For the last three weeks, 49 young cyclists from 21 African countries have been eating, dreaming and sleeping cycling at the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC) satellite in Potchefstroom, South Africa. The athletes are in the Under-23 and Junior categories. Of the 31 men and 18 women, some come from fairly recently-affiliated Federations such as Botswana and Swaziland. Others hail from Africa’s strong cycling nations such as Eritrea and Algeria. Some are already accomplished cyclists, while others had difficulty clipping their shoes into their pedals at the beginning of the camp.
“The level is very diverse,” explains Jean-Pierre Van Zyl, UCI Africa Tour Continental Adviser and Director of WCC Africa. With his staff of six (two coaches, two mechanics and two administrative staff) he has been helping these motivated young athletes prepare for what, for many of them, is the biggest sporting challenge they have ever faced: the African Continental Road Championships (February 9-14).
Mentoring role for prominent African riders
Lending a helping hand are some high-profile riders from the MTN Qhubeka WCC Africa feeder team. These mentors are relishing the chance to help those coming up behind them.
“They know that they originally started off where these guys are right now,” says Van Zyl. “And many of them are now going on to become professional, ride in the Tour de France…. They are completely motivated to help out these young riders. It’s a system that works here in Africa,” he says proudly.
Physical training is just part of the preparation in Potchefstroom for Africa’s upcoming generation of cyclists. Over the last three weeks, the athletes have also been learning about nutrition, hygiene and race tactics through video analysis (“we don’t have races where they are exposed to tactical situations,” explains Van Zyl). They have also learned to live side by side.
“We have a group of athletes here from very different cultures, different religions, speaking different languages. At the beginning, some didn’t want to sit at the same dinner table but I won’t have that. Now the atmosphere is just amazing. We have learned to trust each other; we have walked a path together. It’s very rewarding,” says Van Zyl.
Focus on African women
The WCC Africa Director is also proud of the accent being placed on women’s cycling. The 16 young women currently training in Potchefstroom have been joined on training rides by Lise Olivier, an athlete and Director of Cycling South Africa’s Women’s Commission, who posted on Twitter: “Incredible Group of Ladies here.”
A small select group of the athletes competed in the African Continental Track Cycling Championships last week in Pietermaritzburg. Of the six medals they brought back to Potchefstroom, four were won by two of the camp’s female participants: one silver and two bronze for Egyptian Ebtissam Zayd Mohamed, and a bronze medal for Tunisian Nour Dissem.
But the main goal of the camp is the African Continental Road Championships where all 48 athletes will compete. Van Zyl has rented a 60-seater bus that will carry the trainees, along with members of the centre’s high performance squad, more than 500km south-east to Wartburg, near Pietermaritzburg. While some have very real chances of medals, others will simply be aiming to finish within the cut-off time.
Either way, it is like a victory for African cycling.
Courses for coaches and mechanics
The aim of the UCI World Cycling Centre is to ensure that the athletes continue to benefit from solid advice once they return to their countries. That is why the UCI WCC has also organised a course for coaches and another for mechanics in Pietermaritzburg before and during the African Continental Road Championships.
Twenty-six coaches from 11 countries will participate in a 10-day coaching seminar led by expert coaching staff who are flying to Pietermaritzburg from the UCI WCC in Aigle, Switzerland. Meanwhile 16 mechanics from eight countries will attend the mechanics course given by UCI Master Mechanic Alex Roussel.
The athletes’ training camp and courses for coaches and mechanics have been organised with the support and collaboration of UCI Vice-President and President of the African Continental Cycling Confederation (CAC) Dr Wagih Azzam, CAC Secretary General Mr Sao Allah Kouamé, and President of Cycling South Africa Mr William Newman.