![\"ccs-62657-0-30626400-1430673138.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-30626400-1430673138.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nMetkel Eyob Teweldeberhan (MTN-Qhubeka Feeder Team) crosses the finish line to take first place at the Hibiscus Coast Cycle Challenge in Margate on Sunday 3 May 2015. \/\/ Photo: supplied.<\/span><\/p>\n After 100km of racing, Nicholas Dlamini (MTN-Qhubeka Feeder Team) attacked and managed to gain a 32-second gap on the group, but soon fell back and it was up to his teammate Teweldeberhan to take over and hold the lead position from 125km all the way to the end.<\/p>\n Teweldeberhan, who had claimed third place in Friday\u2019s Maritzburg Margate Mayday Classic, was overwhelmed with his win. \u201cThe race was very, very hard. All of my teamed worked for me, so I needed to win. On the second-to-last lap I broke out. I\u2019m so happy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Eritrean star fought hard to maintain over a minute in front of the rest of the chase group. \u201cIt\u2019s so far and I\u2019m so tired now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n World Cycling Centre Africa Director and MTN-Qhubeka Feeder Team manager, JP van Zyl, is thrilled at Tewelderberhan\u2019s win and is happy for the team. \u201cFinally we got the victory I think we deserved,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Men’s podium (from left) HB Kruger (Team Abantu), Metkel Eyob Teweldeberhan (MTN-Qhubeka Feeder Team) and Meron Teshome Hagos (MTN-Qhubeka Feeder Team) at the Hibiscus Coast Cycle Challenge in Margate on Sunday 3 May 2015. \/\/ Photo: supplied.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe raced the whole week. We were the aggressors and we took the racing to the other teams and sometimes we didn\u2019t have all the luck that we should\u2019ve but the guys stuck together and they raced as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n Van Zyl said that he could see that the commitment and training over the past four weeks had been amazing and that it finally had paid off. \u201cAnd it showed today when Nic (Dlamini) set it up for Metkel – we played our cards right and it worked out well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The women\u2019s race saw a brave and gutsy move from CSA Women\u2019s Development team\u2019s Zanele Tshoko 18km into the race. The Rand Water Velokhaya rider held her position in front with a gap of up to 1 minute 20 seconds at one point, but the chasing group closed it down at the 57km mark.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the time I felt good and made the move,\u201d said Tshoko. \u201cThe girls seemed be taking it easy and I ended up being alone in the front. Then I paced myself until the fourth lap. I was thinking that this could be a mistake but I convinced myself to continue until they caught me again.\u201d<\/p>\n Tshoko was unfortunate to crash in the feed zone when she tried to grab her bottle. The crash meant that her handlebars were skew and she was unable to rejoin the race.<\/p>\n CSA Women\u2019s Development team\u2019s Zanele Tshoko, who made an early break in the race, managed to keep the group behind her for 40km at the Hibiscus Coast Cycle Challenge in Margate on Sunday 3 May 2015. \/\/ Photo: supplied.<\/span><\/p>\n Lise Olivier (Time Freight eTeam), An-Li Kachelhoffer (Active) and Cherise Stander (CSA Women\u2019s Development Team) attacked at 65km. Kachelhoffer\u2019s teammates Heidi Dalton and Lynette Burger desperately tried to bridge the gap and join the lead trio, but they gave up the chase with under 10km to go in the race.<\/p>\n \u201cWe knew from the last race that Cherise and Lise were the ones to watch,\u201d said Kachelhoffer. \u201cCandice (Neethling) tried to attack on a climb to test us, but on the next lap Cherise launched an attack and managed to get a gap. I had two riders just off the bunch and tried to slow for them to bridge the gap, but the pace was very high in the front and I had to keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n Olivier, Stander and Kachelhoffer stayed close together until the very end, when Cherise timed her move in the last 200m to take the victory on the technical corners. \u201cI was a bit scared going into the finish, but I\u2019m very happy with the win,\u201d said Stander.<\/p>\n The Women’s podium (from left) Lise Olivier (Time Freight eTeam) , Cherise Stander (CSA Women’s Development Team) and An-Li Kachelhoffer (Active) at the Hibiscus Coast Cycle Challenge in Margate on Sunday 3 May 2015. \/\/ Photo: supplied.<\/span><\/p>\n Speaking about her teammate\u2019s earlier performance, Stander said: \u201cI\u2019m so proud of Zanele, hats off to her, she really was the star of the day and she made my job easier today – I could sit in the bunch and follow the moves. It was a privilege to have development riders racing here and to be able to help them. I started to cramp towards the end of the race but I\u2019m very glad to have held on for the victory.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking about the importance of the UCI race in South Africa, Stander said: \u201cThis is a pre-Olympic year and anything is possible. We really want to qualify as many girls as we can for Rio as it is important for Ashleigh (Moolman-Pasio) that there are more of our girls there as a team to help her to achieve a medal.\u201d<\/p>\n Cycling SA Road Commission Director, Bosseau Boshoff, said: \u201cThe racing was awesome. You can see in the guys racing in today and Friday\u2019s race that they lack this type of race distance in their legs. The race just got bigger than what they are used to. Without these types of races I don’t think that we\u2019ll ever get to the level of the European riders without going to race in Europe. This course was amazing and the whole route planning was really great \u2013 it had everything in it; technical corners, technical descending, climbs. It was great.\u201d<\/p>\n Cycling South Africa President, William Newman, was happy with the success of the entire KZN Autumn Series: \u201cWe at Cycling South Africa are very proud of the fact that we could host this series of events for our riders. It\u2019s been a great Autumn Series for us; it\u2019s great for our riders to have been given the opportunity to score important UCI points for Olympic qualification next year.\u201d<\/p>\n Newman also extended his gratitude to KwaZulu-Natal Sports and Recreation, the Hibiscus Coast Municipality and KZN Cycling.<\/p>\n For more information about the KZN Autumn Series, click here: http:\/\/www.cyclingsa.com\/kzn-autumn-series\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nSummary of Results \u2013 Hibiscus Coast Cycle Challenge [3 May 2015]<\/h2>\n