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Makara equal with Lance Armstrong.

23/03/2010

The most recent rankings for men’s elite cycle racing in South Africa have been released.  As one examines the sea of names flanked by RSA flags, one can’t help noticing the exceptions.   A lone Lesotho flag sits in a lowly 49th position, but then a remarkable discovery.  Just above the Lesotho flag, equal on points, is a USA flag; the flag of a man that everyone in cycling knows about - the great LANCE ARMSTRONG!

http://www.procycling.co.za/index.php/results/ranking/5-2010-elite-men

Sceptics will be quick to point out that Lance only raced one race in South Africa, but then Poloko Makara has only raced in two or three points-awarding races in 2010 and has finished well in all of them.  I could argue that Poloko’s 9th position in the Emperor’s Casino Classic, which earned him those 20 points, is every bit as good as Lances 9th position in the Cape Argus Cycle Tour - only it was not televised live to the whole country.  The similarities are striking - the events are similar distance 105km and 110km.  Both races has the same victor - Malcolm Lange of Team Medscheme, in fact 2nd and 4th places were also the same in both races (van Heerden and Stunder respectively).

Well done Poloko!, I say - you are a champion.

So why is Poloko in a lowly 49th position?  The simple answer is resources. He did not have means to travel to Cape Town to race Lance.  He has missed most of the big races so far this year. Poloko is from a working class family in Lesotho.  When he’s not cycling he runs an agricultural project to make ends meet.  His only opportunity to shine is when he is with the UCI African Continental Cycling Centre for short training camps in Potchefstroom, SA.  The Centre team, headed by cycling hero J-P van Zyl, instils in these young athletes a desire and a belief to rise above circumstances and become champions.

What next for Poloko?  To be honest it’s back to the mill again.  The training camp finishes next week and Lesotho Cycling does not have the capacity to specialise on individual athletes.  With a bit of good fortune he will find a Pro Team interested in him or a sponsor willing to pay some of his costs. Last year he found a good sponsor in Letseng Diamonds who have helped him get to where he is today ... but until the next training camp in September he’s pretty much on his own.

This is a story that is mirrored in many African countries.  What we need is more funding for projects like J-P van Zyl’s African Cycling Centre to give these aspiring athletes a more sustained programme through a full-season racing team.  I guarantee that sponsors/ Brands who invest in such a programme will not be disappointed - this is the future of cycling.

Photo courtesy of  procycling.co.za