Bambisanani supporter makes sporting history
Professional track and road racing cyclist Lizzie Deignan has recently made sporting history by becoming the first winner of the Paris – Roubaix Femmes.
Regarded as one of the toughest cycling events in the world, the men’s event has been going since 1896. This year saw the worlds greatest female cyclists tackle the 72-mile course with its famed gruelling cobbled sections for the first time; a major breakthrough for women’s cycling!
The 2015 World Champion added this momentous win to recent victories in the Tour of Flanders and the Liège – Bastagne – Liège race thus making her the first women to win the ‘Triple Crown’ of all women’s ‘Monument’ classics.
Following her sensational breakaway victory Lizzie said, “All those women who raced for passion rather than the opportunity to race as professionals, I felt the weight of their sacrifice over the years. It’s because of those women we are where we are today. I just felt the strength of the history of women’s cycling behind me. Paris - Roubaix is one of the most iconic races – men have been doing things called ‘Monuments’ (the five biggest one-day races) and women’s cycling hasn’t had those. But slowly we are building that into our calendar, and this race is known as the ‘hell of the north’, which is stereotypically something that is not associated with women in cycling, and that has been our barrier. To smash through that barrier, we have shown that women are more than capable of riding on cobbles. We’re making history. It’s no exaggeration to say that we’re the first women to prove it was possible, but that does not mean that women before were not capable of it.”
Lizzie Deignan. Photo courtesy of JoJo Harper. All Rights reserved.
Congratulations to Lizzie who is a most remarkable elite athlete, role model and pioneer. As the Bambisanani Partnership looks to significantly extend its cycling programme in rural KwaZulu-Natal her achievements and support will inspire and motivate all involved to take on challenges that have not been taken on before.
Bambisanani ‘Cycling for Success’ Programme
