Kargo Pro MTB team have a frantic first phase of the 2015 cycling calendar ahead of them and South Africa’s first ever UCI Trade Team is eager to utilize this weekend’s Herald VW Cycle Tour in Zuurberg, Addo to catapult them into their upcoming assignments.
With two provincial cross country rounds, the first two South African MTB Cup Series legs and, for Brendon Davids and recent international signing Emil Lindgren, the all-important ABSA Cape Epic on the cards, the Kargo squad are faced with a busy first few months of 2015.
“This weekend’s trip to the Momsen country (the Eastern Cape) is also hugely important to us as we look to spend some quality time on the course that our guys will be tackling at the first leg of the SA Cup Series in February,” explains Kargo’s Team Manager, Shaun Peschl.
Photo supplied.
Junior talent Marco Joubert will look to hone his road skills in his home province this weekend before heading to Mbombela, Mpumalanga for next week’s South African National Road and Time Trial Championships while Davids, Alan Hatherly and William Mokgopo spend some time on the trails of the marathon event refining their MTB skills.
Meanwhile Lindgren, Swedish national champion and world number nine, is currently preparing himself for the upcoming clashes at a training camp in Spain with his national team before he joins his Kargo team mates in South Africa in February.
“I’m excited to be back racing in South Africa and particularly the Cape Epic again!” says Lindgren. “I can’t wait to kick it off with the prologue in Cape Town!”
While the African jersey may not be possible for the pair of Davids and Lindgren, a sound tactical approach may well see them competitive amongst the star studded international field overall.
“I reckon Brendon and I have a good shot at some stages while of course we will also do our best to score in the overall too,” Lindgren adds confidently.
Lindgren and the rest of the Kargo team will also have their sights set on accumulating vital UCI points at both SA Cup Series legs as well as the HC cross country event of the Pietermaritzburg MTB Festival that takes place at Cascades MTB Park over the Easter weekend from 3-5 April.
A sizeable points collection will aid significantly in the team setting themselves a sound platform to build on in their second phase of the year which will see them spend a large portion of this period overseas as they tackle the Sea Otter Classic in Califonia, USA at the end of April as well as the full UCI MTB World Cup presented by Shimano.
More info is available at www.peschlracing.com.
