South African resources group Exxaro has extended its partnership with the Absa Cape Epic for another five years.
“This is great news,” said Absa Cape Epic CEO Lynn Naudé. “Exxaro’s mountain biking academy has played a fundamental role in introducing new communities to the race and the sport generally. It has also helped academy members to develop lifestyle skills and prepared them to play productive roles in society.”
Exxaro originally partnered with the world’s premier mountain bike stage race as official development academy partner in August 2011. Besides introducing mountain biking to historically disadvantaged communities and individuals, it has ultimately helped transform the sport in the country.
Less than a year after the Exxaro MTB Academy was established, it delivered the first success stories at the Cape Epic.
In 2012 nine teams of previously disadvantaged riders participated in the Cape Epic, and three of those teams finished in the top 100 of the Men’s category.
Since then the academy has grown from strength to strength, and each year has been able to point to improved performances by a growing pool of riders. In 2015 Jan Motshioa and Phillimon Sebona finished 37th overall en route to winning the green Exxaro special jersey for development riders.
Also in the field was Rozalia Kubyana, who had been selected to join the academy in 2012. A year later she and American Alisha Myers became the first pair of black women to finish the world’s premier mountain bike stage race.
Rozalia has since become an inspiration to women mountain bikers from all walks of life and in 2015 earned her Amabubesi (“Pride of Lions”) Finishers’ Club status by conquering the race for the third time.
The process of selecting riders for the Academy has also become more refined as the years have gone by. At first, it was purely about getting riders from disadvantaged backgrounds into the Cape Epic.
“Over the years we have broadened the academy, with lifestyle advice and support now being a fundamental part of it,” said Wim Diedericks, Exxaro’s Executive Head: Growth & Portfolio Management.
The end goal for Exxaro is to take the term “development” out of the Academy’s strategy and focus on producing well-rounded individuals who can handle a mountain bike race as well as anything that life can throw at them.
Exxaro’s “on the bike” support includes help with training programmes, nutrition, bike maintenance, transport, accommodation and assistance at events.
But Diedericks stressed that the programme is “bigger than the bike”.
The programme now provides educational support, help with developing financial skills, interaction with Exxaro executives and ultimately seeks to find employment for its members.
In 2016 Exxaro, while still committed to transforming mountain biking, will increasingly emphasise its efforts to improve communities by taking youngsters off the streets, on to bikes and into a programme that produces rounded, competent people.
* Exxaro is one of the largest South African-based diversified resources groups. It is listed on the JSE where it is a constituent of the Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) index. The group’s current business interests span South Africa, Republic of the Congo and Australia.
Ride on magents!