Cape Town - Road cyclists and mountain bikers came together on Friday to remember Burry Stander, the mountain biking hero who lost his life exactly a year ago on January 3, 2013.
Cyclists pedalled in the large groups in various parts of the country to pay respects to Stander.
The Burry Stander Bike Park will also be unveiled at memorial service for him in Port Shepstone on Saturday, before riders will undertake a ride in his honour.
Stander was killed after being hit by a taxi near Shelly Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast while out training for the Absa Cape Epic. He was 25.
Stander finished fifth in the men's cross country race at the 2012 London Olympics, and was a two-time winner of the Cape Epic alongside his Swiss partner, Christoph Sauser.
Cycling enthusiasts across the country took to Twitter to pay tribute to Stander on Friday.
Here's how a few of the tweets read:
#iRide4Burry The best tribute we can give to Burry is to take #justasecond for safety sake @bicyclesafetysa - Malcolm de Budé
Gone, but never, ever, forgotten. Thanks for changing our world. #hero #iRide4Burry - Sean Badenhorst
Your soul lives in our hearts and your inspiration eternally encourages us to push further and be better in everything #Iride4Burry - 36ONE-SONGO-S
One year since the world lost a true hero. Your inspiration and legacy lives on #iRide4Burry - Aidan van Niekerk
Today we ride for Burry, a friend and legend gone to soon. #iRide4Burry #RememberBurry - Craig Kolesky
Today we #RememberBurry but let us also remember all the other cyclists we have also lost along the way #iRide4Burry - Cycling Direct SA
Stander's wife, Cherise, herself an elite road cyclist, posted the following:
Feels like a yesterday...feels like a lifetime ago.All I know is I miss you everyday.Your smile is with me-ALWAYS
The two got married in May 2012.
Updated info for the Burry Stander Memorial - KZN Mountain Biking
Cyclists pedalled in the large groups in various parts of the country to pay respects to Stander.
The Burry Stander Bike Park will also be unveiled at memorial service for him in Port Shepstone on Saturday, before riders will undertake a ride in his honour.
Stander was killed after being hit by a taxi near Shelly Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast while out training for the Absa Cape Epic. He was 25.
Stander finished fifth in the men's cross country race at the 2012 London Olympics, and was a two-time winner of the Cape Epic alongside his Swiss partner, Christoph Sauser.
Cycling enthusiasts across the country took to Twitter to pay tribute to Stander on Friday.
Here's how a few of the tweets read:
#iRide4Burry The best tribute we can give to Burry is to take #justasecond for safety sake @bicyclesafetysa - Malcolm de Budé
Gone, but never, ever, forgotten. Thanks for changing our world. #hero #iRide4Burry - Sean Badenhorst
Your soul lives in our hearts and your inspiration eternally encourages us to push further and be better in everything #Iride4Burry - 36ONE-SONGO-S
One year since the world lost a true hero. Your inspiration and legacy lives on #iRide4Burry - Aidan van Niekerk
Today we ride for Burry, a friend and legend gone to soon. #iRide4Burry #RememberBurry - Craig Kolesky
Today we #RememberBurry but let us also remember all the other cyclists we have also lost along the way #iRide4Burry - Cycling Direct SA
Stander's wife, Cherise, herself an elite road cyclist, posted the following:
Feels like a yesterday...feels like a lifetime ago.All I know is I miss you everyday.Your smile is with me-ALWAYS
The two got married in May 2012.
Updated info for the Burry Stander Memorial - KZN Mountain Biking