Blessing Jabbie from the Kono Cycling Team won the Salone Cup Freetown Central Crit on Saturday afternoon.

The race which started on Pademba Road, close to iconic Cotton Tree in Freetown, saw cyclists criss-cross through the heart of the central business district, Brookfields and Pademba Road.

Reacting to her victory, Blessing said that the victory is a testament to her hard work and adherence to technical advice provided by her team coach.

“I feel so happy because this is a win for my district (Kono) and country,” the cyclist, drenched in sweat from the blistering Saturday sun, said in an exclusive interview.

The next round of the race will be hosted in Lunsar, northwest of Sierra Leone where she said she plans to finish top again in order to defend her championship against Esther Mansaray from the Brookfields team who finished just behind Blessing on Saturday afternoon.

Esther, who recently represented Sierra Leone in Burundi, said she is happy finishing second.

“Although I felt bad not finishing second, I promise to do better in the Lunsar crit,” Esther informed Sierraloaded. She promised to win the Lunsar Crit with hard work and dedication as she is just a point behind Blessing.

This is the second edition of the Salone Cup Cycling Tournament organised by the Sierra Leone National Cycling Association. This year’s competition features various categories including the female, junior and senior male categories and is done in partnership with the Freetown City Council, National Olympic Committee, National Sports Authority and the Ministry of Sports with the aim of raising awareness to safeguarding wildlife especially the protection of chimpanzees at the Tacugama Sanctuary and those in the forests.