South Africa pedals to gold, powered by Kenyan ugali

Kenyans in action at the 2026 CAC Road Cycling African Championships in Kisumu yesterday. [Daniel Ogendo,Standard]

South Africa claimed gold in the mixed relay on the second day of the 2026 CAC Road Cycling African Championships in Kisumu yesterday, with Magda Nieuwoudt crediting Kenyan ugali for helping fuel their victory.

The South Africans produced a strong team performance to win the 40.8-kilometre race in 56:04.38, beating defending champions Mauritius, who finished second in 56:17.28. Rwanda completed the podium in 56:30.13.

Kenya, competing on home soil, finished fifth despite a coordinated effort from their riders.

Nieuwoudt jokingly attributed their success to the local staple food, saying it gave the team the energy needed to negotiate the demanding course.

“The secret of our strong race was the white ugali,” she said, describing the meal as filling and good for the riders.

South Africa's victory was built on teamwork, with the men setting a fast pace before handing over to the women, who maintained the momentum to secure the title.

Lucy Young praised the team's coordination, saying the men had recorded the fastest opening time before the women completed the job.

“The boys started us off. They had the fastest time out of all the countries, and then the girls picked it up from there,” she said.

Young admitted that the course, with its numerous corners and bumps, required careful handling, but said the riders adapted well after learning the turns.

Rwanda also showed resilience to secure bronze after losing a teammate who fell ill during the first lap.

Eric Muhoza said the setback forced the team to continue with a reduced squad, making the race even more difficult.

“We lost our teammate in the first lap, so we had to do with just two of us. The cyclist was not feeling well,” he said.

Muhoza admitted Rwanda had hoped to win gold but was satisfied with another podium finish.

Kenya's Monica Jelimo, meanwhile, remained positive despite missing out on the medals, praising the team's coordination and effort throughout the race.

“The race was nice, we had nice coordination as a team and we did our very best,” she said.

The second day's action followed an eventful opening day dominated by Mauritius and Rwanda in the individual time trials.

Mauritius' Alexandre Mayer won the men's elite 30.6km race in 40:32.49, narrowly beating Eritrea's Merhawi Kudus, who clocked 40:42.05. Uganda's Charles Kagimu took bronze in 41:06.09 despite suffering a difficult night after a power outage at his hotel disrupted his sleep.

Kagimu said the dusty roads, loose stones and sharp corners made the race challenging, but he refused to let the difficult conditions affect his performance.

Rwanda's Diane Ingabire won the women's elite 20.4km time trial in 31:02.74, beating Mauritius' Aurelie Halbwachs by just 1.54 seconds. South Africa's Lucy Young finished third, while Kenya's Dinna Kemonya and Kendra Tabu placed sixth and seventh, respectively.

In the Under-23 men's race, Eritrea's Yafiet Mulugeta claimed gold ahead of South Africa's Joshua Dike and Ryno Schutte.

Rwanda continued its success in the women's Under-23 and junior categories, with Jazila Mwamikazi winning the Under-23 title and Yvonne Masengesho taking the junior crown.

Mauritius also celebrated junior success through Tristan Hardy, who won the men's junior time trial ahead of South Africa's Henro Van Der Walt.

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