Local cyclists Luyanda Tobigunya and Kusaselihle “Lihle” of the Fairtree DP World Cannondale team were recently selected to represent South Africa at the 2023 UCI World Championships in Scotland.
Both cyclists have taken part in the Cape Epic and finished in the top 50. Luyanda is a Cape Epic and Wines2Whales Exarro CAT winner. As a team they have finished 7th at SANI2C and second at Zuurberg Trek. At the recent Africa champs they finished 13th and 14th respectively.
Ngidi started his cycling career in KwaZulu-Natal under the tutelage of Martin Dreyer and moved to the Fairtree DP World Cannondale team in 2020 and has not looked back since. “Riding races with Luyanda has been amazing and we have achieved some extraordinary results,” he said. “As we have improved and achieved these results so my passion has grown and given me the motivation to succeed.”
Tobigunya said his passion was formed on the BMX track of Kayamandi. “From there I joined the Fairtree DP World Cannondale team, and my passion grew as we achieved greater results. Winning the Exarro Cat at Wines2Whales and Cape Epic in 2019 made me even more passionate to succeed and grow as a cyclist.”
Both cyclists had to overcome several obstacles throughout their lives. “Coming from a disadvantaged area and not having the mentorship, equipment and team that I have now meant it was a real struggle to stay focused and achieve my goals,” said Ngidi. “Joining the team was a game changer and gave me the tools to succeed.”
Tobigunya added that growing up in Kayamandi meant he had amazing community support but did not have access to the coaching, mentorship, bikes and equipment that he does now. “Joining the team meant I had access to a house, gym, nutrition, bikes and so on, which has been a game changer for me.”
Ngidi said his family and coach Andrew Hill had been fully behind him all the way, and have backed him to make it internationally. “Our sponsors Fairtree Capital, DP World and Cannondale have been absolutely incredible and given us the tools to succeed.”
Tobigunya echoes Ngidi’s sentiments, relating how his mother and Chris Norton had pushed him to keep his feet on the ground and made him who he is today. “Our manager Unathi has also been a mentor to me and made sure I keep pushing hard. Our sponsors Fairtree Capital, DP World and Cannondale have been amazing and made sure we can travel and grab these opportunities with both hands.”
Both cyclists trained six days a week, with a variation of gym and cycling as well as high performance training and medical assistance, at Stellenbosch University.
How have they formed a strong bond and developed a supportive friendship while training together?
Thanks to Fairtree and DP World they managed to rent a house in Idas Valley. This allowed them as a team to bond outside of biking and form a strong friendship. On the bike they train together daily and take part in stage races together. This has formed an extremely strong bond between them and allowed them to get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses
Both Ngidi’s coach, Andrew Hill, and Tobigunya’s coach, CP van Wyk, have played a major role in their performance from a programme and mentorship point of view.
The cyclists say they have no expectations but will go to the championships to give it 200% and try and achieve a top 20 finish. “We are just extremely honoured to be selected and will give everything we have for the SA shirt and our country and community Stellenbosch,” Tobigunya said.
“We want to show young South Africans that anything is possible if you chase your dreams, be persistent and never give up. Too many young people just give up instead of staying focussed on your goals and bashing down doors to make things happen.”
