Their strong physiological potential has been left in no doubt after the tests of power and VO2max carried out today at the FNB High Performance Institute of Sport.

“To start with, we will see how our athletes adapt to the altitude and the temperature,” explains the Centre’s Director Jean-Pierre Van Zyl. The training camp takes place at 1500m altitude and in 38 degrees Celsius.

A bigger challenge awaits the trainees on Sunday: a 120km race in Johannesburg, on a flat and extremely rapid course.

Van Zyl adds: “These athletes have enormous potential but their experience in competition requires work. Last year, we welcomed a young Rwandan, Joseph Biziyaremye, who could hardly ride straight. A few weeks later, he won the last stage of the Tour du Rwanda, a category 2.2 event! We hope that the other riders will follow his example!”

At the Potchefstroom Continental Centre, the trainees will rub shoulders with four more experienced riders who have signed a contract this year with the UCI Continental Team MTN-Qhubeqa: the Ethiopian Tsgabu Grmay and Eritreans Meron Russom, Jani Tewelde Weldegabir and Resfai Abrhaha Habtemariam. According to an agreement with their new team, the Continental Centre helps with their preparation for the beginning of the season.

Trainees

-Janvier Hadi (Rwanda), 21
-Nicodem Habiyambere (Rwanda), 25
-Gasore Hategeka (Rwanda), 24
-Ferekalsi Abrha Debesay (Eritrea), 25
-Dawit Araya Haile (Eritrea), 24
-Biniam Bekele (Ethiopia), 21
-Gerbert Barth (Namibia), 18
-Till Drobisch (Namibia), 18
-Abdoul Aziz Nikiema (Burkina Faso), 23
-Noufou Minougou (Burkina), 20
-Ahmed Alaa Mohamed Mohamed (Egypt), 19
-Tehemar Mohamed El Hady (Egypt), 22
-Bright Chipongo (Zimbabwe), 23
-Richard Laizer (Tanzania), 22
- Chris Germain (Seychelles), 22

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.

PRESS RELEASE – Immediate Release

Johannesburg (6 October 2011)

UCI African Continental Cycling Centre

The Engen Dynamic Cycle Challenge on Sunday 2 October 2011 saw the UCI African Continental Cycling Centre (ACCC) challenging more experienced athletes for some of the top spots.

Jani Tewelde finished fourth overall and second in the U23 category, while teammate Aymen Mraihi finished in 12th place overall and sixth in the U23 category. Unfortunately for Zambian UCI ACCC rider Obert Chembe, he had a crash at 10km and then a puncture at 30km, which compromised his race as he was unable to catch up with the peloton due to the fast pace on the descent.

According to assistant coach Marnitz Aucamp, the race pace was easy at first, probably due to the rainy conditions.

“After the riders warmed up, the pace lifted and they started to attack,” he says. “A small crash in the first 10 km of the race left Obert Chembe to fight to get back to the peloton and shortly thereafter he got a puncture; a bad day for him. Some riders got away from the peloton including Reinhard Janse van Rensburg (MTN-Qhubeka), Hanco Kachelhoffer (Bonitas) and Richard Baxter (Tasol-GT), reaching a time gap of approximately 1:40 min. Bonitas then decided to chase down the leading riders and the peloton caught up with the breakaway group with about 5km to go.

“The race concluded as a bunch sprint, where the UCI ACCC riders set up a lead out for Jani Tewelde, the team’s best sprinter. Meran Russan, Aymen Mraihi and Tesfai Habtemariam gave Jani a lead to perfection. Unfortunately Arran brown (MTN-Qhubeka), Nolan Hoffman (Tasol-GT) and Tyler Day (Bonitas) were just too fast for him.”

Aucamp notes that it was a fantastic weekend and the team enjoyed the chance to perform with South Africa’s top athletes.

“We were tired and stressed, but everything played out very well and we were super proud to get another podium finish,” he says.

The men’s elite race was won by MTN-Qhubeka’s Arran Brown with Nolan Hoffman in second and Tyler Day in third (also winning the U23 category).

The UCI ACCC team enjoys a strong relationship with the MTN-Qhubeka team, which has sponsored the ACCC riders’ cycling apparel for the past three years and will do so again in 2012.

“We think the UCI African Continental Cycling Centre is doing wonderful things for the sport of cycling throughout the continent of Africa and we’re proud to partner with them in this way,” says Doug Ryder, MTN-Qhubeka Team Principal.

Many of the current 2011 MTN-Qhubeka riders have come to the team through the UCI ACCC development initiative, including Adrien Niyonshuti, Loto Petrus and Stanley Namanyana. Ryder hints that there are further UCI ACCC riders who will be joining the team in 2012. The announcement will be made within the next few days.

