A total of 16 local and international women’s teams will take part in the KwaZulu-Natal Summer Series on November 16 and 17.
Cycling SA women’s commission director and Time Freight eTeam manager Lise Olivier said they were delighted to be competing in the two UCI 1.2 women-only races.
“There are very few UCI races for women in Africa and we embrace every opportunity,” she said.
She said UCI events were a big incentive for African riders because international teams would look at those who were successful.
“All the riders from the rest of Africa will now also have an opportunity to gain UCI points and potentially receive international contracts.”
Olivier said they wanted to develop the Time Freight eTeam into a UCI team for African women.
“Having races such as these in South Africa is an incredible stepping stone for our team and riders,” she said.
Earlier this year, Mauritian national champion Kim le Court and Olivier raced for Spanish UCI team Bizkaia-Durango in Spain, along with South Africa’s Heidi Dalton.
“When they heard about these races they were immediately keen to come to South Africa to race,” she said.
The races will take place three days before 947 Cycle Challenge (UCI 1.1) in Gauteng on November 20, providing a chance for international riders to earn further valuable UCI points.
