SA cyclists go it alone
Little support for four locals at the UCI Road Cycling World Championships in Innsbruck.
Carrying the weight of a nation on their shoulders, Louis Meintjes and Ashleigh Moolman Pasio will be hoping to punch above their weight with little support this weekend, as they tackle the elite men’s and women’s road races at the UCI Road Cycling World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria.
Though Daryl Impey, Willie Smit and Clint Hendricks were included in the initial South African team, announced by Cycling SA in August, they all withdrew from the squad.
In their absence, Meintjes will be joined by Nic Dlamini in carrying the SA flag against the international elite in tomorrow’s men’s race.
Team-mates for Dimension Data on the professional circuit, Meintjes and Dlamini could make a strong pairing.
Having won the mountains classification at the Tour Down Under, a UCI World Tour race in Australia earlier this year, Dlamini’s experience on the global circuit could assist Meintjes – perhaps the country’s top rider at the moment – in putting up a fight against full-strength teams from other countries.
They are facing a tremendous battle, however, as is Moolman Pasio in today’s women’s race.
Elne Owen, the silver medallist in the time trial at this year’s national championships, was the only other elite SA woman included in the team.
Moolman Pasio has displayed superb form this year, finishing second in the prestigious Fleche Wallonne race in April and taking the runner-up spot at the Giro Rosa in July.
She previously proved she could deliver impressive solo performances when she stepped on the podium at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Achieving a medal without sufficient backing this weekend, however, might prove a bridge too far and a sterling effort could be required to give herself a fighting chance.