Riders to battle for Club Games tickets in Nyeri

Cyclists negotiate a corner along Parliament Road, Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Over 100 cyclists are expected to battle for the 12 slots reserved for Kenya at the 2022 Commonwealth Games during the national trials set for this weekend in Narumoru, Nyeri County.

Cycling, alongside hockey (women), is among the disciplines that have already made the cut to the Birmingham Games.

Commonwealth Games is penciled between July 28 to August 8, 2022.

Kenya Cycling Federation (KCF) will also use the Narumoru event to select an eight-member squad (four male and four female) for the Mountain Bike team set to compete at the ANOCA Junior Games. The African event is scheduled for August, in Egypt.

The KCF Secretary General Charles Mose confirmed that a total of 116 cyclists, including 40 female riders will compete for the dozen slots in the Road Race, both for the elite and youth trials.

The youth event will kick off with a four-10km lap easy-ride tomorrow before paving the way for the Birmingham trials on Sunday. Senior men will tackle 40km loop with ladies, juniors cycling a three-lap 30km circuit.

Mose clarified that only elite men and women will take part in the Commonwealth trials.

“We shall be selecting the best; top six male and six female but the cyclists have to convince the judges of their timings,” confirmed Mose.

Entry fee is Sh500 per rider.

Mose predicts a tough trails adding that all foreign-based cyclists have already jetted into the country ready to take part in the selection.