Mountain bikers from the GO!Durban Cycle Academy, in partnership with the Kargo Pro Cycling Team, are relishing the opportunity to tackle the trails of St. Ives MTB Park in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands for the third and final round of the 2016 KZNMTB XCO Provincial Series on Saturday 16 April.
Mmeli Ndimande from the GO!Durban Cycle Academy races in the U23 category and looks forward to competing in the third and final round of the 2016 KZNMTB XCO Provincial Series at St. Ives MTB Park in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands on Saturday 16 April. Photo credit: Tyron Mackenzie
While the provincial series provides riders at the sharp end of the sport the opportunity to claim provincial honours and to improve their racing on local terrain, it also provides newcomers to cross-country racing the opportunity to test their skill and abilities more competitively.
The GO!Durban Cycle Academy was established to provide an environment for local cycling training and to bring young people together to meet and engage with each other using the sport of cycling as the common focus. It serves recreational, commuting or sporting purposes.
Kargo Pro MTB Team Manager, Shaun Peschl, explains that the youngsters from the GO!Durban Cycle Academy that are competing in the KZNMTB XCO Provincial Series already have race experience from competing in the KwaZulu-Natal High School Series.
“The talent is already there, but by competing in the provincial series we’re helping them to take their racing to the next level,” he said. “We’ve taken the youngsters to all the XCO Cup Series events in KwaZulu-Natal so far and they will definitely be at St. Ives. Some of the guys have done really well and they might also race in the Pietermaritzburg MTB Festival at the end of the month.”
The Academy, which focuses on individual growth, is linked as an official feeder for professional cycling teams like the Kargo Pro Cycling Team, and provides a developmental opportunity for potential cycling talent.
“We’re getting them to do as much racing as possible,” continued Peschl. “Training is one thing; they need to be exposed to racing and to get that race experience, which cannot be taught any other way.”
The young cyclists simply love riding their bikes and doing sports, and Peschl says that that overrides the fear and intimidation of a tight race. “They definitely don’t back down when they’re on the track – they go as hard as they can.”
Sbusiso Ndlovu (Junior Men) of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy hydrates during a race and will give it his all at the third and final round of the 2016 KZNMTB XCO Provincial Series at St. Ives MTB Park in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands on Saturday 16 April. Photo credit: Tyron Mackenzie
Members of the Kargo Pro Cycling Team mentor the young cycling stars and the exercise shows them that there is a little more to life than just racing your bike. In mentoring and providing guidance to the newcomers of the sport, the team members are able to give back to cycling in some way.
According to the Academy’s press statement from the team launch, “the GO!Durban Cycle Academy forms the foundation for the creation of a robust cycling culture, as the City forges ahead with its planned GO!Durban integrated rapid public transport network. Intrinsically linked to this is the provision of walkways, pedestrian bridges and cycling lanes primarily as a means to provide access to public transport, but also to make provision for those, who, through circumstance, were unable to afford it.”
Round three of the 2016 KZNMTB Provincial XCO Series – takes place St. Ives MTB Park, KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, on Saturday 16 April. Entries are open and close on Wednesday 13 April 2016.
Enter here: http://www.roag.co.za/eventinfo.aspx?EventID=1733.
For any further details, please visit www.kznmtb.co.za. For more information, contact Rebecca van der Linde info@kznmtb.co.za.