About Team MTN-Qhubeka

Team MTN-Qhubeka is Africa’s most winning and most multi-discipline continental race team. With men and women’s road racing teams, men and women’s MTB teams and BMX team, MTN-Qhuebka comprises a team of 24 men and women athletes back four different nations.

One of the focus areas at Team MTN-Qhubeka is the development of a new generation of competitive African athletes. 14 of the 24 athletes are under 26 years of age, making MTN-Qhubeka one of the youngest professional teams around. The team is a blend of talented young riders and more experienced leaders that have generated more than 385 race victories in the past three years.

For more information, visit www.qhubeka.org.

Since his impressive ascension in April, Adil Jelloul was almost bound to take over the lead of the UCI Africa Tour Ranking. It was more or less on the cards. He only needed to bridge up a very small gap of 1.66 points to take over from Daniel Teklehaymanot, who had been in the lead for five months and now finds himself 34.33 points behind Jelloul. Third in the new Ranking, another Moroccan, Tarik Chaoufi, is 96 points off the lead.

The change in power came during the second event of the Challenges du Prince, raced around Meknès. Jelloul did not win this event. Nor did he win the first leg around Rabat the day before, where the crown prince started the race by releasing eight doves. But he dragged the best Moroccan riders with him to form a breakaway group where the young riders came out on top. He finished fourth, the same position as the day before, and the same as the next day during the last race. This amazing regularity was enough to send Jelloul, 29 years, to the head of the continental Ranking.

Leader of his national team, the rider from Azrou first discovered cycling with his mountain bike.

« It’s the means of transport for people from his region, at 1500m altitude, near the ski resort Ifrane, » explains the National Technical Director Mustafa Najari. Jelloul has been a full-time road cyclist since 2001. His victories include the Tour du Faso and the Tour du Sénégal (2007) and the Tour of Rwanda (2009). This season he had three objectives: the Tour du Maroc, where he was a victim of severe marking from his rivals, the National Championships where he hopes to take his fifth title, and the final Ranking of the UCI Africa Tour.

In order to consolidate his current position, he will use the Tour de Slovaquie as preparation for the Kwita Izina Cycling Tour, in Rwanda, and the Tour d’Algérie, where he will cross swords with Daniel Teklehaymanot, former leader of the UCI Africa Tour. The last direct confrontation between these two men dates back to the Tropicale Amissa Bongo, in Janaury. The solid Eritrean then disappeared from competition to train at the World Cycling Centre in Aigle, Swizterland.

Jelloul will have a force to contend with, one who at the beginning of May won the time trial and overall classification of the Prix de Saugeais, in France. Teklehaymanot will return to Eritrea at the beginning of June to compete in his National Championships. He is obviously delighted to learn that his country’s capital, Asmara, will host the African Championships, from 9th to 13th November, to replace the Ivory Coast’s candidature.

The battle for the lead of the UCI Africa Tour may well see some new takers, such as Ezzeddine Agab, winner of the Challenge du Prince event. The Algerian, member of the Groupement Pétrolier d’Algérie, has leapt from 18th to 6th place in the Rankings. At the same time, his continental team, formed at the beginning of the season, takes the lead in the teams Ranking with 220.66 points. The South Africans MTN-Qhubeka (197 points) and Bonitas (128.34 points) are second and third respectively.

Led by Jelloul, the Moroccans are well in the mix, with three riders in the top four. Logically, they dominate the nations Ranking with 821 points, in front of Eritrea (505.68 points) and South Africa (463.64 points).

Pierre Carrey

The Interbike International Trade Expo will take place from Wednesday to Friday, 14 – 16 September 2011 in Las Vegas, USA. For more information see: www.interbike.com

In the opening stage of the Tour of Cameroon, Minoungou finished 2m50 in front of three teammates. He paid tribute to them in the newspaper Le Pays: “I owe the yellow jersey to my friends. I thank them and the people of Burkina Faso for their support.” As Minoungnou nearly lost the race due to a mechanical problem, Burkina Faso’s Sports Minister promised to update the riders’ equipment.

Second in the Tour of Cameroon, Martinien Téga climbs to fifth in the UCI Africa Tour. The experienced Cameroon rider, winner of the Tour du Faso and the Grand Prix Chantal Biya last autumn, is just 2.66 points off fourth place, currently held by the South African Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg.

As for the leader, Daniel Teklehaymanot, he is now under pressure from the Moroccan Adil Jelloul. The 81 points that separate the two riders could well be reduced further during the next seven UCI events that will be raced in Morocco between now and May (the Tour of Morocco, the three rounds of the Challenges Phosphatiers and three rounds of the Challenge du Prince). Due to return to the World Cycling Centre (WCC) in Aigle, Switzerland, at the end of March, Teklehaymanot will sit out these races, for which Jelloul is one of the favourites.

