Africa-Press – Lesotho. After nine years of hard work, a team from Lesotho has finally won the 9th Edition of a six days Lesotho Sky that took place at Roma Trading Post on Saturday.
After finishing third last year, Alliance Insurance Company Mountain Bike (MTB) team represented by Lesotho top rider, Phetetso Monese and a South African rider Pieter Korkie claimed the first podium stand making a total time of 17:28:42 overall in 6 days.
This was the first time
Monese partnered with Korkie in this race. The race saw the pair, Katleho Manasi and Eric Ramohanoe representing Lesotho’s African Dream Team making a total time of 18:03:43 to make it to the second position.
Lichaba West and
Malefetsane Lesofe finished third under the Standard Lesotho Bank team finishing the 328km race in 19:54:56 time. The first day saw riders racing 38,9km long race at Roma while the following day they
endured a 85km route from Roma to Malealea. On the third day they endured a 36,2km Malealea loop. On the fourth day they were still at Malealea loop but took a longer distance covering 54,35km.
On Friday the riders took 85,5km route back to Roma from Malealea. On the last day, Saturday riders completed a cross country lap race at Roma. This year’s
showpiece attracted riders from as far as Kenya, Uganda, United States of America (USA), Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, Germany, South Africa (SA) and the host
Lesotho. Monese mentioned that he ended up teaming up with Korkie in the Lesotho Sky after they raced together at 3 Mountains MTB race in Clocolan, Free State, South Africa earlier this year.
“He called me to the
3 Mountains MTB Stage race in South Africa and we displayed an outstanding performance hence the decision to partner with him again in this race.
He is a good rider and I will
continue to partner with him again when an opportunity presents,” mentioned Monese.
Monese also pointed out
that this year the level of competition was not as high, compared to the previous years when the race included high profile riders from across the world.
This was Korkie’s first time
in the Lesotho Sky and he promised to defend his title next when Lesotho Sky will be celebrating its 10th anniversary.
Meanwhile Lesotho Sky
League also held Cross country finals on Saturday at the same event. Monese was again announced as the champion of the league in Senior Men Professional category while the Male Senior Category
2018/19 champion title went to Mahlomola Thojane. Kabelo Makatile is the 2018/19 Lesotho Sky League Male Junior category champion. Female senior category and female junior category winners are Reentseng Makatile and Mots’elisi Tohlang respectively.
The league also has a Pump
Track section under which Ts’epang Mabea claimed first podium stand in Males Senior category.
Other Pump Track league winners
; Lieketseng Ralefifi
(Females senior category), Tlotlisang Mothae (Males Junior category) and Reitumetse Buti (Female Junior category).
