Malete's iron grip on cycling persists
Calistus Kolantsho | Monday December 4, 2017 15:14
Malete proved his mettle when he won the Mascom Challenge 110km Under 23 men’s race. He went on to win the King of the Mountain Challenge in the same category. Malete of Samapada Cycling Club completed the race in a time of 02:40:06 followed closely by Advocate Phiri of Morupule Cycling Club 27 seconds later. Sethomo Masepe of BotRail Club finished third, registering a time of 02:47:58.
Malete told Monitor Sport that the race went according to plan. He said the plan was to break away from the pack from the start. During the race, the plan nearly backfired as opponents gave Malete a strong fight. He said that is part of the sport and it did not deter him from achieving his target.
For his part, Phiri said the race was challenging and the wind made matters worse. He said the pace was too high. Phiri, a Zimbabwean cyclist, said he always participates in cycling events in Botswana and is used to the route. He said local cyclists must work hard in order to do well in the sport.
The 60km Men’s Open winner, Mthokozisi Sibanda said his plan was to attack from the beginning. He said the race was challenging and he wanted to have a tailwind when coming back.
“Cycling is a nice sport and today I felt like doing 60km because I was not fit. The wind was a hindrance, but it was all about who was going to give up first,” he said.
Other winners:
60km Male Youth 14-16: Kopano Kgosibidiba (1), Kitso Moseki (2) and Lebopo Mompe (3).
60km Male Junior: Tshepo Sentsho (1), Kagiso Madziba (2) and Nyaladzi Majaha (3).
60km Female Open: Lorato Masepe (1), Kagiso Pelopedi (2) and Mohole Mdande (3). 110km Male Open: Nkulumo Dube (1), Andrew Chikwakwa (2) and Oduetse Kgoboge (3).
King of the Mountain (60km): Sibanda.