Makae re-joins Swiss cycling team

NTHAKO MAJORO

MASERU – Local cycling sensation, Tumelo Makae, has re-joined the Switzerland-based cycling squad, Team Pump for Peace Velosolutions. The Lesotho cycling star joins Team Pump for the Swiss Epic stage race set to take place in Switzerland this week and for the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Cross-country World Cup which has been scheduled for next month in Italy. Makae, 25, went to join Team Pump straight from Birmingham, in England, immediately after this year’s Commonwealth Games came to an end last week.

He and his teammate, Phetetso Monese, did not complete their Commonwealth Games’ Mountain Bike (MTB) Cross-country after both were overlapped. Makae, who has previously been to Switzerland at the one of the world cycling high performance centres in preparation for the 2020 Olympic Games, got his first call-up to Team Pump earlier this year. “The Swiss Epic stage race takes place in Switzerland from August 16 to 20 while the UCI XCO (Cross-country) World Cup will take place in Italy from September 2 to 4,” said Makae in an interview with Public Eye.

Makae is also preparing for two upcoming World Championships, one in France and the other in Denmark. He will be representing Lesotho in both races. “The UCI XCO World Championship which will be held in France will take place from August 24 to 28 while the UCI XCM World Championship in Denmark will take place on September 17 this year,” Makae said. The cyclist is one of Lesotho athletes who are part of the Olympic Solidarity Sponsorship for the upcoming coming Olympic Games set to take place in Paris, France in 2024.

The Lesotho cycling star is looking to make his first appearance at the Olympic Games after failing to qualify for the Olympics which were held in Tokyo, Japan, last year despite being at one of the world cycling high performance centres in Switzerland in preparation for the same Olympic Games for more than three years. Makae is at number 1 593 on the UCI world rankings.