Mikia Kalati
THE Lesotho cycling team climbed seven places to move back to 39th from position 46 on the world cycling rankings after competing at the recent African Continental Mountain Bike (MTB) Championships held in Windhoek, Namibia.
Team Lesotho which remains second in Africa, was represented by Katleho Manasi, Tumelo Makae and Lichaba West as well as Phethetso Monese while Malefetsane Masokela failed to compete after sustaining a facial injury a day before the championship.
Yesterday Alliance Insurance hosted a press conference on behalf of the Federation of Cycling Lesotho where it was revealed that the team travelled by road to Windhoek and arrived two days before the championship. However, the duo of Tumelo Makae and Lichaba West, were already in Namibia for two weeks having been invited for a training camp that was organised by the World Cycling Centre Africa.
The continental championship was graced by nine countries namely Botswana, South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mauritius, Ivory Coast, and eSwatini and Tunisia while Morocco failed to show-up.
Lesotho came second in the under-23 category of the event after Eric Ramohanoe finished 10th behind nine South African riders.
Katleho Manasi was also racing in the same category but finished 17th while Wessel Botha of South Africa came first.
In the elite category, competition was also tough with Alan Hatherly of South Africa, who is the world champion in the under-23 category, winning the race. Lesotho came fourth after Phethetso Monese finished 11th.
The Lesotho team’s travelling and participation in Namibia was sponsored the Alliance Insurance Company and Nedbank Lesotho.
Limakatso Mokobocho, the Alliance Insurance’s Sales and Marketing Manager said “the association and partners are pleased with the progress and development seen, with all the Lesotho riders challenging at the front of the field for the first part of the race causing spectators and race officials to comment on how good the team performed”.
“Makae had made a good start with potential to land a top 10 position but dropped to 12th overall by the end of the race,” Ms Mokobocho said.
