Cycling South Africa’s Para-cycling Commission has great pleasure in announcing the squad that has been selected to represent South Africa at the 2013 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships, taking place in Baie-Comeau, Canada from 29 August to 1 September.
The selected squad will also take part in the final round of the UCI Road World Cup in Matane, Canada one week prior, from 23-25 August.
Photo: Reigning Para-cycling Road World Champion Ernst van Dyk (centre) flanked by Wim Decleir from Belgium (left) and Norbert Mosandl from Germany (right). Photo: supplied
SA Para-cycling team that will participate in the UCI World Cup event and World Championships in Canada, August 2013
Men
Ernst van Dyk – H4
Stuart McCreadie – H2
Yusthin Lintnaar – T2
George Rex – T1
Women
Justine Asher – H1
Roxy Burns – C4
The Para-cycling Commission is seeing the culmination of their multifaceted plan for 2013 coming together. The key objective for the commission was to grow the competitiveness of South Africa’s top-tier athletes whilst expanding the depth of talent by exposing promising new riders to international competition.
The World Championships squad will be aiming to achieve several outcomes from the forthcoming tour to Canada. Van Dyk (H4 hand cyclist), who claimed silver medals in the first two World Cup events of 2013 (Italy and Spain) is aiming to add to this tally at the Matane World Cup. From this basis, he will move on with the intention of defending his road race World Champion’s jersey in Baie-Comeau. Although he faces some tough competition, his biggest challenge is to beat Paralympic gold medallist Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) in what is certain to be an epic competition.
Burns has excellent prospects of earning the most World Cup points in her C4 class, and is focused on returning with the World Cup leader jersey for 2013, having claimed this following the European leg of the competition. If she succeeds, this will be a first-time achievement for a South African Para-cyclist. H2 rider McCreadie aims to draw on all his reserves and experience to achieve the milestone of a podium finish at Matane and Baie-Comeau, which is certainly something that is within his grasp.
The recent European World Cups, in Italy and Spain, were a huge success and three new riders have shown immense promise. Justine Asher (H1), George Rex (T1) and Yusthin Lintnaar’s (T2) performances will see them in the national squad for the World Championships, with the potential to return home with a medal or two.
The World Championship venue of Baie-Comeau is situated in the Côte-Nord region of the province of Québec, Canada. Three courses will be used during the championship race: the first course will be used during the training period on Wednesday afternoon and for the races on Thursday, Friday and Saturday; the second course will be used for the road races on Sunday; and the third course will be used for the hand bike mixed relay on Sunday afternoon.
