Amidst controversial drug results world wide in the sport of cycling, the news that the 2012 UCI World Cycling Tour Final has produced a completely clean slate of results has been met with great excitement.
The UWCT Final local organising committee is delighted with the positive feedback, which puts the lid on the 2012 event that was held in Pietermaritzburg and surrounds at the end of August.
The start of the 96km road race at the UCI World Cycling Tour Final in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday © Dave Macleod/Gameplan Media
This confirms that all the recorded results for the three days of competition, which featured an individual time trial and a road race across the age categories, stands as is.
South Africans relished the opportunity to compete for the coveted UCI world championship rainbow striped jersey on home soil, claiming a total of 35 medals out of the 94 that were on offer. Of these, South African competitors claimed 7 gold, 13 silver and 15 bronze medals.
Looking ahead to the 2013 UWCT Final, previously known as the Masters World Championships, the venue and date has been confirmed for Trento in Italy from 19 to 22 September. At this stage, South Africans do not have a local qualifying event.
The 2013 Msunduzi Road Challenge, scheduled to take place in Pietermaritzburg, is once again a qualifying event, but will only be the first qualifying event for the 2014 UWCT Final, as it is listed on the calendar after Trento’s event.
Real Events Management’s Alec Lenferna has appealed to the UCI to increase the wild card quota to assist South African participants who are considering participating and who wish to defend their titles. Cycling South Africa is also looking at the possibility of staging a qualifying event earlier in the year in order to assist local participants in the qualification process. Further information will be released in due course.
For any results and information regarding the 2012 UWCT Final, visit www.uwctfinal.co.za.
Follow Cycling South Africa on Twitter (@Cycling_SA) and Facebook (Cycling SA) to keep up to date with any further announcements.
