South Africa's most successful cyclist Burry Willie Stander died in an accident yesterday at the age of just 25. "Burry was out training when he was hit by a motor vehicle in Shelly Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast," the Cycling SA (CSA) announced on its website.
According to reports on Burry's Facebook page he had just come from his bike shop and was on his way home when he was hit by a minibus taxi and injured so badly that he died at the scene of the accident. A native of Port Shepstone, South Africa, Burry is survived by his wife Cherise Stander, née Taylor.
His greatest successes include the 2009 XC World Championship title in the U23 category, joint victories in the Absa Cape Epic with team partner Christoph Sauser in 2011 and 2012 and fifth place in the Cross Country at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
In mid-December, former Spanish mountain bike champion Iñaki Lejarreta was hit by a car and fatally injured.
