UPDATED | Unusually small SA Team announced for UCI DH World Championships
UPDATE – 4 August 2024: All the official and unofficial appeals from riders, provincial bodies and individuals have failed. There will be no changes to the team.
On Friday, CyclingSA announced an unusually small team to compete at the upcoming UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.
Traditionally, across the Junior and Elite Categories, we have around 10 or more riders on the World’s Team. This year, CyclingSA (CSA) has only selected five riders to compete. They are Greg Minnaar for Elite Men, Frankie du Toit for Elite Women, Arielle Behr and Jenna Byrnes for Junior Women, and Ethan Hunter for Junior Men.
The five selected riders do represent our current “best of the best” and their inclusion in the team is not to be questioned. What should be called into question is why, when we have the allocations by the UCI to send more riders, (and those very riders are prepared to self-fund their participation), is CSA not including them in the national team?
In the Elite Men category for example, the UCI have allocated five slots for South African riders for the World Championships. Yet, CSA is only sending one rider. Omitted from the Elite Men’s team are riders like the 2024 South African Champion Stefan Garlicki and multiple South African Champion, Theo Erlangsen, who qualified for the semi-finals in the most recent World Cup. Then there are riders like Rory Kirk, Ross Kew and Matt Lombardi who are all incredible talents, with international experience who are easily capable of placing inside the top 50% of the World Championship field. These and many other talented SA Downhill riders have spent countless seasons training and racing in Europe, refining their craft, so that they can be competitive against the best at big races like the World Championships. It makes no logical sense not to select and afford every one of these riders the opportunity to compete.
The negative impact of not sending the full quota is extensive. For one, less up and coming talent gets exposed to racing at the highest level. Secondly, talented SA riders have a smaller chance of being discovered by big budget trade teams from which they can potentially secure a semi-professional ride – with funding! Not fulfilling the allocated quota also creates disillusion, disinterest and a level of apathy amongst riders and it may lead to disgruntled riders bowing out of the sport long before their full potential can be realised. Finally, the bigger picture is that South Africa has reduced the potential development of cycling heroes at the end of the day – which means the growth and image of the sport suffers over the long term.
Looking at some of the great cycling nations like France, Australia, UK and the USA, when it comes to Downhill, they almost always send the full quota of riders to the annual World Championships. It’s time SA followed their lead. In summary, any national cycling federation first and foremost surely works for its riders. It’s purpose is to create a safe environment for them, protect and nurture them, creating opportunities for growth. It would seem CSA is again falling short when it comes to supporting our talented Downhill riders. I have reached out to CyclingSA for their official response on the subject and will update this article as soon as we receive such.//
A second opinion
“South African MTB has just come off their most successful World Cup Round in Les Gets, France as I write this with Alan Hatherly winning the XCO, Candice Lill taking 2nd spot in XCO and Greg Minnaar finishing 3rd in the Downhill. This did not happen over night and these very riders had to start somewhere and maybe that somewhere was attending worlds not with a chance to medal at a younger age but just to compete and gain international experience. Maybe it’s the very spark they needed to ignite these incredible careers. I know myself, competing at almost 20 World Champs how special the opportunity is. The mere fact that SA has multiple slots to send riders and does not try and allocate them when they are self-funded spots baffles my mind, it is sad and frustrating. Let these youngsters and elites that compete all year and work their butts off go and compete. It just is not fair. Judging peoples riding on a criteria which is often unrealistic or out dated does not help the situation either. Maybe they don’t go onto be the next Greg Minnaar but we may never know, unless we support them”. – Andrew Neethling
Statement from CSA received Sunday 21H18
“As I have advised the riders and their parents today (Sunday), there is a process available for riders to appeal the decisions and teams selected. These appeals are heard by an independent committee. Whilst this process and opportunity is available to the riders, it would not be appropriate to make any further comments.” – Greg Stedman, CSA
| WORDS: Myles Kelsey, IMAGES: Chris Taylor |