Local cycler shows his pace in championship

Local cycler from Boksburg Casper Moodie completed his first-ever cycling championship in great fashion, taking up the second position at the South African Road and Time Trial Cycling Championship that was held in Swellendam, Western Cape, from March 18 to 21.

The 33-year-old, who hails from Springs, competed full-time in triathlons for six years and then turned to cycling.
Racing for Team Honeycomb Pro Cycling, he experienced numerous challenges before he lined up on race day.

Leading up to the SA champs, his personal-time trial bike broke three weeks before the race in a training session. The team sorted him with another bike and he quickly felt comfortable on it, but the night before the race the bike fell off the team car roof and cracked, making it impossible to use for race day.

One of the junior riders’ father said he could use his bike. It was not his size bike to take on the race, but the team converted it for him to race.

The team worked until 11pm the night before to get the bike ready for him to start the race on Friday.

He lined up and started the 40km hilly windy time trial race, finishing in second place behind Cape Town rider Christiaan Jansen van Rensburg.

On Sunday morning, he lined up again against the best veteran riders in the country to tackle a gruelling 133km road race.

He managed to get into a break early on with three other riders but was caught at the 45km mark. As the kilometres went by the tough course starting taking its toll on the field of riders, but he managed to stay calm and in contact with the leading group.

At 15km to go, he found himself safe in second place with 55 seconds behind the leader, which earned him a silver medal.

The result was something he dreamed about and worked hard for.

“Being a young father with a five-month-old baby, full-time work and recovering from ankle surgery in October last year, none of this would’ve been possible without my wife by my side day in and day out, my family, friends, coach and my sponsor, Team Honeycomb pro cycling.

“It was so good to be out racing again after months of no racing due to the Covid-19 pandemic and we just hope the remaining year can go on as planned,” said Moodie.