By Barrie Alpha

Following the successful end of a second-round Salone Cycling Cup Series , ‘the Le Col Lunsar Criterium’ on Sunday, December 10, 2023, the Administrative Secretary of the Sierra Leone National Cycling Association (SLNCA), Abdul Karim Kamara aka Stylish, has called on Government to support the third round due to take place  on 28th January, 2024 in Kono district.

The second round of the Salone Cycling Series ended in a grand style with thousands of inhabitants cheering not only for their riders but also all other riders racing around Lunsar Town.

Over 100 athletes across the country assembled in Lunsar rocking the town with a fanfare ever seen before.

 Junior and Female riders competed in a 16-lap Criterium Championship and elite riders also competed in a 20-lap.

Lunsar Cycling Club continues to dominate the podium as Moses Lamin Bangura won the Elite category back-to-back after winning the first round in Freetown while Kalil Kallie Kamara of Lunsar Cycling Club won the Junior Category and Kono Cycling Club’s Aminata Jabbie emerged winner of the Female category.

 Speaking to Nightwatch Sports after the race, SLNCA’s Administrative Secretary, Abdul Karim Kamara expressed delight for the successful completion of the second round Salone Cup Series adding that Lunsar was the home of Sierra Leone cycling and that he was sure it would soon be the home of African cycling.

He disclosed that the third round of the Salone Cycling Cup Series will continue in Kono on the 28th January, 2024.

 “Kono has been so impressive because they won the female category, finished among the top five in the junior category and were among the top five in the Elite category.  May be, they will have the home advantage,” he said.

Kamara went on to state that they were expecting support from government through National Sports Authority (NSA), Ministry of Sports and the National Olympic Committee (NOC) because the past two stages we received private sponsors (Tacugama and Le Col) and now we need government’s sponsor. The CEO Tour De Lunsar continued.

 “This is our own Premier League, whatever the sponsor we receive from the government, NSA, MOS and the NOC, we will appreciate it. We are yet to receive any sponsorship and  that is why we postponed the event. We will continue to get an engagement with the NSA, MOS and the NOC. We have had series of engagement before the launching the Series Cup last month where we disclosed to them our sponsor and we have used those funds to organise these two events. So, we are looking forward to them to see that we continue with the other stages,” he noted.

However, in the Elite, Moses Lamin Kamara of Lunsar Cycling Club finished in first position, second place was Alusine Conteh of Flames Cycling Club and Ibrahim Kamara of C2C Cycling Club ended in third position, while Kalil Kallie Kamara of Lunsar Cycling Club finished in first place, Amadu Sow of Flames Cycling Club secured second position and Alhaji S. Saccoh of Makeni Cycling Club finished third in the Junior category and in the Female category, Aminata Jabbie of Kono Cycling Club secured first position, with Esther G, Mansaray of Mbuntu Cycling Club finishing in second place and Blessing Jabbie of Kono Cycling Club ended in third position.

Back-to-back winner of the Salone Cycling Cup Series, Moses Lamin Kamara aka Lord Mo expressed his joy for leading the Elite category table in the meantime, stating that he would continue to train hard and focus on challenging the following event.

“For now I am really focus on this competition, I am not in complacent and I would not allow anything to divert my attention because I want to win not only the Cup Series, but also to represent Sierra Leone in international competition and bring home laurels,” Lord Mo stated.