The world’s top para-cyclists will be aiming for maximum Paralympic-qualifying points when they descend on Pietermaritzburg for the fourth round of the UCI Para-cycling Road World Cup from September 11 to 13.
Six-time paralympian and multiple World Champion,Ernst van Dyk
The South African event will be the only World Cup race held outside Europe this year and Cycling South Africa will field a full-strength team as host nation.
A larger complement of riders will give CSA a chance to blood new riders in international competition and give them an opportunity to test themselves against global standards.
The country’s top riders, who are no strangers to World Cups, will have the added incentive of valuable UCI points if they secure a podium finish on home soil.
“In para-cycling, if an athlete competes in two events in Europe, then only one set of points is scored from their best performance,” said para-cycling commission director Dr Mike Burns.
According to Burns, if a race is held in another region, such as Africa, riders earn another set of points, thereby doubling their qualification points for the next year’s Paralympic Games in Rio.
“That’s the big attraction for the world’s top athletes to compete in South Africa.”
Six-time Paralympian and multiple world champion Ernst van Dyk (H5), and newly crowned road race and time-trial world champions Pieter du Preez (H1) and Justine Asher (H2) will head a team that also includes tricyclists Goldy Fuchs (T2), George Rex (T1), Gerhard Viljoen (T2) and Craig Ridgard (C2).
Dane Wilson (C5) and Juan Odendaal (C3) will test their strength on the track, while national racer Andries Scheepers (H5) is looking forward to the opportunity of racing in a World Cup field. Simon Makgobela (H5) has earned selection after excellent World Cup performances in Italy and Switzerland as an independent rider.
Vicky Scheepers (C5), Dylan da Silva (C4 triathlete), tricyclist Toni Mould (T1) and blind adventurer Hein Wagner, with co-pilot Alwyn de Kock on a tandem, round out the national team line-up.
Other local riders may enter the World Cup as independents and will need to register through CSA to get a UCI International Racing Licence by emailing tarryn@cyclingsa.com.
