Heideveld’s Ayabonga back in the saddle

fuad Esack|Published 3 months ago

Stronger than ever... Heideveld Cycling Club’s Ayabonga Gqamane, all smiles after Sunday’s 121km PPA One Tonner race in Stellenbosch.

Heideveld Cycling Club’s Ayabonga Gqamane, 20, from Gugulethu, completed Sunday’s 121km PPA One Tonner race in Stellenbosch in 4hrs08mins, according to the data collected by his smart watch.

Heideveld Cycling Club head coach, Reginald de Lilie, left, first to congratulate Ayabonga Gqamane after the young rider crossed the finish line in Sunday’s PPA One Tonner in Stellenbosch.

Barely a year ago, the young rider did not know if he would ever walk again, let alone ride a bike, following a serious motorcar accident in late December 2023.

Surgery, followed by three months of intensive therapy helped put him on the road to recovery. With the help of friends and family, including his father, Mzabanzi Balintulo, Heideveld Cycling Cub head coach Reginald de Lilie and his wife Ingrid, and much-needed physio provided by free of charge Gradwell Fransman, a physiotherapist at Astra School in Montana, Gqamane was able to gather the strength and emotional support needed to get back on track.

Finishing in eighth place in the under-23 section and in 91st position out of 218 riders overall, Gqamane said he is more than happy with his performance. “Yes, I did the best I could do and got the results I was aiming for,” he said.

Heideveld Cycling Club’s Yaseen Kamalie, Ayabonga Gqamane and Aniq du Plessis gather for a quick photo following Sunday’s One Tonner Stellenbosch.

Heideveld Cycle Club members in a relaxed mood after completing Sunday’s One Tonner in Stellenbosch. From left are, Luqmaan Maccenal, Matteo Abrahams, Reginald de Lilie and Duwayne Benjamin.