Pasio triumphs in African Cycling Championships

South African cyclist Ashleigh Moolman Pasio secured an impressive victory at the 2024 African Road Cycling Championships, completing the grueling 104.40km race from Eldoret to Iten in a time of 3 hours, 7 minutes, and 50 seconds.

With an average speed of 33.349 km/h, Moolman Pasio showcased her dominance in the women's elite and under-23 road race category, beating 35 other cyclists.

Eritrean cyclist Dawit Adiam Mengs emerged as the top performer in the under-23 category, finishing second overall with a time of 3:07:21 - just 31 seconds behind Moolman Pasio.

Rwanda's Diane Ingabire and Jazilla Niyamakazi secured the third and fourth positions, respectively, highlighting Rwanda's rising strength in African cycling.

The race saw strong participation, with 36 riders starting, but only 24 crossing the finish line. Several riders, including prominent names from Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia, did not finish (DNF) or were marked as over the time limit (OTL), underscoring the difficulty of the race, which took riders through challenging hilly terrains.

Kenya's Monica Jelimo Kiplagat was the top Kenyan finisher, crossing the line at 12th place with a time of 3:09:36. She was followed closely by fellow Kenyan Nancy Akinyi  Mwangi, who finished 25th.

Top 5 Finishers:

1. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (South Africa) - 3:07:50

2. Dawit Adiam Mengs (Eritrea) [Under 23] - 3:07:21

3. Diane Ingabire (Rwanda) [Under 23] - 3:07:21

4. Jazilla Niyamakazi (Rwanda) [Under 23] - 3:07:21