Paulshof resident and professional cyclist, Brendon Davids shared his journey as a cyclist and how he felt about finishing third in the recent joBerg2c cycling race event.
“The cycling race which took place over nine days took us on a magnificent journey, over trails never ridden and into communities we would never usually meet,” he said. “It was an endurance race which tested us as riders both mentally and physically.”
The RoadCover Cycling team member said the final day of the race was a more social affair. “Although it was still quite tough, it was a great way to end those unforgettable nine days of racing and celebrate the camaraderie amongst fellow cyclists,” he said.
Davids said he came from a motocross background and started racing when he was three years old. “My focus turned to cycling when I reached high school in 2008, and was 13 or 14 when I started to become competitive.”
He added that his family shared a massive passion for anything two wheeled and this was what sparked his interest in the sport. “My focus then shifted to mountain biking after local hero, Greg Minnaar made an appearance at one of our national motocross rounds in Pietermaritzburg, my hometown.”
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Davids described his journey as a cyclist as a roller coaster ride. “I turned professional [as a mountain biker] in 2012, my first year out of high school. I signed for a professional squad in the USA and went on a very steep learning curve.”
He added that he has had highs and lows in his career. “After the disappointment of missing out on Olympic selection for mountain biking last year, I decided to fast track my decision to ultimately become a professional road cyclist and compete on the world’s biggest stages.”
Davids has won the African Continental Title on three separate occasions on a mountain bike, he has represented South Africa and narrowly missed out on 10th place at the World Championships in 2013.
Although he is still new to the road racing scene he has done well in some high-profile events. He won the Telkom 947 Cycle Challenge, came second in the 2017 Mpumalanga Tour, was first at the Kwa-Zulu Natal Summer Series and came second in the Aquelle Tour in Durban.
