Cyclist Nancy Debe/ HANDOUT
Kenyan cycling veteran Nancy Debe is determined to raise the bar at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games as she bids to better her best-ever finish from Birmingham 2022 while embracing the unfamiliar challenge of track cycling.
At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Debe competed in the women's cross-country mountain biking event, where she finished seventh.
Four years later, the experienced rider returns with renewed belief and a fresh challenge as she swaps rugged trails for the high-speed banks of the track.
Unlike previous editions of the Games, this year's cycling programme will feature only track cycling events, with both able-bodied and para-cycling races set to be staged inside the velodrome.
Debe headlines a six-member Kenyan cycling squad alongside Monica Jelimo, Kendra Masiga, Evan Wangai, Cornelius Kemboi and Peterson Kamau, who will all fly the country's flag in the track cycling competition.
The seasoned rider is eager to improve on her Birmingham performance and believes another top showing is well within reach.
"My best result at the Commonwealth Games is seventh, so if I can equal that or better it, I'll take it," she said. Track cycling and para-track cycling events will get underway next Thursday.
The Glasgow Games will feature 18 track cycling medal events alongside eight para-track cycling medal events at the iconic Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.
Debe's second Commonwealth Games appearance, however, presents an entirely different test as she prepares to compete on the steeply banked boards of the velodrome instead of the mountain bike course.
"This is my second Commonwealth Games. Although this year will be different because this time there is no mountain biking, I will be on the track, the velodrome," Debe said.
Track cycling is one of the fastest disciplines in the sport, contested on a steeply banked oval track using lightweight, single-speed fixed-gear bicycles with no brakes, demanding explosive speed, tactical awareness and flawless bike handling.
Despite stepping into unfamiliar territory, Debe is relishing the challenge. "It will be a good challenge for me. It's still cycling although it's different from mountain biking."
The 38-year-old believes Kenya's preparations received a timely boost at the CAC Track African Championships held in Abuja, Nigeria, from May 13-17, where the squad gained valuable exposure to elite track racing. "We went to Nigeria and got some good experience at the African Championships to familiarise ourselves with track racing," she said.
Debe will also be carrying with her the lessons learnt from her debut Commonwealth Games campaign in Birmingham, experiences she hopes will serve her well in Glasgow. "From my last appearance I learnt to go all in because I deserve to be at that stage just like any other cyclist."
While she is targeting a strong performance, the veteran rider insists she also wants to savour every moment of competing on one of the biggest multi-sport stages. "I hope to have fun because sometimes we get too focused and forget to enjoy the fact that you are part of the Games."
Making a second Commonwealth Games appearance is, she says, a milestone she does not take for granted.
"Not many cyclists make it to the Commonwealth Games, so this is a full-circle moment for me, and I am proud of myself."
As one of the senior members of the Kenyan squad, Debe says experience has taught her to compete with freedom rather than pressure. "I am not going in under any pressure. I think I am the oldest in the group, so I'm under no pressure at all."
