The forthcoming Air Namibia four-day international track meeting at the Cape’s renowned Bellville Velodrome promises to be a meeting of many of the world’s cycling maestros.
The event organiser, Chris Willemse, has put together a mouth-watering feast comprising a menu of some of the greatest names in world track cycling.
Two very strong international teams, Team Air Namibia and the Swiss invitation team, combine the talents of a number of great Madison world champions as well as those of some of the finest sprinters around.
The local team comrises cyclist of the year and world scratch race bronze medallist JP van Zyl, Dutch stars Robert Stam and Danni Slippens, plus former world Madison champion Marco Villa.
The Swiss invitation team includes current world Madison champions Bruno Risi and Franco Marvuli, as well as the versatile Alexander Aeschbach, one of Marvuli’s long-time partners, and top German road sprinter Thomas Siegler.
Among the competitors for the prestigious Sprint Cup are Olympic sprint champion Jens Fiedler (Germany), former world champion Jan van Eyden, past South African sprint champion Shaun Lynch, reigning South African kilometre champion and junior 200m record holder Morne Blignaut, and highly rated current German sprint champion Mattheus John.
In addition there is Austria’s highly impressive world points champion Frank Stocher, who will also be competing at the extravaganza. Two of the greatest names in world road cycling, Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich and former world champion Mario ”The Lion King” Cippolini, are expected to be guests at the event. — Sapa