift’s Llyod Molale  came close to winning the National Elite Men Road Championship on Sunday in Rasesa, but lost due to a mechanical fault with just a few seconds left in the sprint finish.

Molale came second in the 2020 Botswana Cycling Association (BCA) National Road championships with a time of 3:42:01 after Jwaneng Cycling club’s Abeng Malete who took the title after cloaking 3:41:55.

Having started the race under cool weather conditions, Malete and Molale had a good start leading the 140 km peloton. The two raised their pace while pulling the men’s Under-23 in the same peloton and leading the same group until their broke away from the peloton.

Molale and Malete dominated the race with a leading bunch that included Under-23s Jameel Noor of Tsela Riders and Tshepo Sentsho of Team Swift whilst Matlhogonolo Botlhole of Jonmol was left in the peloton.

A few metres to the finish line, Molale increased his pace and Malete launched a sprint attack which Molale could not keep up with as he experienced a mechanical fault with his chain ring.

“The chain ring went off before the sprint and it cost me the race,” stated Molale, saying he rode the race with an old chain ring as he could not replace it on time. The 24-year-old 2020 Individual Time Trial (ITT) champion said his plan was to train more during the off season in preparation for the new season in 2021.

Malete, who retained his title, said he came ready for the road race, particularly as he just completed the Majwe-AM 570km race. “I believe I was ready and strong for this race,” Malete said, adding that however Molale gave him competition, but he beat him as he experienced mechanical problems in the last contention of the race.

Botlhole, who delayed his break from the peloton and did not look like he was going to be in the fight for victory, pedaled hard in the last lap and finished in a sprint of 3:39:36 ahead of Sentsho, who finished  second in 3:47:49 and Noor finishing third in 3:47:52.

“It was a tough race and I almost gave up but I believe in God and I pushed hard,” said the 19-year-old 2020 National ITT champion. An aspiring professional cyclist, Botlhole said he would keep his form and carry on with his training and feeding programme as recommended by coaches.

In the ladies Elite event, the 2021 Olympic hopeful Bakang Ebudilwe defended her national title, riding well with the Junior Men peloton and showing her racing maturity and power clocking 2:54:44 in the 99km route, ahead of Anouk van deer Geest who came second in 3:03:42 whilst Nonofo Maswabi did not get a podium finish as she had a bike break down and dropped off the race.

The 24-year-old Ebudilwe kept pace with the leading group of the junior men ahead of her contenders and secured her victory once again.

“Although wind was a little factor, there was no pressure at all,” indicated Ebudilwe, adding that her performance improved when she rode along with the elite men, particularly as their attack and pace was high compared to the junior men.  ENDS