United on wheels

In the wake of the Momentum 947 Cycle Challenge, a much smaller group of cyclists gathered on 17 November for the annual Unity Cycle Event.

They were joined by Liggett, a professional cyclist of 12 years and now a commentator whose voice is well known to followers of the Cycle Challenge and the Tour de France.

“The ride is really more ceremonial than anything else,” said head of sport Greg Hurwitz of the 13km route the group rode around Huddle Park before settling down for an evening braai.

The idea, said Hurwitz, was to celebrate the success of cycling at the school since its introduction by Falconer about three years ago. Starting with about five pupils, the cycling team now numbers 20, including one girl, to coach Nadia Packham-Thiessen’s pride. Despite the difficulty of incorporating various skill and age levels, the team participates in as many events as possible, including an annual four-day ride to Durban.

This year’s Unity Cycle Event bid farewell to Falconer, who hopes to continue his work promoting cycling in schools and community outreach programmes when he relocates to Cape Town.

“The amazing thing about cycling is that it’s a sport [the pupils] can carry on until they’re as old as I am,” smiled Falconer, himself an avid cyclist.

And who better to promote this sport, which unites parents, teachers and pupils in enthusiasm for the road, than Liggett, who has firmly established himself as the voice of cycling over the course of 43 Tours de France (reaching 150 million viewers worldwide daily during each tour) and 14 Olympic Games.

This growing sport is a great builder of friendships, according to Liggett, who travels 3 000km annually to cover cycling events –including an annual visit to South Africa ever since the Momentum 947 Cycle Challenge’s inception.

“Cycling keeps you young,” he added, as the group mounted their bicycles to pedal out together in the evening light.