South Africans Stefan de Bod, Clint Hendricks and Daryl Impey have been nominated for the title of African cyclist of the year.
Also among the 15 nominees for the 2018 title are three Eritrean riders, three Rwandans, two Algerians, one Ivorian, one Burkinabe, one Kenyan and one Cameroonian.
Last year’s winner was SA’s Louis Meintjes, the first rider to win it more than once since the inception of the award in 2012.
South Africa’s Daryl Impey celebrating his Tour Down Under victory in Australia in January. Photo: facebook.com/tourdownunder/
Impey, riding for the Mitchelton-Scott WorldTour team, won the Tour Down Under at the beginning of the year and enjoyed some success at the Criterium du Dauphine in June before taking part in the Tour de France.
De Bod represented the Dimension Data Continental team this year and enjoyed victories at the Tour of Good Hope and GP Palio del Recioto in Italy. He also finished second in another Italian race, the Trofeo Alcide Degasperi.
He has since signed a two-year deal to ride for the DiData WorldTour set-up from next season.
Hendricks rode for BCX this year before joining the German-based Bike Aid in September. He enjoyed his first UCI win for the team at the Tour de Singkarak earlier this month.
A jury, chaired by five-time Tour de France champion Bernard Hinault and including sports directors, coaches, African riders and African and European journalists will select the winner.
The winner of the award will be announced on December 21.
