I’ll fight on, says Stander
THE controversy regarding Cycling South Africa’s exclusion of the country’s second-ranked women cyclist from the Olympic team will not go away, with a new revelation yesterday that the eligibility of one of the riders selected for the team is in doubt.
Cherise Stander (nee Taylor) was controversially left out of the Olympic road race team when it was announced on June 6.
The team, which was recommended by Cycling South Africa (CSA) and accepted by Sascoc, was yesterday once again shrouded in controversy when it was discovered that the team member surprisingly included ahead of Stander, Robyn de Groot, may not have been eligible in the first place.
The CSA selectors chose Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, Joanna van de Winkel and De Groot as the Olympic road race team, despite Stander having the second highest world ranking.
Stander appealed against the decision and a three-person panel held a hearing in Johannesburg on Monday, ruling against Stander and keeping the team as selected.
However, it has now emerged that De Groot may not have been eligible for selection because she does not have any valid UCI ranking points, leaving the way clear for Stander’s legal team to apply to the High Court for an urgent interdict against Sascoc releasing the team to the IOC.
“My plan is still to take the matter as far as I can,” said Stander last night from Italy, where she is preparing for the Giro Donne stage race, ironically riding for the same team as the three riders selected for the Olympics.
“My lawyer is currently working on trying to see if we have enough time to take the case to high court.
“I feel extremely frustrated and angry and I have act lost faith in system… and the fact that CSA base themselves on the fair selection of athletes.
“It also seems to me that they do not want to select the best team for an event but only pursue their hidden agendas.”
There are time constraints for further legal action, as Sascoc is due to send the final team to the IOC on Wednesday. Stander’s legal team now face a race to get the High Court, unless they can get an extension from the IOC and Sascoc.