Cycling-Two for high-level training in South Africa |30 July 2005

Vélo Club de Mahé’s Leeroy Labiche and St Francis’ Jean-Pierre Low-Hong are to leave the country on Tuesday August 9 to join other cyclists coming from Africa at the new centre in Johannesburg.

The two will spend three months training at the centre and are expected back on Sunday October 30.

The training is being sponsored by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and according to local coach Lucas Georges, Labiche and Low-Hong will receive new bikes and other equipments while at the centre.

Labiche, 16 and a secondary five student at Belonie school, has said that he is looking forward to join the centre.

“I am looking forward to train in South Africa and make the most of the opportunity given to me. My aim is to reach the highest level in cycling and I need to train hard to be that good,” Labiche told Sports Nation in a telephone conversation yesterday.

Low-Hong had this to say: “This is a great opportunity and I have to train hard to improve my level of cycling. Hopefully, I will be able to pass on to other cyclists what I am going to learn in South Africa. ”
Both Labiche and Low-Hong are among the country’s best young riders at present.

With two years experience in the sport, Labiche is the third best sprinter behind individual time-trial specialists Eric Van Hollebeke and Hudson Mathieu who is training in France with Blois CAC-41.

His only individual win this season has come in the Seychelles Cycling Association-sponsored 17.1-km individual time-trial on Sunday July 17.

He also joined teammates Nelson Rose and Bertrand Lesperance to win the first team time-trial race of a distance of 51.3 kilometres on Sunday July 3.

With four years experience, Low-Hong, 18, has won just one race this year, hitting the tape of the 107.5-km Land Marine-sponsored road race in 3 hours 08 minutes 35 seconds.

The two cyclists also feature in the top-10 individual ranking. Labiche is in fifth position with 366 points, 85 less than that of leader Roniel Fanny of the PLS Riders club.
Low-Hong is occupying eighth place with 213 points.

G. G.