In the nations ranking, Eritrea continues to lead with 505.64 points, in front of Morocco (464 points) and South Africa (314.32). Rwanda, currently seventh, moves up a place thanks to two stage victories in Cameroon, one of which saw Rwanda occupy the top three places.

MTN Cycling (150.66 points) is still the best team on the continent, leading another South African team Bonitas (62.32) and the Groupement Sportif Pétrolier Algérie (34.66).

The Tour of South Africa, which counts towards the UCI Africa Tour March ranking, gave a new boost to national cycling. Returning to the calendar after 10 years, the event, won by Britain’s Kristian House, aimed to give a taste of South Africa’s past, countryside, culture and diversity. Cycling would appear to play an important social role in the country as the IOL Sport website reported the words of a 16-year-old adolescent in Johannesburg, “If it wasn’t for cycling, I’d probably be gambling and smoking.”

Cycling is also developing in Algeria. After registering two UCI teams at the beginning of the year, two new UCI events appear on the calendar: the Tour d’Algérie (27th June – 1st July) and the Circuit d’Alger (2nd July). In addition, the Algerian sprinter Youcef Reguigui, 21 years, won the Grand Prix des Carreleurs, in France, at the end of March, wearing the WCC colours.

Reguigui is in line to compete in the prestigious Nations Cup series. He will be accompanied by other African athletes including the Eritreans Natnael Berhane and Misgna Okbatsion, the Ethiopian Tsgabu Grmay, the Ivory Coast’s Isiaka Cissé and the Rwandan Nicodem Habiyambere.

Pierre Carrey

NWU Institutional Office – There is no doubt about it – the NWU is going to construct the first indoor cycling track with a wooden surface (Velodrome) in Africa. In fact, the first sod will be turned before winter on the Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds of the Potchefstroom Campus.

“The project received new impetus recently after the University obtained funds from the National Lottery,” says Mr Frans Kruger, Institutional Director: Legal Services and project leader.

Frans, who has been involved with national and international cycling for many years, and Mr J-P van Zyl (former Potchefstroom resident and former track cycling world champion and Olympic finalist), the Director of the African Continental Cycling Centre (ACCC) of the International Cycling Union (UCI), took the initiative to make the cycling track a reality. He also made a big contribution to obtain the initial funding for the project based on national and international support. Due to the large scale of the project, it will be carried out in phases.

The first phase entails construction of the concrete slab on which the wooden track will eventually be built, a tunnel from the outside to the inner section of the track (the infield), the 250 m cycling track itself, and the roof – everything in accordance with international standards with a view to the hosting of future international competitions.

The infield will be designed and equipped so that it can also be used for several other indoor Olympic and other sports and competitions (basketball, netball, boxing, table tennis, volleyball, hand ball, etc.) as well as other events (e.g. sports exhibitions).

It is expected that the first phase of the project will be completed by the end of November this year.

In addition to the development of this facility, the project will also address the core business of the NWU with the establishment of a Cycling Academy. The Academy will be involved with national cycling talent development while an academic programme about the science of cycling coaching will also be linked to the cycling project.

According to Prof Dawie Malan, Director of the Institute of Sport Science and Sports Development on the Potchefstroom Campus, this initiative was received very positively by the International Cycling Federation and Cycling South Africa.

At the end of February 2011, two international cycling track builders who have already designed and built several Velodromes, visited the NWU. They will be returning next week with follow-up plans and proposals. Mr Frédéric Magné, Director of the World Cycling Centre of the International Cycling Federation and Director: Development of the UCI in Aigle, Switzerland, also visited the NWU and the ACCC and held discussions with various stakeholders concerning the UCI’s international support and cooperation.

In the final stage, from Owendo to Libreville, Natnael Berhane anticipated the sprint to surprise his breakaway partners, which included French professional Jérôme Pineau (Quick Step). Berhane currently lies eighth in the UCI Africa Tour ranking. His compatriot Daniel Teklehaymanot, who also won a stage of the Tropicale Amissa Bongo, keeps his pole position (totalling 237.66 points), in front of the Moroccan Adil Jelloul (156 points) and the French rider Anthony Charteau (112 points), overall winner of the Tropicale and winner of the mountains classification in the last Tour de France.

“Eritrea is a true cycling nation,” commented Jean-René Bernaudeau, Manager of Team Europcar.

The Eritreans have a third rider in the UCI Africa Tour top ten with Meran Russan (5th), who finished 11th in the Tropicale Amissa Bongo. Logically, the nations table remains in the hands of the “Red Sea Boys”, who had already dominated the African Continental Championships and the Tour du Rwanda in November. Morocco hangs onto third place in front of South Africa, which is making up part of its slow start and more or less tripled its number of points in February. Its excellent results during its national tour, which will be taken into account for the next UCI Africa Tour ranking, will undoubtedly reduce the gaps even further.

