Myles van Musschenbroek said it was all about holding his form for his debut national appearance at the Tour of Eritrea later this month.
After a big build-up to the Bestmed Tour of Good Hope in early March, Van Musschenbroek said he had to alter his training programme to ensure he was in top condition for Eritrea.
“I had a three-month training and preparation programme for the Tour of Good Hope, but, now getting called up to represent South Africa, I’ve had to reschedule my training to try to maintain my form for another month,” he said.
Myles van Musschenbroek, pictured here (green) racing at Tour of Good Hope, will make his debut national appearance at Tour of Eritrea. Photo: Robert Ward
“I’ve been focusing on longer threshold intervals and I’ll start working on shorter, sharper workouts to get in top form.”
Van Musschenbroek had a heartbreaking experience at the Tour of Good Hope when he finished one second behind Kent Main after starting the final stage in yellow.
“After Tour of Good Hope I learnt that it’s important to take any opportunity that comes my way.”
The Tour of Eritrea, which covers 670km across the breadth of the country, will take place over five stages and will pose a number of challenges for the South African team.
“From what I hear, some of the climbs reach over 2 000m above sea level, which is where the air becomes really thin,” said Van Musschenbroek, who is from Rosebank in Johannesburg.
“In a race like this it’s important to focus on the basics – staying healthy, keeping hydrated during the stages and focusing on the recovery process.”
The 24-year-old said he planned to approach the race with an open mind and to take each stage as it came.
“It will be a bit of a task for the team to actually go and win the tour, but we’ll take our opportunities and try come out with a few results.
“For us, representing South Africa, it’s very important that we pull together as a team, because I think if we do that we can surprise a lot of people,” he said.
“We’ll have to watch the locals who know the route. The Eritreans are known for their climbing ability so the national team will probably be one of the teams to watch.”
The Tour of Eritrea takes place from April 18 to 22 and forms part of the 2017 Africa Tour.
View the full team here.
