South African Clint Hendricks wants the national team to work together as a unit with one goal in mind when they tackle the road race at the African Games in Morocco tomorrow.
Hendricks will compete in the race alongside Ryan Gibbons, Jayde Julius, Kent Main and Jason Oosthuizen. The event concludes the cycling component of the Games.
“We have a really strong team,” said Hendricks.
“It’s going to be about working together and giving everything for one another to achieve our objective.”
Clint Hendricks will compete in the road race at the African Games in Morocco tomorrow. Photo: Boogs Photography
He said they had enough combined experience to know how to go about it. They had raced with each other before so knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
“We’re just going to have to find the balance and work as a solid unit towards our common goal.”
The 27-year-old, who won bronze in the men’s road race at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, made his debut at this year’s Games.
“By being here I’m just adding more experience to what I already have as I aim to grow as a rider.
“I’m hoping we can achieve what we set out to achieve.”
He added that his personal goals were secondary to what they needed to achieve as a team and country.
“If we tick those boxes first and work as a team towards a common goal then I’ll be happy regardless of my own goals.”
Hendricks, who won last week’s team time-trial alongside Gibbons, Julius, Oosthuizen and Main, said he was happy to have been selected to represent his country at the Games.
“I’m one of the few to be selected and it shows there’s belief in my ability to help bring a good result back for our country. That means a lot to me.”
He added that the Games provided good experience ahead of larger events such as the Commonwealth Games and Olympics.
“There are also a lot of UCI points available which can help riders by improving their ranking.
“By achieving these points you can also increase the ranking of your team or others, which means that it opens up doors to pro contracts as well as other bigger and better opportunities.”
