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www.thevillagenews.co.za
24 March 2021
MY SPORT
Cycling brings families together C ycling enthusiasts from Cape Town, Hermanus and surrounding areas participated in the first MyRyde Hermanus early on Saturday morning, hosted at Curro Hermanus in collaboration with Cycle 2 Ride. The event was based on Fun-O-Cross, a concept by MyRyde, which focuses on competitive family fun as well as making cycling more accessible to grow the love of riding in South Africa. 1 There were four different races participants could enter depending on their age and skill: U10, Junior/Novice (10+), Social (U16, U18, U20, 20 to 70+) and for the more competitive, Racing (U18, U20, 20 to 70+). The 1km route through Curro’s school grounds was the same for all the races, but with varying lengths of time. The aim was for the cyclists to see how many laps they could do in their race’s allotted time frame. The U10 race started at 8am and was 20 minutes long
with cyclists as young as 5 years taking part. They followed a marshal (cycling enthusiast and co-founder of Cycle 2 Ride, Jaco Kotzé) along the route while parents, teachers and friends cheered them on. They could do as many laps as they wanted to in the allotted 20 minutes. The next race for Juniors/Novices began at 8:30am for all age categories and was 30 minutes long, with the following race (Social) running at 40 minutes long. People of all ages joined the social race, with parents and children coming together to have a fun ride as a family. Jaco led by example as his wife and two children, and the whole Cycle 2 Ride team joined in the race.
side of school, and one could feel the tension and excitement in the air just before the race began. Spectators stood back as the riders sped off from the start line, almost knocking into one another in their haste to get ahead. The race started off fast but the pace started to slow as the riders tired towards the end of the 50 minutes. The rider who achieved the most laps was 15-year-old cyclist Luke Kavanagh from Curro Hermanus, who often participates and performs exceptionally well in cycling events.
After each race, spot prizes were handed out to participants. Whether it is doing the most laps, crossing the line ahead of your friends, or finishing more laps than you have ever done before,
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1 - Leani van Vuuren goes to all of her brother's cycling events to support him. Here she is with mom Anli. 2 - Adriaan Halgryn from Hermanus High was happy to participate in a cycling event now that Covid-19 restrictions have been eased. 3 - Lili Fani from Curro Hermanus joined in the 20-minute U10 race with her brother Luca and did very well. 4 - Albertus van Zyl from Hermanus High took part in the social race. Behind him is Sean Kavanagh from Curro Hermanus. 5 - There were four races participants could enter depending on age and skill: U10, Junior/Novice (10+), Social (U16, U18, U20, 20 to 70+) and for the more competitive, Racing (U18, U20, 20 to 70+). PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer
The MyRyde events in collaboration with Cycle 2 Ride (which is supported by Curro) take place at designated school campuses throughout the year. Curro values the importance of a healthy lifestyle and cohesive family life, which made supporting Cycle 2 Ride an easy decision. They also offer coaching clinics at schools with high levels of interest as well as fun events and expeditions which families can participate in together. Visit www.cycle2ride.co.za or www.myryde.life for more information. – Taylum Meyer 4
The final race for the more competitive cyclists began at 10am and was 50 minutes long. The participants consisted mostly of teenagers, many of whom already do cycling or mountain biking as a sport out-
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MyRyde believes that winning is defined by the rider and not what position you place.
