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South African Olympic MTB rider Burry Stander killed by car on training ride

Former U23 XC world champion's death comes two years after young SA road star Carla Swart lost her life...

South African mountain biker Burry Stander, who finished fifth in the Olympic cross-country race at Hadleigh Farm in Essex last summer and won the under-23 world championship in that discipline in 2009, has been killed at the age of 25. He was hit by a car - reportedly a taxi, according to local sources - as he headed home from a training ride.

Three months before the Olympic Games last summer, Stander got married to elite road cyclist Cherise Taylor, which the Specialized rider described as "the best moment of my life."

Cycling South Africa spokesperson Mylene Loumeau said: "He was returning from a training ride in Shelly Beach, on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast, and was hit by a vehicle.”

No further details are available as yet. Stander’s death comes almost two years after one of South Africa’s leading female riders, Carla Swart, was herself killed on a training ride. Swart, who had joined HTC-Highroad shortly before her death, was aged 23.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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7 comments

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iDavid | 11 years ago
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This sad incident has given more impetus to calls for a 1.5m safe passing law like the one shortly to be enacted here in the Western Cape. If the rest of SA follows suit, Burry's death will not have been in vain.

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Bob's Bikes | 11 years ago
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How sad, my condolences to his family and friends. But what is even sadder are the comments being left by trolls on another site that has reported this news story.

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Mostyn | 11 years ago
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Only 25; and not long married. Very saddened to hear this news. Too many cyclists being killed or injured on the roads. My sympathy is with his family.

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mingmong | 11 years ago
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Terribly sad news. Condonlences to his family and friends.

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mr-andrew | 11 years ago
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Heart breaking news.

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velophilia | 11 years ago
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Terrible news. SA roads are dangerous. More so than the UK.

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notfastenough | 11 years ago
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RIP, very sad. One of the guys in the club is from SA, and when he goes back, his rides start at 5am so as to avoid the mental drivers.

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