South African national marathon champion Gert Heyns will not be taking part in the UCI MTB Marathon World Championships in Auronzo, Italy, on September 15, despite being selected.
After weighing up the options Heyns, who has had a highly successful season this year, decided it would not be in his best interests to take part.
He is the second national champion to opt out of competing in the world championships because they have to fund themselves entirely.
South African national marathon champion Gert Heyns will not be taking part in the UCI MTB Marathon World Championships in Italy later this month. Photo: Supplied
Just yesterday SA national road champion Carla Oberholzer announced that she too had chosen not go to the world champs due to financial constraints and a lack of communication from Cycling South Africa.
Heyns, who rides locally for DSV, echoed these sentiments. “We have to fund ourselves and it’s quite a lot of money to spend,” he told In the Bunch today.
“If you want to spend that much money then you would want it to be worthwhile and to get a good result.”
In the first half of the season Heyns won a series of races before ticking off his main goal by being crowned the national champion in July.
He said due to his studies at Stellenbosch University he could “only be at my best a few times in the year”.
“I have to juggle everything throughout the year. I missed many classes at the beginning of the year,” Heyns said.
“I’m now at the point where I have to play catch-up [with his studies]. I just felt it wouldn’t be worthwhile going if I’m not 100 per cent in top form.
“Hopefully I will be able to go next year or the year after.”
Heyns added that his schedule did not allow him to be in his best form as compared to the first part of the season.
“At the beginning of the season it definitely was one of my biggest goals [to go to the world champs], but I don’t want to spend all that money and then I end up wasting my time.
“Two weeks after the SA champs I realised it wouldn’t work out this year.”
The lack of funding from Cycling SA has reportedly been a recurring issue among pro cyclists in recent times.
Heyns said that some of the other riders, such as Matt Beers and Nico Bell from NAD Pro and Matthys Beukes and Philip Buys from PYGA Euro Steel, who are going to the world champs, received funding and support from their respective teams.
“Those teams can probably afford to send someone to watch over two or three riders. I’m a bit more on my own, so if I go I won’t have that sort of support.
“I’m not 100 per cent sure but I think their sponsors pay for them.”
The Stellenbosch local said Cycling SA were “not too bothered” when he told them he would not take part.
“They didn’t really have anything to say,” he said. “After all, we have to pay for everything and we even have to buy our own kit.”
