Since the start of the 2017 / 18 financial year, a massive shift in the focus of the cycling activities in KZN was undertaken with the focus being put on the development of the sport at all levels across all 11 x districts in the province as opposed to staging top end, international and large national cycling events.
This led to the advent of the KZN Cycling Development Programme with the primary focus being on introducing young riders in predominantly rural districts that have not had such opportunities in the past to the sport of cycling. The existing cycling academies and clubs in these regions were supported and new programmes also being created and included in the fold.
Funding for the programme is supplied by the KZN Department of Sport & Recreation and the funds supplied are utilised primarily in the rider development aspects of the programme as well as allocated to general capacity building programmes.
Since the inception of the programme to date, a large number of development and training clinics have been staged at a large variety of schools throughout the province and a total of just over 59 000 youngsters have gone through these clinics. By the end March 2020, this figure is set to rise to over 90 000 children being included.
Not only are young riders introduced to the sport, but the talented riders identified are graduated to a Higher Performance Squad that receives additional and more focused coaching and who are then prepared to be able to compete in a variety of aggregated process events with many riders competing in the various provincial and national championships events with a number that have even participated at international level events.
KZN Cycling hubs have been established in all eleven districts in KZN and supplied with storage facilities, bike trailers, bikes, helmets, spares and equipment to be able to stage clinics at the schools such as cones, tape etc as well as first aid kits.
A total of 13 x district training officers are now contracted by KZN Cycling to look after operations in the 11 x districts and these district training officers are supported by a further staff complement.
Hub activities in conjunction with the local clubs and academies continue to take place on an ongoing basis with some being more active than others but this programme allowed for the continued progress of the local learners on an ongoing basis and these accounted for more than
40 000 young riders being included in the two year time period.
HP Coach
HP Coach
HP Coach
ETHEKWINI
Amajuba & uMzinyathi
Ugu & Harry Gwala
King Cetshwayo
King Cetshwayo
uMkhanyakude
uMkhanyakude
uMgungundlovu
Zululand
uThukela
iLembe
The top mountain riders from the KZN Cycling Development MTB HP squad took part in the Safire Baynesfield MTB Classic on Sunday 15th September and once
The Mandela Day Marathon MTB Dash was a big day for the development programme with more than 270 young riders from six different districts being
