Kombo Bere, the local 17-year-old cycling star, will form part of Team LCB that will take part in the first round of the South African XCO Cup Series in Port Elizabeth on 28 February. The LCB team is led by one of South Africa’s top mountain bike cyclists, Olympian Philip Buys.

Philip Buys is widely regarded as South Africa’s most complete mountain bike racer, being a multiple African and South African XCO Champion.  He heads up a team of 14 riders, which include four Elite men, eight Junior men and two Junior women.  Kombo Bere has been selected as one of the Junior men.

The team is sponsored by Lead Crystal Batteries, and SCOTT Sports will provide the riders with bicycles and gear. The team members will also have their own full-time mechanic and coach. The focus will primarily be on the Olympic Cross-Country (XCO) discipline, with World Championships and Olympic Games success as its long-term goal.

“Seldom do teenage racers get to interact with and learn from the top pro racers. Our team will have that in place, which will be very valuable,” said Johan Hattingh, CEO of Lead Crystal Batteries. “With LCB, there is at least a five-year commitment to this team because we know that you can’t build a champion bike racer overnight. It takes time. It’s an investment,” added Hattingh.

For Kombo, this presents one of the biggest opportunities of his career. “I am very excited and humbled by the opportunity to ride with this team. What remains now is a lot of training and not forgetting about my schoolwork,” said an enthusiastic Kombo.

Kombo had already had the opportunity in January to spend a couple of days with Philip Buys. He completed a state-of-the-art full fitness assessment and trained with the Olympian in Pretoria.

Over the past few years, Kombo started dominating mountain-bike races in Limpopo. He won the Munnik Meerkat race last year and ended second in the Akkedis’s 35km race. He also showed his mettle in road races by winning the Vula-Vula 70km race.

“We are all very proud of Kombo and wish him a successful 2015 racing year with his new team,” said Stanley Thompson from the local P&L cycling club.