Father and son to brave cycling challenge

Father-and-son team Rod and Ian Gilley will compete in the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge on Sunday 15 November.

Constantia Kloof resident Rod, 68, was introduced to road cycling by his son Ian, 40, from Dainfern two years ago, he said during an interview. Since he was a teenager, Rod underwent extensive and extreme training as a track athlete and motor racer and remains a very committed and competitive sportsperson.

“I am competitive by nature and really enjoy maintaining a high level of health and fitness, despite my age,” Rod said adding, “I am very glad that my son introduced me to road cycling.

“I enjoy it very much and look forward to this challenge.”

Last year the Gilleys also participated in the Johannesburg event, Ian said in a press statement, adding that he had been receiving medical treatment for bronchitis at the time and was not at his physical peak. As a result he had to think up smart tactics to complete the race. Instead of constantly attacking with the leading breakaways, his consistent cycling speed paid dividends in the later stages of the race when other breakaway cyclists pulled back. He finished in an overall 29th place and first place in the 40+ age group with a finishing time of two hours and 33 minutes.

Rod, 68, completed the race with a competitive finishing time of two hours and 36 minutes. As the race kicked off with a starting group of 472 cyclists, he joined a small group of breakaway cyclists and progressively opened a lead on his pursuers. His finishing time was the fastest in the group of 3 100 cyclists and won him a 43rd place in the A category, a category predominantly made up of cyclists under the age of 35.

Rod’s previous athletic accomplishments include being selected to represent Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) at the Olympic Games as a sprinter and establishing a national record in the 220 yards event. While he resided in Britain for three years he was signed by Works Factory Teams for motor racing, competing in the British Racing Championships and other race meetings in Europe.

The pair also competed in their own team, Rig Racing, and won the South African ProKart Endurance Race Championship, which is a go-kart racing formula for twin-engined carts, Ian said. Races are typically a minimum of six hours in length and are made up of four racers, but Rig Racing only had two team members.

Currently the pair is undergoing intensive training sessions in anticipation of the race next weekend.