Bestmed teams flex their leg muscles at the Panorama Tour

The strength of hearts, mind and legs were tested greatly as over 5.5km of the route was an ascent.

Eighteen Bestmed team members took to the Panorama route in Mpumalanga to participate in the first four-day stage event to be launched in the cycling sport. The Open Women, Vets 40 to 49 and Masters 50+ teams was represented by four teams from Bestmed of two each and the Open Men 30 to 39 were represented by six cyclists. The mixed and open men teams had eight and two participants, respectively.

Christopher van Rooyen, who is at the helm of the Bestmed social and mountain biking teams, said that these events allow an opportunity to demonstrate the importance of teamwork and strength in this sport. "Cycling is not about one person, it is about teams. As much as every participant is competitive, the ultimate goal is to finish the race at a set time and overcome the road challenges. It is truly about endurance, healthy living and wellness," he said.

A way of empowering women

Among the participants at this race was An-li Kachelhoffer, former team MTN Khubeka cyclist, who now heads up the Bestmed ASG professional team. The 25-year-old won the Bestmed Epic women's race in March this year.

According to Kachelhoffer, cycling as a sport can be seen as a way of empowering women. "I am a firm believer that every woman has the strength to participate in this sport, which was predominantly a male sport. My sporting career launched when I was in high school and I was a road running athlete until an unfortunate accident. I stopped running and went into cycling. My goal is to be involved in cycling full time at some point," she said.

"Moreover," said Kachelhoffer, "being a part of a team that is led by people who understand the dynamics of this sport and support you is priceless. Bestmed encourages healthy lifestyle through their strategic wellness pillars, namely: Be Active, Be Safe, Be Nutri-Wise and Be Happy. In cycling you are as good as the food you eat. You need the stamina and a healthy mind to be able to participate in this sport. As it is an accessible sport to everyone, families can join in by cheering or participating. It is really a sport for the young and old who want to live longer and healthy lives."

In conclusion, Bestmed's executive head of marketing, communication and distribution, Alan Frits commented that, the scheme continues to seek opportunities to empower the nation, its members and non-member to take charge of their lives. "We have committed funds to the sponsorship of the Bestmed cycling team in a bid to demonstrate that we are serious about wellness and preventative health care. As South Africans, we have a heritage of producing world-class athletes and it is our role as a business to support our talent. This is a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community."