Hailing from the country’s two biggest townships, Thulasizwe Mxenge, 23 from Soweto and Mthetheleli Boya, 24 from Khayelitsha, have their sights set on conquering the 2017 Absa Cape Epic. It’s their goal to ride away with the R50 000 education bursary and a trip to Belgium, which is up for grabs for the winners of the Exxaro special jersey prize.
At the presentation of the of the duo’s team kit, Mxenge and Boya expressed their excitement to participate at the world’s biggest mountain bike stage race from 19-26 March 2017. They will represent the Thesele Group, an investment company that has partnered with Velokhaya to make the youngsters 2017 Epic participation a reality.
This dynamic duo are no strangers to competitive road racing at the highest level: Boya has multiple provincial crowns under his belt and Mxenge has represented South Africa at numerous cycling events on the global stage. It is however the first time that these road warriors will participate in a mountain bike event as teammates.
Thulasizwe Mxenge, 23 from Soweto
Mthetheleli Boya, 24 from Khayelitsha
“The two have ridden together in the Velokhaya colours of our Rand Water Road Competitive Programme for many years and we believe this will be a great opportunity for the youngsters and Velokhaya to tap into the mountain bike scene. The incredible prize of an education bursary and trip to the Bakala sports performance academy in Belgium will fuel their resolve to take the coveted Exxaro jersey” said Velokhaya General Manager Sipho Mona.
Luthando Kaka, an alumnus of Velokhaya, and an established name on the South African cycling scene was instrumental in the team’s selection, sponsorship and development. He has high praise for the two cyclists who were chosen out of a field of 100 plus members of the Academy.
“We are thrilled to field a team at the Epic, as entry to the event isn’t cheap. Our participation would not be possible without the belief of the Thesele Group in the abilities of these youngsters. We’re also greatly appreciative of the outstanding support from Dragon Sports for the provision of top class Giant mountain bikes for the team” said Luthando Kaka. Another key supporter of the team is auditing firm KPMG. The organisation has been especially supportive of the funding of the team members’ tertiary education, which is a key part of the Velokhaya programme.
To support and see how you can get involved visit www.velokhaya.com
About Velokhaya
For over a decade, the Velokhaya Life Cycling Academy in Khayelitsha has nurtured and developed youth living in surrounding marginalised communities by involving them in a positive after-school activity. Velokhaya’s programmes include: mass participation road cycling, BMX, and a competitive national road and MTB team, boasting elite riders. The work of the academy is underpinned by the belief that cycling helps build self-esteem and keeps youth off the streets and away from the social ills prevalent in their communities, such as gangsterism, crime and substance abuse.
To date the academy has produced cyclists who now ride for major national and international teams, including, Zanele Tshoko (Team BestMed ASG) and Nicholas Dlamini (Team Dimension Data’s Continental team) and Songezo Jim.
The academy boasts a state-of-the-art ICT center, library, gym and mechanic workshop and this year will introduce a supplementary education programme to bolster its off the bike activities and truly lend credence to its tagline of growing champions on and off the bike.
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