Johannesburg - South African cyclists opened their medal tally at the African Continental Road Cycling Championships on Thursday, with a gold and silver medal in the women's individual time trial, which is being held in Ougadougou, Birkina Faso.
Elite women Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio and An-Li Pretorius finished first and second respectively on the flat, 10.6km circuit, in sweltering forty-degrees celcius.
Vera Adrien of Namibia finished in third position, as they clearly outrode their rivals. The women had to complete two laps.
The team's success in this opening event has not come without its tribulations, as most of the team arrived in Birkina Faso on Tuesday without bicycles and luggage.
Team manager George Cornelissen has been working around the clock to assist those hapless team members with alternative arrangements, as their bicycles were only expected to arrive later.
A team was thus unable to participate in the team time trail event. Using a borrowed road bicycle and takkies, junior team member Ryan Felgate put in a gutsy performance to finish his individual time trial in fourth place overall, whilst Nicol Germishuizen, also using borrowed equipment, finished sixth overall.
Cycling South Africa can now confirm that the missing bicycles and luggage arrived in Birkina Faso, late on Thursday afternoon.
Elite women Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio and An-Li Pretorius finished first and second respectively on the flat, 10.6km circuit, in sweltering forty-degrees celcius.
Vera Adrien of Namibia finished in third position, as they clearly outrode their rivals. The women had to complete two laps.
The team's success in this opening event has not come without its tribulations, as most of the team arrived in Birkina Faso on Tuesday without bicycles and luggage.
Team manager George Cornelissen has been working around the clock to assist those hapless team members with alternative arrangements, as their bicycles were only expected to arrive later.
A team was thus unable to participate in the team time trail event. Using a borrowed road bicycle and takkies, junior team member Ryan Felgate put in a gutsy performance to finish his individual time trial in fourth place overall, whilst Nicol Germishuizen, also using borrowed equipment, finished sixth overall.
Cycling South Africa can now confirm that the missing bicycles and luggage arrived in Birkina Faso, late on Thursday afternoon.