The Fairtree Imperial Cannondale (FIC) duo Luyanda Tobigunya and Kusaselihle Ngidi did well in the past weekend’s Sani2c race, albeit the first time they race together.
According to FIC’s Chris Norton his group paired Luyanda and Lihle, the best rider and best up-and-coming junior rider, as a test. “The selection proved to be a great one, as both riders complemented each other’s styles and we had another great result.”
Norton added the race was a great experience for both, as Luyanda had never competed in the Sani before and Kusaselihle learnt a lot due to Luyanda’s experience and knowledge of stage racing.
Lihle found it difficult to maintain Luyanda’s pace on day 1, but quickly adapted on day 2 and 3 which allowed the team to achieve such a phenomenal result.
“Our next race is on 29 May – the Great Zuurberg Trek. Thanks to Edwin Hewitt and the Imperial team for sponsoring the entry to Sani2C, without this generosity these experiences would not be possible for the team.”
Results
Day 1
Time: 3:24:39, Place 8th overall, Ave Speed 24kph, Distance 82 km and an Elevation of 1 175 m.
Day 2
Time: 4:02:27, Place 8th overall, Ave Speed 23kph, Distance 97 km and an Elevation of 1 485m.
Day 3
Time: 2:53:11, Place 7th, overall Ave Speed 28,4kph, Distance 86 km and an Elevation of 786 m.
General Classification
Total time: 10:20:20, Place 8th overall.
Kusaselihle finished 9th overall in the u-23 category and Luyanda 10th overall in the open category.
