It will forever be remembered as a dark day on the South African cycling calendar: 3 January 2013 – the date one of the sport’s greatest talents was killed. Only 25 at the time, Stander died after being hit by a taxi while training on the KwaZulu Natal South Coast. He had become a household name following his courageous ride at the 2012 Olympic Games cross-country mountain bike race, when he eventually finished fifth after a poor start.
But cyclists already knew what he was capable of. He was crowned under-23 cross country world champion in 2009 and had begun to feature regularly at the front of the field in the prestigious UCI World Cup series. Our own Stu Spies wrote about what it meant for South Africans having such a champion to call their own.
After three years of setbacks Stander and his Swiss partner, Christoph Sauser, won the Absa Cape Epic in commanding fashion in 2011 and 2012 and appeared destined for several years of dominance of the world’s premier mountain bike stage race. By the end of that race Stander and Sauser had won 17 Absa Cape Epic stages together over the years.
Burry Stander is sorely missed in South Africa – and around the world.
Besides his skill and determination on a bicycle, Stander was also exceptionally popular. He was unfailingly polite, generous and happy to give of his time to fellow riders – be they young professionals or enthusiastic amateurs. In spite of his youth, Burry Stander left an immense impression on his sport and everybody who knew him. May his soul rest in peace and his legacy never die.
