Making History: Daniyal Matthews becomes SA's first cyclist of colour to win national road title

In a groundbreaking moment for South African cycling, Daniyal Matthews from Paarl etched his name into the history books on Sunday, becoming the first cyclist of colour to claim the elite men’s title at the South African Road Championships. His victory not only showcased his exceptional talent and determination but also marked a significant step forward for diversity in the sport.

The championships took place in Midvaal in Gauteng, and featured some of the best road cyclists in South Africa. After a challenging 165 km course, Matthews crossed the finish line in first place in a time of 3 hours, 45 minutes and 28 seconds.

“I'm extremely happy about it. And still finding it hard to believe that I managed to pull that off. But yeah, as I say, extremely, extremely chuffed,” Matthews, who rides for the predominantly black Team Siata, told IOL Sport after his amazing win on the weekend.

According to Matthews, the South African Road Championships is the toughest competition in the country, and riders need a lot to go their way on their day if they’re to prevail in a strong field.

“When you look at the start list, you don't really know what to expect because there's so many riders and big names, and there's so many ways that a race can go. So you need obviously to have strength, but also a bit of luck on your side. And I think it was just such a huge shock to me that of all the people on the start list, I was the one who managed to take the victory on the day,” he said.

The significance of the achievement – becoming South Africa’s first cyclist of colour to come out on top – wasn’t lost on Matthews.

“It's always an amazing thing to create history. And cycling is a very expensive sport. As a result, it's been predominantly white dominated, and that's understandable. It's a tough sport to get into. There are more barriers to enter than other sports like athletics or football, for example. So number one, to get into the sport, and number two, to then take it to a level where you're able to succeed.

“I think it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. And I hope that my victory can inspire other people of colour to show them that it is possible,” he said.

Next on the calendar for Matthews is the Tour de Rwanda, an eight-day race starting later this month.

“After that, another big goal would be South African track championships from the 2nd to the 6th of April. That'll be in Cape Town. And then I'm planning to go back to Germany to join up with my German team called Bike Aid Development.”

Matthews’ big dream is to one day compete on the world stage, ultimately riding in the Tour de France.

“Since I started, it was a dream to ride in the Tour de France. I think as a younger rider, it seems more possible. And as you get older and older, you start to realise how intense the sport is and how many levels there are to it, it feels more unreachable. But never say never, you never know what could happen. And I’ll keep working hard and I wait to see what happens,” he said.

IOL Sport