PRESS RELEASE – Immediate Release

Johannesburg (11 October 2011)

UCI African Continental Cycling Centre and MTN-Qhubeka

The UCI African Continental Cycling Centre (ACCC) team has made great strides and added another feather to its cap when Tesfai Abraha Habtemariam won the Bestmed Campus to Campus race on 9 October 2011.

The other UCI ACCC athletes who took part were Meron Rusom Alem, Janni Tweldegabir, Obert Chembe, Aymen Mraihi, Nicodem Habiyambere, Gasore Hategeka and Joseph Biziyaremye. According to UCI Africa Advisor Jean- Pierre van Zyl, this was the first race where the team rode as a unit, covering every single breakaway throughout the race.

“The training over the past seven weeks, tactically and technically, is showing with their clever decisions within the race,” says Van Zyl. “I have noticed that the riders have become more and more self confident during the last three weeks. They are not waiting for the professional teams to attack and then to follow; they take decisions to attack and believe in their ability to survive any counter attacks or hard moment that might follow. The outcome of the race was actually not the most important for us, but the way they performed during the entire race is what was very satisfying.”

According to Van Zyl, it was a day of cat and mouse. “The riders went into breaks, but none of the moves were serious enough that it looked dangerous for the finish. Most teams waited for the Ertjies Berg halfway through the race expecting it to be the chapter that would change events for the day and the winning break to conclude itself near the top of the climb,” he explains. “This was not the case as the pace was relatively easy in the first part of the climb, resulting in the peloton pretty much staying together. With Nolan Hoffman safely in the peloton it was supposed to be a day for the sprinters. Numerous attempts were made to form the winning break for the day, but it was not until 10 km to go that a small group of seven riders went clear, and with 6km to go Meron Rusom made a huge attack and managed to stay away for the next 5km.

“Unfortunately for Meron, the experienced Ian Mcleod was chasing hard and motivating the small group. Once the group of seven riders was back together, Meron assumed his role as lead out man for Tesfai. Tesfai waited till the very last moment and burst out the pack to victory. Behind, the peloton was closing quickly only 50 meters behind the breakaway. Team Tasol was setting Nolan Hoffman up for the sprint, but they left it too late. Janni (Tweldegabir) outsprinted Nolan for the minor placing, and the ACCC men were very motivated, with all seven ACCC riders finishing within the first 15 places.”

Van Zyl notes that it was a satisfying day for development cycling. “Being on par with the best in South Africa is not just a dream anymore,” he says. “The African Continental team has come a long way, thanks to hard work by riders and staff and support from the UCI and sponsors who believe in our program, the result speaks for itself.”

One of the UCI ACCC partners is Team MTN-Qhubeka, which sponsors the team’s cycling apparel. While most of the MTN-Qhubeka men are in Australia competing in the Jayco Herald Sun Tour, the remaining riders from the men’s team also took part in the Bestmed Campus to Campus race, with 21-year old JC Nel scoring a fourth place finish.

In the women’s Elite race, Charlotte van der Merwe took the second step of the podium, narrowly missing out on the winner to Robyn de Groot.