Algerian Cyclists Aim for Olympic Berths at African Games in Morocco

Climb onto the podium, win additional points in the Africa-tour ranking and snatch a second qualifying ticket for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after that of Azzedine Lagab, the first Algerian qualified for the Olympic Games. These are the goals that Algeria is pursuing by participating in the 2019 African Games.

"Our national teams will participate in the African event with 15 riders, including 5 women, entered in mountain biking, road racing, as well as individual and team time trials," said Réda Kehlal, the Technical Director of the National Cycling Federation (FAC) to APS.

According to him, the new president of the FAC, Kheïreddine Barbari, has brought together all the means to enable the men’s team to achieve all the objectives set at the beginning of the season, including the 2019 African Games in Morocco. To this end, he recalled that a series of training camps had been scheduled in Algiers and abroad, the last of which took place in the Spanish city of Estella.

As for the women’s selection, it has carried out a series of training camps in Tikjda (Bouira), with participation in a few cycling races in the region, said the Technical Director of the FAC. "We have a homogeneous component, capable of creating a surprise, in particular the Algerian champion, Racha Benounane Belkacem, who can get on the podium in the road race," said Réda Kehlal.

The program of cycling events, scheduled from August 21 to 29, in the city of Benslimane (Casablanca), is as follows: mountain biking (August 21-23), team time trial, individual time trial and road race (August 24-29).