Candice Lill has said goodbye to team dormakaba and will set her sights on racing abroad.
Details of her move were announced in an official statement today.
The South African rider had a brilliant career with the team since joining at the age of 23 two years ago. Her victories include the Tankwa Trek, sani2c, 3 Towers and Berg & Bush.
Candice Lill has announced that she will be leaving team dormakaba to focus on racing internationally. Photo: Zoon Cronje
“I feel the time has come for me to get out of my comfort zone … and challenge myself internationally,” said Lill, who won the Cape Epic African women’s special jersey with teammate Amy McDougall last month.
Team dormakaba had equipped her for the challenges ahead and provided “an amazing stepping stone on my journey,” she said.
She would look back at her time with the team “with a grateful heart and a huge smile” and was looking to the future with anticipation and excitement, she added.
“There are so many valuable and lasting memories that I’ll take with me. The growth I’ve seen in myself has been incredible; physically on the bike and personally through the ups and downs of racing.”
In her first year with the team she had competed in individual races and achieved decent results, but only after Vera Adrian had joined the team she was able to push herself to the next level.
“We competed together in all the stage races and I think this was when Shaun Frayne (MD of the team) started getting excited about the team aspect of stage racing.”
Adrian announced at the end of last month that she would be leaving the team to compete in Europe.
Dormakaba have now signed an additional women’s team to build on the foundation left by the two.
“Candice has matured immensely as a cyclist and we are proud of the work she has done as part of the team,” said Frayne.
“We thank her for all her hard work and commitment to help ensure that women’s cycling is taken to new heights in South Africa.”
