16 May 2024

Botswana Cycling Association (BCA) will host the Road Cycling National Championships on a shoestring budget.

The cycling national championships will be held at Botswana Police College in Otse on May 18.

BCA secretary general, Game Mompe said in an interview that the championships would go ahead despite the fact that they were yet to get funds from the Botswana National Sports Commission.

She said they would have wished to have funds to give incentives to various stakeholders who made the event possible.

 “We have to pay medics, medals, marshals, meals and transport and we need sponsorship for all these,” said Mompe. 

With the current budget constraints, she said only medals would be awarded to podium finishers in youth, junior, Under 23, elites, masters and grand masters categories.

She said they had previously postponed the event due to budget constraints adding that they had no choice but to continue with the championships this time around, as they needed to start reshaping their cyclists for the upcoming road continental championships.

“We have failed to send a team to the just ended mountain bike continental championships because of financial limitations.”

According to Mompe, the championships would help them select team for continental and world championships, among others.

Meanwhile,  the Saturday event will have the youth (60km),junior (90km), elite (140km), under23 (140km) as well as masters and veterans categories.

The 140km race will begin at Botswana Police College going through Mogobane and Nhlanhle villages to the Trans Kalahari Corridor T-junction where riders will take a right turn going to the roundabout, taking a right into A10 right up to Polokwe Primary school.

The cyclists will make a U-turn at the school going back to the roundabout and taking left exit onto the Trans Kalahari corridor bypass, pedaling through the Lobatse-Kanye road, where they will make a right turn at the junction going into Kanye.

They will make a U-turn at the Tomela Council chambers and make their way back to Police College for their finish.

For the 90km race, riders will use the same route from start, however upon their return from Polokwe they will go break from the 140km route at the Trans Kalahari T-junction taking a left to the finish. 

With the 60km, the riders will start at the college and make a U-turn at the 30km mark back to the finish. ENDS