In February, African cycling was boosted by two new Continental Teams registered in Algeria. Both count eight riders.. The Groupement Sportif Pétrolier Algérie will be led by Ezzedinne Agab, time trial bronze medallist at the Continental Championships. The other team, Ville d’Alger-Ain Benian, puts an accent on young riders, with the average age ranging between 19 and 24. Africa now has four UCI Continental Teams – compared with only one last year -, with the South African Team Bonitas and MTN-Qhubeka,currently in the lead of the UCI Africa Tour team ranking.

African riders at UCI training centres

The UCI Continental Centre, managed by Jean-Pierre Van Zyl, continued its work in February with preparation courses for the Tour of South Africa. Six riders rode in this event in the centre’s colours : three Ethiopians (Tsgabu Gebremaryam Grmay, Solomon Bitew Shiferaw and Estifanos Gebresilassie) and three Eritreans (Daniel Teklehaymanot, Natnael Berhane et Misnga Okbatsion). Four other athletes stayed at the centre to continue their training : Isiaka Cisse (CIV), Nicodem Habiyambere (RWA), Obert Chembe (ZAM) and Noufou Minougou (BUR).

Meanwhile, several African riders will be part of the next training camp at the World Cycling Centre in Aigle, Switzerland. Among those arriving in Switzerland for mid-March, are Teklehaymanot,for his third year, his compatriot Natnael Berhane as well as Tsgabu Gebremaryam Grmay. Other arrivals scheduled before the end of April include Nicodem Habiyambere (RWA) and Aziz Nikiema (BUR).

Pierre Carrey

Photo: UCI Africa Tour leader Daniel Teklehaymanot

16.11.2010

The African Continental Championships, which took place in Rwanda from November 9th to 14th, demonstrated the new power of cycling on the continent.

Five years after the inaugural African Championships in Egypt, the 2010 edition held in the Rwandan capital of Kigali welcomed twenty African Nations and saw new countries emerging as leaders. While Morocco and South Africa have always been the strongest contenders, this year two new nations made their mark: Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Victory for Eritrea in team time trial

Eritrea took an early lead in the medals tally, with a refreshing and exciting victory in the team time trial. Urged on by hundreds of spectators, the Eritreans outclassed second-placed South Africa by 2m 19s on the hilly course just outside Kigali.

This was not to be the country’s last appearance on the highest step of the podium: former World Cycling Centre trainee Daniel Teklehaimanot was on an unstoppable winning streak which saw him go on to dominate both the individual time trial and the road race. Not only did he win the U23 category, but also the overall elite classification, earning him a total of five gold medals.

The men’s road race produced what was probably the highest level of racing ever witnessed on the continent. Rwanda is known as the country of the 1000 hills so it was no surprise that the 144km 12-lap road race was very hilly. The demanding course suited riders from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Kenya, who demonstrated that African cycling is on the move with a new breed of cyclists ready to measure up on the world scene.

After numerous attacks, the first serious breakaway formed after 30km, with two groups riding in front of the main peloton. By the half- way mark, Gasore Hategeka (RWA) and Lagab Azzedine (ALG) had a three-minute lead on their chasers. The Eritreans remained patient and waited for the latter part of the race to make their move. With true professionalism, they set up their attack with one lap to go, allowing Daniel Teklehaimanot to make his move. Only the 2008 African Champion Dan Craven (NAM) and Meron Russom (ERI) were able to respond but they could not succeed in reining him in.

The South Africans however dominated the women’s events, with Lylanie Lauwrens taking gold in both the time trial and the road race.

Olympic Games qualification

http://www.uciafricatour.com/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails.asp?id…tes%2FUCI%2FUCI5%2Flayout%2Easp%3FMenuID%3DMjAwNA%26LangId%3D1 Page 1 of 2UCI Africa Tour 16/11/10 20:20

Also at stake during the championships were starting slots for the men’s road race at the 2012 Olympic Games: the first two nations (that do not qualify through the UCI Africa Tour by 30th September 2011) automatically earned their nation the right to enter a rider in the London Games. The five remaining qualification spots for Africa will be awarded based on the nations ranking of this season’s UCI Africa Tour, which promises to be one of the most exciting in its history; as the first two nations of the final ranking will qualify respectively 3 and 2 athletes for the Games.

During the closing ceremony, Morocco’s Abdelatif Saadoune was awarded the 2009-2010 UCI Africa Tour winner’s trophy.

Finally, Dr. Wagih Azzam, President of the African Cycling Confederation (CAC), announced next year’s African Continental Championships will take place in Côte d’Ivoire in November.

The majority of the nations have remained in Rwanda for the Tour of Rwanda (class 2.2) which takes place from 17th to 25th November. The competition promises to be exciting, with the African teams being joined by the UCI Continental team from the US, Team Type 1 as well as two European teams from France and Belgium.

Photos : The Eritrean Team during the Team Time Trial