Thursday, 15 September 2011 11:17
McLean proud to have UCI World Cycling Tour on our door step
With two weeks to go to the closing of normal entries veteran road cycling icon Andrew McLean has committed to the Msunduzi Road Challenge in Pietermaritzburg on 29 and 30 October this year, saying it's significance on an internal scale is a career highlight.
"It is absolutely awesome," said McLean of the event, which is the only African leg of the UCI World Cycling Tour. "I have spent a large part of my life flying around the world with bikes to get to events of this calibre and to now have it on our very own door step is something I was convinced I would never get to experience."
"It is not only important to me and many other top racing Vets in South Africa but it is world class events like this that stimulate the cycling industry," he added.
McLean is a respected rider with Giro del Capo and Vets World Road Race titles to go with numerous national time trial, road and mountainbike titles. He feels that the brand new Msunduzi event will have major significance for the thousands of amateur road cyclists in the country, and the veterans in particular.
"Vets form by far the largest numbers in SA road cycling and this is also where the disposable income sits," says McLean. "I would imagine even all our top pro's would love to be part of this weekend cycling festival. This will and should be the crown jewel in Vets SA racing. Maybe this event could double as our Vets SA champs."
McLean also backed the recent decision to shorten the long race route from over 180km to 126km. "I think the new proposed shorter 126km route will be ideal and attract a lot more vets than the initial longer 180km race." he said.
He added that the UCI event, hot on the heels of the Mountainbike World Cup and BMX World Champs was helping to entrench Pietermaritzburg's status as a major international cycling hub.
"Pietermaritzburg is ideally positioned for an event of this nature. It is big enough to house and support a world class event and small enough to care. The city area has ideal terrain, roads and controllable traffic," he added.
"The city is perfectly positioned geographically in South Africa and with the backing of the local government it is fast becoming a World cycling Mecca," said McLean.
The popular presenter of SuperSport's SuperCycling magazine programme has also thrown his weight behind the event by committing his company Cycle Lab to the race as the neutral service provider.
"Cycle Lab is extremely proud to be the technical partner to this event and we look forward to adding value to the event as well as participants where ever possible. We will supply the neutral service as well as full technical half way service centre manned by cycle Lab Pietermaritzburg," he said.
As for his plans for the race, McLean vowed to be on the startline and to race as hard as his recovery from injury allowed.
"I'll be going as fast as possible!" he quipped. "I have had a knee injury for the past two months so I am not expecting to peak in form but would not miss this one."
The Msunduzi Road Challenge takes place in and around Pietermaritzburg on 30 October, preceded by a time trial on Saturday 29 October. More information can be found at www.msunduziroadchallenge.co.za
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