By Mark Etheridge
A member of Team South Africa at the 2015 African Games in Brazzaville, Congo, Gustav Basson lines up for his first international race of the season in Belgium on Friday.
Basson took a nasty tumble in the road race at African Games, an event which wasn’t for the faint of heart, with conditions made treacherous by sand on the road, potholes and unexpected pedestrian crossings.
He’ll be hoping to make an impact of another kind on Friday in the Hanzame Classic inter-club race.
‘I’m very excited to race,’ said the Home-Solution-Anmapa-Soenens rider. ‘It’s my first race since November and the first of the season, so I’m a bit nervous to see what my form is like.’
Potchefstroom-based Basson had a medical hiccup late last year to get through before he was seriously back in the saddle. ‘Just before Christmas I had an operation to remove a tumour in the groin area.
‘But training has really sharpened up since last year with lots more hours and harder training, so we’ll just have to see what happens.
‘All the big sponsors of the team are here now so everyone’s waiting in anticipation,’ said the 21-year-old.