The competition is to serve as preparation for the upcoming Grand Prix Chantal Biya.

The 2016 edition of the cycling national championship will take place this weekend and will be run between Mbalmayo and Ebolowa of Saturday August 27. The competition will bring together the various Regional champions as well as the defending champion, Arthur Tella and the best ranked athletes during the cycling tour of Cameroon. The race will take place in both the senior and junior categories with the senior athletes expected to cover a distance of 152km and the junior, 110km.

There will be five turns within the town of Mbalmayo before heading for Ebolowa and upon arrival in Ebolowa, the cyclists will equally make five turns around the major alleys of the South Regional capital. The kickoff of the race will take place at the ceremonial grounds in Mbalmayo and the arrival in Ebolowa will also be at the ceremonial grounds in Nko’ovos.

However some four athletes of the SNH “velo club” will not be taking part in the competition, having been suspended by their club for having posed some security conditions to take in trainings and competitions after the accidental death of Nlontsi Yannick during the nocturnal race in Yaounde. Among the big names who will be taking part in the competition is the 2014 Tour of Cameroon winner, Kamzong Abessolo alias ‘Epistolero’ and the defending champion Arthur Tella. The various Regional champions will also be taking part in the race.

Meanwhile the race will serve as preparation for Cameroonian cyclists for the upcoming grand Prix international Chantal Biya which will take place from October 12 to16, 2016. The referee for this competition has already been designated in the person of Frenchman Jean Pierre Coppenhole.