According to the most recent standings of the International Cycling Union (UCI), Nigerian women riders have surpassed their competitors in Egypt and South Africa in the top division.
An overjoyed Engr. Giandomenico Masari, President of the Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN), said this during the federation's end-of-year virtual meeting yesterday. He said the development was proof that cycling was progressing in the nation.
Nigeria outperformed other African nations in five of the nine events, with Egypt and South Africa taking first place in three and one, respectively.
Elite female cyclists from Nigeria took first place in the Individual Sprint, Keiring, 500m Time Trials, Team Sprint, and Team Pursuit competitions, while Egypt took first place in the Omnium, Scratch, and 3km Pursuit, and South Africa took first place in the Point Race.
It's interesting to note that Nigeria also advanced 12 spots on the global ranking in the Elite sprint from 32nd to 20th in 2022, from 33rd to 20th in the Elite female Keiring event from 2019 to 2022, and from 30th to 11th in the Elite female 500m from 30th to 2022.
The junior female cyclists were not as fortunate as their professional counterparts, as they finished second in five of the 10 events and only lead the rest of Africa in three.
They include the Sprint, Keiring, and Time Trials, in which they also performed well, finishing eighth, ninth, and tenth overall, respectively.
Elite and junior male athletes from the nation did not place first in any of the competitions. In terms of the elite men's sprint, keiring, and one-kilometre time trials, South Africa is in the first place.
In the junior division, they also take first place in the sprint, team pursuit, and one-kilometre time trials, with Egypt taking first place in the team sprint.
However, the CFN president stated that further efforts are required from the federation to continue showcasing the riders in international competitions where they may continue to get more points to continue to bridge the gap between them and the top cycling nations in the globe.