Lesotho women put their mettle to the pedal
Lesotho’s majestic terrain makes it perfect for off-road cycling. For the past two decades, it has mainly been men that representing the country on the world stage. But women bikers are paving the way
Mountain biking has steadily grown into one of the most prominent sport codes in Lesotho, a small country with a rich cycling culture. Starting in the early 2000s, local racers began participating in tournaments in South Africa. This exposure to competitive cycling laid the foundation for the sport’s development in Lesotho.
For a long time, it was seen as a sport dominated by men, with women’s participation at a minimum.
Then, in 2014, Likeleli Masitise shifted the paradigm when she became the first black African woman to compete in a UCI team and earn a podium in an accredited race. UCI – the Union Cycliste International – is the world governing body for cycling.
Her accomplishments contributed to the overall growth and diversity of the cycling community in the country.
Guided by an unrelenting determination to succeed, Masitise kept training and learning to become better. By the time she was 21, she was competing on the world stage.
“I didn’t have the self-confidence because I thought cycling is for white people. In the starting line [during competitions], you may find that I was the only black woman and that made me feel isolated but I eventually got used to it,” Masitise recalls of her first international competition.
In 2015, she had a setback and took a five-year break.
Reflecting on her career and the missed opportunities from her hiatus, Masitise says cycling is an expensive sport “and you only get money when you are competing”.
So if someone misses races, through injuries or other reasons, “no one is going to take care of you and you need to make money to sustain your life.”
She adds: “The problem with cycling [in Lesotho] is that if you focus on the sport, in the end, you are going to suffer.”
Like many veteran cyclists approaching the end of their careers, she is focused on supporting new entrants to the sport.
This commitment is reflected in the Lesotho Cycling Federation’s initiative to identify and mentor developing talents. Four custom built tracks have become a fun and new way to introduce cycling to young girls.
Among the emerging talents is Khothalang Leuta, notably competing in the 2021 Red Bull UCI World Championships. She was among the first girls to join the custom track, although she was intimidated at first.
Maryke Zietsman, from the company that built the custom tracks, says of this: “Initially, we really struggled to get the girls on the track. They were completely intimidated by the boys. And it wasn’t a situation where the boys discouraged them or anything like that. But from a cultural point of view, it was just not done. We had to beg her [Leuta] to race.”
The increased participation of girls is encouraging but still faces serious obstacles.
Tšepiso Lerata, another biker, says their dreams need unwavering support. That means investment. Their bikes “are not good enough to be racing”, they need personal trainers, and they need to travel to races. “I would like to be exposed to different races outside the country and get used to that because it can be quite scary,” says Lerata.
But the story of Lesotho’s cycling is one of unity, inclusion and triumph. From the dusty trails to the grand stages of international competitions, this small nation has defied the odds. And the accomplishments of its cyclists means anyone knows they could be part of this journey.