TRIBUTE TO A CHAMPION

The following tribute by Alec Lenferna appeared in the "Weekend Witness" on Saturday 5th January 2013:

The news that Burry Stander had died on the side of the road after an accident with a taxi is incredibly sad and has struck a chord with the cycling public in this country and around the world. Our prayers and thoughts go to his family because, before anything else, Burry was a husband, brother, child and friend, and not just a bike rider, and i don't think we should forget that.

Death is a thief. Not only does it rob us of life, but it also robs those left behind of the opportunities to be with the person who has died, to share their experiences and life, and to tell the deceased what we feel about them.

In 2009, I staged my first mountain bike event, in Pietermaritzburg. The challenge was a big one - it was the opening leg of the 2009 UCI MTB World Cup series. It was the first time that an event of this stature was staged in Africa, and the learning curve was steep.

Riders from all over the world arrived to prepare for the event and many of the better-known international cyclists strutted around as heroes of the piece. I got to meet pretty much everyone and the first thing that struck me about Burry was that this young guy was very quiet, almost shy in his dealings with us, but respectful and, for the most part, thankful for the chance to be competing at that level.

That was also the year that I first encountered the amazing support that Burry had among the fans. When the Elite Men's race started (at that time he was still U23, but good enough to take on the best riders on the planet), the Cascades MTB Park erupted with noise and this continued for the whole two hours of the race, right around the course, as Burry passed the fans. Burry came third that day and his place as the best cross-country rider in the country, as well as one of the best in the world, was cemented. Similar scenes unfolded at the MTB World Cup events in 2011 and 2012, where he finished ninth and second respectively. What always struck me about Burry was that whenever we asked him to do press for us or to test the track, he was always positive and very helpful, even when he became a superstar of the sport, both in SA and all over the world. He was one of the few top sports people who I have met who did not seem to change, which is a testament to him, his family and friends. Just before we did the prizegiving in 2009, he came to me and said: "Thank you so much for putting this event on. I never thought I'd have a chance to experience a top event and a day like today here in our own country". That simple sentiment has always stayed with me. He didn't need to tell me that (very few riders do), but from what I saw, that instance seemed to sum him up. Putting big events together is not always easy, and I wish that I'd told him then, or in the years since, what that small gesture of his meant to me. But it's too late now as death has robbed us of that opportunity, but apart from his ability and fierce competitiveness and skill on the bike, that one sentence and sentiment sums up my memory of him. May he rest in peace.