Students Eye Top of the Podium in PE
www.MyPE.co.za: New
kids on the cycling block, Mecer-NMMU, have set their sights on the top
step of the podium at the South African Student (USSA) Championships
that starts in Port Elizabeth on Sunday.
Team captain Conrad Viljoen, an honours student in architecture, says
the team will be participating in the blue ribbon event for only the
fourth time in their relatively short history.
“We’re a young club and it is the first time that NMMU (Nelson
Mandela
Metropolitan University) will be hosting the event, so we are
keen to
make an impact.”
Viljoen won the tour
two years ago when it was held in Nelspruit, with
the team placing third overall. Last year, in Stellenbosch, he was
unable to defend his title due to a fractured collarbone, but
Mecer-NMMU still went on to collect silver.
They are now ready for the next step, says Viljoen. “Our results
indicate that we’re slowly maturing as a team and we have more depth
and experience than in the past.”
He says their objective is to win both the individual and team
classifications. “We have a well-balanced team and we’ve been riding
well as a unit so I think we have a great chance.”
The team – which also includes Wesley Augustyn, Jade Muller, Mark
Murray, Sebastian Lokotsch and Ryan Raffan – has dominated cycling in
the province during their build-up for the championships and they are
currently leading the team classification of the prestigious Beachfront
Lodges Premier Cycling League.
Augustyn will get the first chance to impress when the four-day event
kicks off with the mountain bike race at Woodridge on Sunday. “The
course is very technical, which suits me, but I expect tough
competition.”
The road event starts with a 20-kilometre individual time trial on
Monday, followed by a fast 80km stage in the afternoon. On Tuesday,
riders will face their toughest test when they tackle a hilly 140km
course.
The tour culminates with a 4km hill climb time trial and a one-hour
criterium on the last day.
Viljoen believes Tuesday’s stage holds the key to overall victory. “The
important thing is to keep out of trouble early on and then to give it
a full go on day two.”
Twelve universities – among them the Tshwane University of Technology,
the University of Stellenbosch and the University of Johannesburg –
have entered.
As an added incentive, the top six riders in the overall standings will
be selected to represent South Africa at the World Student
Championships (probably in France) next year.
Related Images:
Cycling
in Port Elizabeth.
Port Elizabeth Budget Accommodation
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