Three Eden cyclists representing SA on African stage

CYCLING NEWS - Some of Eden's cycling talent will be flying the South African flag high this week as three riders from the district compete in the African Continental Track Cycling Championships in Cairo, Egypt, from 12 to 16 May.

The trio, Anya du Plessis, Daniel le Roux and Hannie Vreken, have been selected by Cycling South Africa to form part of the 19-strong national team participating in the championship at the Cairo International Velodrome.

The South African team features a mix of elite, junior and paracycling competitors, chosen based on recent performances and selection criteria set by the national federation.

Du Plessis, who competes in the elite women's category, hails from Hoekwil and is a former learner of York High School in George. She is currently studying at Stellenbosch University.

Joining her in the junior ranks are two Grade 11 learners from George: Daniel, who attends EcolTech, and Hannie, of Outeniqua High School.

The African Continental Championships, hosted under the auspices of the Confédé-ration Africaine de Cyclisme (CAC), not only offer valuable Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) points, but also a golden opportunity to gain experience and measure their performance against top riders from across the continent.

The South African team will take to the 250m long Siberian pine track to compete in a range of sprint, endurance and omnium events, aiming not only for titles, international recognition and ranking points, but also for personal bests.

Cycling South Africa's president, Qondisa Nqwenya, commended these athletes who were selected, noting the importance of the championship in the national high-performance programme.

"This championship is an important milestone in our high-performance pathway and continental integration strategy. We believe the selected athletes have both the talent and the commitment to deliver top-class performances while proudly representing our nation," Nqwenya said.

Hannie Vreken