07 Jul 2025

 Over 70 riders racing across different categories took part in the first Marathon Cross-country (XCM) national championship hosted by Botswana Cycling Association (BCA) at Kgale Mews on July 6. 

This year’s national championship was fast-paced with a thrilling adrenaline for both riders and spectators. Even though the championship was meant to expose riders to very technical terrains, some riders felt that they were not challenged enough.  This year’s BCA XCM national champion, Gontse Lethokwe, who finished with a time of 1:56.17 followed by Daniel Mophuting on 2:03:10, said the route was a flat terrain and there were no challenges of rocks or uphill. 

Lethokwe of Jwaneng Cycling Club said BCA should in future also have Cross Country (XCO) events to familiarise young riders with competitive race events at continental level and or events in other countries such as Namibia and South Africa. Similarly, Myra Mantle, a staunch mountain bike rider, said the route did not ‘give her an MTB feel until 40km’ where the route became little technical. However, junior category lead Mantle said she enjoyed the course. 

“This was out of my comfort zone. I got to expand my cycling MTB skills and do something different,” she said. 

Mantle, who clocked a finish lead-time of 2:29:12 and could not be crowned national champion, as she was not a member of a BCA affiliated club, said her wish was for BCA to hold two MTB races as there were two road races of time trials and normal road race.

“I wish we have XCO and XCM, so that we are able to get the experience,” she said. 

Subho Ghosh of Team Swift said the XCM format was competitive for them. 

“Everyone was stuck together because there was a lot of drafting; it was more like a road race. I like marathon races, but the problem with this course was that it was not technical,” Ghosh said.

He urged BCA to look for more courses that were technical. Despite mixed reactions toward the national championship, BCA president Kagiso Potongwane said: “We have been doing XCO short circuit which is usually a short loop of about 6km in a technical terrain. And it exposes our riders to very technical terrains.”

Acknowledging riders’ sentiments regarding not exposing new riders to XCO, which could compromise riders when competing outside the country, he said they were deliberate about finding the best competition in the XCM. 

 “And we will look into having other small events in a year, funds and resources permitting,” he said adding that they would also alternate having XCO and XCM events.

Meanwhile, Potongwane had cautioned riders that being crowned a national champion do not guarantee them a spot in the national team. He explained that they used point accumulation system to select the best. 

“We want consistency and riders need to do other events all year round to accumulate points and the nationals will always carry more points,” Potongwane said.

He said if riders were not competing in races under the BCA banner, they would not stand a chance to be selected in the team. 

 “Winning the national does not make a rider the best, but competing in all or many races and maybe getting podium finish is your best chance to be in a national team,” Potongwane said.

He also emphasised the fundamental change in the crowning of the national championships, saying going forward, only riders who were members of BCA affiliate clubs would be awarded national medals and recognised, and also that none-Batswana would not be awarded. 

“We will only give them a handshake on the podium to appreciate them and give them a finishers’ medal but they will not be crowned national champions,” he said. ENDS