![\"ccs-62657-0-00032500-1426855855.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.bikehub.co.za\/production\/uploads\/2023\/02\/ccs-62657-0-00032500-1426855855.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>WCC Africa Director, Jean-Pierre van Zyl, sources potential team riders from the biannual training camps that are hosted during the course of the year to identify talented athletes for long-term development. \/\/ \u00a9 craigdutton.com<\/span>\n<\/div>\nWCC Africa Director, Jean-Pierre van Zyl, sources potential team riders from the biannual training camps that are hosted during the course of the year. Camps are aimed at specific preparation for events such as African Continental Championships, as well as identifying talented athletes for long-term development. Early this year, prior to the African Track Cycling Championships and the African Road Cycling Championships in KwaZulu-Natal, 55 cyclists were in attendance at the training camp held in Potchefstroom. Of those, 18 were women and the remaining 37 were junior, under-23 and elite men.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom there, we select two to three riders to stay at the WCC Africa for two months, where they will ride, race and learn about nutrition and the various aspects of professional racing,\u201d said Van Zyl. \u201cAfter six weeks, we then conduct a power test and decide if those riders stay on until the end of the year, or if they will be part of the 2016 cycling team.\u201d<\/p>\n
A string of high-calibre UCI rated road cycling events has given the team sufficient time to test their strengths against other international-level riders. The SA Road Cycling Championships followed by the African Road Cycling Championships in early February tested the team\u2019s output against some of Africa\u2019s best competitors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe SA Champs and African Champs were our main focus,\u201d said Van Zyl. \u201cWe claimed the first three positions in the u23 road race (1. Jayde Julius 2. Stefan de Bod 3. Oliver Stapleton-Cotton); and 2nd (Nicholas Dlamini) and 3rd (Gustav Basson) in the u23 Individual Time Trial at SA Road Champs. At the African Continental Champs, Nicholas Dlamini was part of the four-man team that claimed a silver medal in the TTT, while Jayde Julius won the u23 road race.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most recently, the Tour de Boland from 2-6 March saw Eritrean Tesfom Okubamariam in with a chance, but unfortunately he dropped his chain on the final day in an attack against Dylan Girdlestone. By the time he was ready to join the race, all the main players were out of sight. MTN-Qhubeka WCCA Feeder Team claimed the Team competition and finished the tour with two u23 riders (Gustav Basson 6th overall and Stefan de Bod 8th overall) in the top eight.<\/p>\n