BY JACOB AJOM

There has never been anything like what we are planning to stage in Lagos this Sunday(today),h Inyang Effiong, Team Principal CycleShop told Sports Vanguard team about the Cyclefest Race holding today in Lagos. N1 million has been set aside as prize money.

No fewer than 250 cyclists drawn from 16 states of the federation and some private clubs will be jostling for honours at the event which will see the cyclists cover 270 kilometers within Lagos metropolis.

There will be four categories of competi-tion: the men professional and women professional categories and men amateur and women amateur categories.  The event has been sanctioned by the Nigeria Cycling Federation and the Lagos State Cycling Association.

According to Effiong, gthe course starts from the National Stadium and will go through the Island and end up at the National Stadium covering over 110km for the professional men, 70km for the women and Recreational Men Cycl-ists, while Recreational Women Cyclists will ride over 30kmh.

Not surprisingly, the corporate community has jumped at the opportunity of associating with the event. Lucozade Sport, the world leading sport drink has teamed up with Cycleshop Limited. Benola, a cerebral palsy initiative has also identified with the programme which is expected to produce Nigeria’s flag bearers in the forthcoming African Cycling championship in Egypt and the West African Cycling Tour in Dakar, Senegal later in the year.
That is the motivation, Effiong said, hoping that the thought of representing Nigeria internationally could spur the cyclists to returning good times.

He further disclosed that not all the cyclists that will be competing are Nigerians. gSome of them are foreigners, so this will give the event a global outlook, he reiterated. The Nigeria Cycling Federation and the Lagos State Cycling Association are partnering the organisers with the provision of technical aid. Officials from both organisations will officate during the race,h he said, adding that LASTMA, FRSC and the Nigeria Police have all pledged their readiness to control traffic in order to safe  the cyclists from running into moving vehicles and human traffic.