While the cream of Africa’s cycling battled for continental honours in Wartburg, South Africa, some of the athletes’ entourage were on their own quest for performance. At the end of each day of racing during the African Continental Road Championships (February 9-14), 17 mechanics and 25 coaches attended tailored courses led by experts from the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC) in Aigle, Switzerland.
Mechanics course combines theory and practice
UCI Mechanics Manager Alex Roussel flew to South Africa to help the 17 mechanics from eight countries enrolled on the mechanics course. Each morning during the time trials and road races he closely observed his students in action. During the courses that followed the racing, he was able to analyse their work with the help of photos and notes he had taken at the start, in the team zones and from the neutral assistance car.
“We already worked like this at the 2013 African Championships in Sharm-el-Sheikh, (Egypt) and it is something that works well,” observes Roussel. “It gives me a chance to see them in race situations, see how they work and then discuss what can be improved.”
Despite the difference in their technical levels, their previous experience and even the sort of bikes they work on, the mechanics all benefitted from his advice during the workshops and discussions that followed the races.
“They were extremely motivated and there was a good atmosphere,” observed Roussel, who was pleased to see some of the mechanics who attended the first course in Sharm-el-Sheikh in 2013. The mechanics in Wartburg also included Ethiopian Gebregiorgis Weldehiwot, who spent eight weeks training with the mechanics team at the UCI WCC in Aigle, Switzerland, in 2013.
Another source of satisfaction for Roussel was to see some of the athletes competing on scrupulously maintained bikes that their National Federations received through the UCI Bikes for the World Look programme.
“The work we are doing in Africa is long-term but with the donation of bikes and courses such as this, we can definitely make a difference,” concludes Roussel.
Coaches gain experience and confidence
Sentiments echoed by UCI High Performance Manager Belinda Tarling who, together with WCC Coach Jean-Jacques Henry, conducted a five-day course for coaches. The course was followed by evening analysis after each race of the African Continental Road Championships. In total, 25 coaches from 12 countries took up this opportunity to improve their knowledge and skills.
“It was a brilliant experience,” said Tarling. “Eighty per cent of the participants stayed on for the racing and were able to put what they learned into practice. Each evening we analysed what went wrong and what went well. They had a genuine desire to learn and really thought about each situation. It was amazing to see them gaining confidence and taking on more and more responsibility during the racing.
“Both the mechanics course and the coaches course were well received and beneficial for cycling in Africa,” she concluded.
The two courses held during the African Continental Cycling Championships are an extension of the training programme run by the UCI World Cycling Centre which caters not only to athletes but the different cycling professions. They were organised in collaboration with the African Cycling Confederation and Cycling South Africa.