By MEIRING BURGER –
AFTER topping the log in the Zambian Schools Mountain Bike (MTB) series, six cyclists from Solwezi recently competed in the South Africa finals of the invitational Spur School MTB series.
This race drew the top junior riders from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The Spur series ran during the course of 2015 and started with a total of just over 10,000 cyclists, which were whittled down to just 400 finalists.
The Kansanshi team was sponsored by First Quantum Minerals, Titan Drilling and BME, who made it possible for the cyclists and their coach to travel to South Africa.
An official for the Zambian team said the standard of racing was world class and although Zambia’s cyclists did not end up at the top, they learned some valuable lessons, the least being that you have to compete at the top level to be relevant.
He said, irrespective of the relatively small cycling community in Zambia, the cyclists managed to compete and looked well at ease in the race.
Five of them were in the Junior (Under-16, Under-18 age group) category and ended up with Francois Burger at number 32, Bernard Saulombu at number 52 and Nixon Kanyuma at 53. The other cyclists suffered mechanical problems and finished at the back of the pack.
“However, based on the high standard of racing, this was a much better than expected outcome. The Zambians also featured in interviews on SABC 2 and Super Sport on DSTV, putting Solwezi firmly on the map in the Southern African junior cycling community,” the official said.
The team came back enthusiastic to do better next year and to put all that they learned at this race to good use.
Sponsors like FQML, Titan Drilling and BME make it possible for such young cyclists to put Solwezi and Zambia on the international cycling map.
(The author is assistant general manager at Kansanshi Mining Plc in Solwezi and coordinates cycling activities for Team Kansanshi).