Jordan Schlek poses after winning 120KM race at Vipingo Ridge/HANDOUT Uganda’s Jordan Schleck and Mary Aleper will headline the fourth leg of the LOOP Safari Gravel Series in Nanyuki on Saturday as more than 600 cyclists compete for crucial season points and national honours at Mt Kenya Wildlife Conservancy.
The event will also serve as the Kenya Gravel National Championship, offering riders an opportunity to earn Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) points towards their world rankings. Nanyuki was selected as the season finale destination following a vote by riders.
Schleck and Aleper head into the race after defending their titles in the 105km elite events at Vipingo Ridge in August.
Schleck won the men’s race in 3:31:59, ahead of Kenya’s Bernard Njoroge (3:36:44) and Billy Mangwana (4:08:07). He leads the overall standings with 270 points, just three ahead of Stanley Ngugi, while Njoroge is third with 254 points.
The men’s elite field will also feature Vincent Chege and Evans Wangai of the newly formed The Hub Karen cycling club.
Aleper won the women’s 105km race in 4:42:24, finishing ahead of Kenya’s Alice Miring’u (5:24:19) and Mercy Eregae (5:51:51). She faces competition in Nanyuki from 19-year-old Martinie Ditona of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya’s leading female riders.
Kendra Masiga leads the women’s overall standings with 250 points, followed by Dinnah Safari on 236 and Monica Jelimo on 235. In the team competition, Black Mamba Development Squad tops the standings with 1,306 points, ahead of Ariya Finergy Solar Cycling (1,025) and Joy Riders (864).
Organisers reported that 636 cyclists had registered by October 13. Participants will compete on the 11km Chui Route, 45km Duma Route and 90km Simba Route for elite riders.
The top five finishers in both elite races will earn Sh20,000, Sh15,000, Sh10,000, Sh7,000 and Sh5,000, respectively. The winning team will receive Sh125,000, with Sh100,000 and Sh70,000 going to the runners-up and third-placed team.
Team Amani Coordinator Troy Barrie welcomed the strong field, saying the new venue and national championship status would add excitement to the competition.
“Getting UCI approval makes it more appealing and of great use to cyclists who want to improve their world rankings,” Barrie said.
Limuru hosted the season opener in March, followed by the UCI-accredited Naivasha leg in June and the Vipingo Ridge round in August.
The series is organised by The Amani Project, with LOOP Digital Financial Services as title sponsor, in partnership with Vipingo Ridge and the Kenya Cycling Federation.
