Shameeg Salie felt he will almost be starting from scratch when he begins his new venture with the British-based Nuun-Sigma Sports-London cycling team next year.
That is because he won’t cycle at all until January 5 as be undertakes a pilgrimage to Mecca.
The team announced their 2019 roster yesterday and Salie was the only South African rider out of a contingent of 14 riders.
The 23-year-old, who recently won the gruelling One Tonner road race, rode for Randwater Transnet this year.
Shameeg Salie (pictured) feels he will almost be starting from scratch when he begins his new venture with the British-based Nuun-Sigma Sports-London cycling team. Photo: Supplied
Although excited at the opportunity, Salie admitted he might have to “start from step one” when he resumes cycling on January 5.
“I’m going on a Mecca religious trip with my family now until January 5,” Salie told In the Bunch today.
“I will be taking off all December [from any cycling] to do this holy trip, so when I get back I will have to start from step one again.
“I don’t know how I’m going to be after that [lengthy break], but getting this opportunity beforehand was really great.”
The multi-disciplined aspect of the team was what appealed to him, Salie said.
“The team is very open to both track and road. I really enjoy the track. That’s where I started cycling and most of my better results come from the track.
“It’s good to be part of that set-up, especially being able to ride [mostly] on a wooden track in a country where track racing is much bigger than in SA.”
He said his role in the team would largely be geared to sprinting, adding that he’d also like to specialise in criteriums and road races.
“Most of their races are suited to the type of rider I am,” Salie said. “But I will be heading straight into the track. It’s winter there now and their track season is still on until March.
“After that it will be the tour series, including many criteriums,” he said, adding that he expected to compete in “about three races per week”.
“In SA, we only do a race about every second week. But there shouldn’t be much pain in it. I’ll race and recover and so on.
“Racing is the best form of training I guess.”
Salie said he has been linked to the HotChillee cycling development and events organisation for some four years.
They had been the “catalyst” that enabled him to pursue this opportunity, he said.
