The Kaduna State Cycling Association is set to introduce monthly state-level races to improve the standard of cycling and attract more participants to the sport.
The association’s team manager, Samila Usman, disclosed this in an interview in Kaduna on Monday.
Usman said the initiative would improve athletes’ performance and encourage more young people to take up cycling.
He said monthly races offered significant benefits for cyclists, local communities and event organisers, serving as a catalyst for athlete development, community engagement and physical fitness.
“These monthly races help in developing the performance of the athletes and also bring youth into the cycling sport. The monthly race will also make the state dominant in the cycling sport in the country.”
Usman said cyclists trained more consistently when they had regular competitions to prepare for, adding that monthly races would give them short-term goals to remain focused.
He explained that racing required specific skills, including drafting, cornering in a pack and tactical positioning.
“Frequent racing allows cyclists to test strategies, learn from mistakes, and improve much faster than they would through solo training.”
He added that monthly events would help cyclists assess improvements in power, endurance and pacing under similar competitive conditions.
Usman also said the competitions would sustain motivation by reducing long gaps without races and helping athletes remain focused throughout the year.
He appealed to individuals, companies and other stakeholders to sponsor the monthly competitions, citing similar initiatives in Lagos, Port Harcourt and other states.
Usman said Kaduna cyclists performed well at the recently concluded Abuja National Cycling Championship, winning medals and recording podium finishes.
“Kaduna state presented one of the best teams in terms of grassroots and also did very well at the competition, excelling with podium finishing medals at the finish of the race.”
He described Kaduna as a home of champions, noting that the state had produced cyclists who represented Nigeria at national and international competitions, including the All Africa Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, Junior Olympics and Olympic Games.
He said the achievements were supported by grassroots development programmes, which he said aligned with the administration of Gov. Uba Sani.
Usman appreciated Uba Sani and the state Commissioner for Sports for supporting the team that participated in the Abuja championship.
