Cyclists vow to give best at Olympic Games: Rust

THE manager of the two-man national cycling team bound for the 2008 Olympic Games in China says her riders will do their best during the Games that start in less than a month in Beijing.

Hella Rust told Nampa this week that Namibian riders Erik Hoffmann and Mannie Heymans have done everything in their means to prepare themselves mentally and physically for the world sport showpiece. She said both riders are in good form and continue to participate in international races to build up the ever-important International Cycling Union (UCI) points, needed for good starting positions in their respective races.Hoffmann, 27, will compete in the cycling road race, while Heymans, 35, will compete in the mountain bike cross-country event.This past Saturday, Hoffmann showed his determination when he ended second in the Tour de Korea in Japan, and will today start a 10-day stage race in China.He will then return to Germany to continue his training until he departs for Beijing, where he will meet up with the rest of the Namibian delegation.Hoffmann qualified for the 2008 Olympics during the World B Qualifying Event in South Africa in July last year, and has been working hard ever since in preparation for his first Olympic Games.Said Rust: “If there is anybody that can do it [win medals] for Namibia, then it is him [Hoffmann], because he is mentally strong and has shown that he can do it when he qualified for the Olympics without the support of his teammates, who were struck by a stomach virus at the time.”And having been in Beijing on and off for the past seven months, Hoffmann knows the track for the Olympics, but is worried about the level of pollution.Hoffmann told Rust earlier that the pollution is bad, but takes consolation in the fact that it will be the same for every rider.”He, however, hopes that having been training in the area for long will help him handle the situation on race day,” said Rust.Heymans, on the other hand, is going for his third Olympics, and knows what awaits him.The veteran rider finished 18th in the World Marathon Champs on July 5 in Italy, and is now training in Austria with the Russian Olympic team.He is expected back home on July 23, and will then participate in the South African Championships on August 2, after which he will depart for Beijing from Johannesburg, South Africa.Rust said the cross-country track is still top secret and will only be opened one week before competition day.Heymans qualified for the Olympics’ cross-country competition during the African MTB Championships staged in Namibia in July last year.On her two riders’ medal chances, Rust said that anything could happen on the day.”The only disadvantage Namibian riders will have is that they will be riding alone and not in teams like other countries,” said Rust.NampaShe said both riders are in good form and continue to participate in international races to build up the ever-important International Cycling Union (UCI) points, needed for good starting positions in their respective races.Hoffmann, 27, will compete in the cycling road race, while Heymans, 35, will compete in the mountain bike cross-country event.This past Saturday, Hoffmann showed his determination when he ended second in the Tour de Korea in Japan, and will today start a 10-day stage race in China.He will then return to Germany to continue his training until he departs for Beijing, where he will meet up with the rest of the Namibian delegation.Hoffmann qualified for the 2008 Olympics during the World B Qualifying Event in South Africa in July last year, and has been working hard ever since in preparation for his first Olympic Games.Said Rust: “If there is anybody that can do it [win medals] for Namibia, then it is him [Hoffmann], because he is mentally strong and has shown that he can do it when he qualified for the Olympics without the support of his teammates, who were struck by a stomach virus at the time.”And having been in Beijing on and off for the past seven months, Hoffmann knows the track for the Olympics, but is worried about the level of pollution.Hoffmann told Rust earlier that the pollution is bad, but takes consolation in the fact that it will be the same for every rider.”He, however, hopes that having been training in the area for long will help him handle the situation on race day,” said Rust.Heymans, on the other hand, is going for his third Olympics, and knows what awaits him.The veteran rider finished 18th in the World Marathon Champs on July 5 in Italy, and is now training in Austria with the Russian Olympic team.He is expected back home on July 23, and will then participate in the South African Championships on August 2, after which he will depart for Beijing from Johannesburg, South Africa.Rust said the cross-country track is still top secret and will only be opened one week before competition day.Heymans qualified for the Olympics’ cross-country competition during the African MTB Championships staged in Namibia in July last year.On her two riders’ medal chances, Rust said that anything could happen on the day.”The only disadvantage Namibian riders will have is that they will be riding alone and not in teams like other countries,” said Rust.Nampa