Africa-Press – Lesotho. The 10th edition of the Lesotho Sky Race is set to get underway next month after a year of hiatus because of the Covid-19 outbreak. The Lesotho Sky is one of the foremost events in Lesotho’s sports calendar attracting top riders from around the world, and this year’s showpiece is set to be unique from previous editions.
There are two new stages added to the race and Lesotho Sky founder Chris Schmidt says it will make the race even more unpredictable. Each stage will be 50 kilometres long, making the overall distance roughly 250km.
Schmidt says when the race started back in 2011 with 22 riders he had no idea where the journey would take them, but now looking back at a decade of cycling adventures, it is “amazing to see how cycling activities have evolved in Lesotho.
This week thepost interviewed the cycling pioneer as the countdown to the 2021 Lesotho Sky Race speeds up.
thepost: This year is the 10th Edition of Lesotho Sky, what has the journey been like?
Schmidt: When the Lesotho Sky launched in 2011, I had no idea where the journey would take us.
Today, we look back at a decade of cycling adventures and it is simply amazing to see how various cycling activities have evolved in the country. Pump track riding, for example, is an exciting new sport in the country with three asphalt tracks having been built in Lesotho since 2017.
No matter where you travel to nowadays in Lesotho, you will most probably see a bicycle in action in every community, village or town. I like to imagine what Lesotho will look like (in the future), the day there are as many bicycles as cars.
As a non-contact sport, cycling is allowed to go on during the pandemic. Has it been challenging racing during the Covid-19 pandemic?
To be honest, our focus has shifted a bit away from racing to less competitive types of cycling.
The pandemic has actually helped to put cycling into the spotlight as a healthy leisure and fun activity. The interest has grown exponentially around the world and here in Lesotho.
This is a promising sign and I am very optimistic of the future of the bicycle, not only in competitions but also in our everyday lives. What has it been like preparing and planning for the Lesotho Sky Race during Covid-19?
Like many other sport event organisers, we face serious challenges at the moment.
Despite cycling being allowed to go on in Lesotho, local and international travel restrictions are often a cause for concern. This year we only expect a small field of riders, but nevertheless we have decided to go ahead with the event.
What are measures in place to safeguard the riders in these Covid-19 times? Is there a limit to how many can participate?
Social distancing and other Covid-19 protocols have to be adhered to at all times.
We have limited the number of riders to 40 and the total number of people attending is limited to 50 including crew. There will be no public day this year and we are encouraging fans and spectators to follow the event through our social media channels.
Are any new faces locally expected to participate in this year’s event?
Phethetso Monese, riding for Alliance Insurance Company, will be at the start line again, the only rider in the world to start at all 10 Lesotho Sky Events! Tebello Mofa is one of only two female Mosotho riders to ever have completed the Lesotho Sky Event.
We look forward to welcoming both riders back this year. Which are the two new added stages and why?
The Lesotho Sky routes change every year. We like to explore new routes based on feedback from previous riders as well as to get to know new destinations in Lesotho.
This year we will base the event out of Malealea and Semonkong. There will be a total of five stages, each approximately 50km in length. In the past we included long days, of up to 90km.
A shorter route can mean more technically demanding riding, but also nicer scenery and less roads. Lesotho’s rural areas are defined by countless paths used mostly by animals and people.
These paths are also known as trails or single track in cycling jargon. They are every mountain biker’s dream and we are excited to present new trails that probably no bicycle has ever ridden on before.
What is an E-bike and how does it work?
E-bikes are conquering the bicycle world at an incredible speed. An E-Bike looks like a normal bicycle, but it is equipped with a battery as well as a small electric motor.
The motor is almost completely silent and assist the cyclist when pedalling uphill. This means that even the steepest hills become rideable with only little effort.
E-Bikes are used for commuting (city) as well as for leisure (off-road) riding. At Lesotho Sky we have an official E-Bike category since 2017. This is not a competitive category, but all E-Bike riders have to complete the entire course in order to get a finisher’s medal.
