South African cyclists of the year honored

John-Lee Augustyn, Greg Minnaar, Marissa van der Merwe, Burry Stander and Sifiso Nhlapo were honored as South African Cyclists of the Year at the Emperors Palace in Boksburg on Tuesday evening according to www.iol.co.za.

John-Lee Augustyn was named male road cyclist of the year. He was the first to summit the Bonette during stage 16 of the Tour de France this summer. His impressive ascent was followed by a dramatic crash that saw him fly off the edge of the road on the descent immediately following. Van der Merwe won the women's road cyclist of the year award after finishing 34th in the Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Off road, mountain biker Minnaar was awarded the downhill cyclist of the year after taking his third UCI World Cup downhill title while up and comer Stander took cross country honors. Stander finished second at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships U23 cross country race and won the UCI World Cup U23 series, but he routinely mixed it up with the elite crowd and represented South Africa at the Olympic Games.

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Nhalpo was awarded BMX rider of the year, and the Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour took home the title of best race.

"The award is a tribute to a motivated organising team, a dedicated group of volunteers and the amazing support we receive from our sponsors. Ultimately though, it's the cycling community at large who make the event what it is," said David Bellairs, co-director of the Cycle Tour organizing team.

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Laura Weislo is a Cyclingnews veteran of 20 years. Having joined in 2006, Laura extensively covered the Operacion Puerto doping scandal, the years-long conflict between the UCI and the Tour de France organisers ASO over the creation of the WorldTour, and the downfall of Lance Armstrong and his lifetime ban for doping. As Managing Editor, Laura coordinates coverage for North American events and global news.