Burry Stander, two-time Olympian cyclist, dies in collision with taxi

Burry Stander of South Africa flashes a three as he crosses the finish in third place in the men's elite cross-country at the Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships at Mont-Sainte-Anne in Beaupre, Quebec, Sept. 4, 2010. / AP Photo/Canadian Press

JOHANNESBURG Burry Stander, a two-time Olympian from South Africa and one of the world's best mountain bikers, was killed while training Thursday when his bike collided with a taxi. He was 25.

The circumstances of the accident near his home in Shelley Beach, south of Durban, were still being investigated, Cycling South Africa said.

Stander competed at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, finishing fifth at the London Games. He was a former under-19 and under-23 world champion.

"I'm totally shattered," said Gideon Sam, president of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee. He called Stander "talented, ultra-competitive but at the same time extremely humble and a true gentleman."

Stander's death prompted a flood of tributes on social media from South African athletes, politicians and celebrities. Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee Olympic runner and multiple Paralympic medalist, said on Twitter he was "devastated."

Absolutely devastated by the tragic news of Burry Stander's Passing. A South African Icon and sporting great. RIP my friend.

— Oscar Pistorius (@OscarPistorius) January 3, 2013

Stander's death comes after a rash of accidents involving high-profile cyclists in 2012, including a collision between a car and Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, who suffered broken ribs.

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Cycling South Africa said Stander was the country's most successful mountain biker and "a true icon and sporting role model."

Stander won South Africa's Cape Epic stage race with Swiss teammate Christoph Sauser in 2011 and the pair successfully defended their title in 2012. Sauser also mourned Stander on Twitter, using Stander's Twitter name.

never felt so empty since my dad passed away when i was a kid. @africanmtbkid i will never ever forget you!

— Christoph Sauser (@sauserwind) January 3, 2013

Stander was the second leading cyclist to be killed in a road accident in South Africa in recent years. Carla Swart died in January 2011 when she was hit by a truck while training.

[Scimajor]

Note: I have no idea about the details of this incident but it highlights a safety issue about bicyclists, how they ride and how they are treated by car drivers.

I can't speak for this particular incident but in my area (Bay Area of California), bicyclists need to show more care while biking. They want to be treated like vehicles on the road yet they routinely ignore the rules of the road (e.g. blast through stop signs and red lights without stopping). You can't have it both ways people.

Also, my area is filled with narrow twisty roads that have no shoulders. It's just not safe for a bicycle to share the road with cars when there is no shoulder. Right or wrong, cars simply aren't going to sit behind a bicycle going a small fraction of the speed limit in the hopes that the bicycle takes the next turnout which might be 10 or 20 minutes up the road (at bike speed). Bicyclists on these narrow roads aren't using common sense and are rolling the dice with their lives when they chose to ride on those roads.

Ultimately it doesn't matter whether the bicyclists has the right under the law to ride on those roads. A 3000 lb car will have a dent and a 175lb bicycle (and rider) will have a trip to the hospital (if they are lucky) if there is a collision.

Stay safe riders. Don't ride on dangerous roads. You only have one life and being able to say "It was the car's fault" will be small consolation when you're in the hospital.

[Ulgnud]

Failure to obey the rules of the road by cyclists is not unique to California. The cops do not ticket them. There is the problem. My elderly neighbor got hit by one while walking in a crosswalk last summer. Put her in the hospital for several days. You ate right about the weight difference. I have little sympathy for a cyclist getting squished while playing tag in traffic.

[pedalit]

"They want to be treated like vehicles on the road yet they routinely ignore the rules of the road (e.g. blast through stop signs and red lights without stopping). You can't have it both ways people."

then the cyclists are right on the money, for countless motorists operate the same way in regards to traffic laws.

"Ultimately it doesn't matter whether the bicyclists has the right under the law to ride on those roads."

ultimately, if you are not skilled enough to safely get around a vehicle so small as a bicycle, you should relinquish your driver's license immediately. you're a hazard to everyone on the road.

i used to ride a lot on the road, but motorists with your lack of skill and patience are dominant and i have trimmed my road riding down because of it.

[lemur123456]

Too bad he had to go like that. However, those melanomas on his face, chest and arm would have gotten him sooner or later.

[kbbpll]

Uh, he was a mountain biker. That's mud, not cancer.

[livingtxlife]

Mountain Biker - that's mud and dirt. 25 years old and living life to its fullest - RIP.