ETHIOPIA-BOUND TRIO RACES TO TOP

MBABANE – Records tumbled in the first race of 2019 here yesterday.  Phocweni outside Matsapha was home to an individual time trial yesterday and national team cyclists, who will leave for the African Championships in Ethiopia next month, were on the podium yesterday. Unstoppable Muzi Shabangu needed to be at his best to shake off phenomenal youngster Sihle Dlamini in the main 38km event. Shabangu clocked 01:03:05 hours to slash the past year’s record by 16 seconds.

Sihle, 19, clocked 01:05:51 hours. Dethroned Mduduzi Shabangu, whose bicycle developed mechanical faults towards the end, completed the list of podium finishers with a time of 01:06:03 hours.

The race was staged along the Phocweni-Masundvwini Road and it involved two laps from the starting point.
The champion said the route was his ‘happy hunting ground’, as it was punctuated with mainly climbs. The cyclists raced individually against time on a rolling terrain.

“It was good, but the wind proved a threat.
excited
“I’m excited to start the year on a high note and we hope to do better in Ethiopia,” he said.

Runner-up Sihle was excited to leave a mark on debut and expressed that the experience gained would come in handy in the international assignment between February 13 and 19.
Winning in the 19km event was Thembinkosi Khumalo in 00:38:28 minutes.
Guests led by Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga could not miss the race.

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