Botswana's top cyclist, Fabian Gordon, 24, who died on Tuesday morning in a road accident, will be buried in Pilane on Sunday afternoon. The funeral service is expected to start at 12 noon at his home after the annual Pick 'n Pay race scheduled for Sunday morning.

In an interview with Mmegi Sport yesterday, Fabian's elder brother, Moses said; "we settled for 12 noon to allow his colleagues at Tsela Riders Club to attend as they'll be involved in a race on Sunday morning." Fabian died on Tuesday morning while cycling near Phakalane in preparation for the Sunday race. He crashed into the back of a stationary taxi and died instantly. Fabian, had been Botswana's top cyclist. He had won countless races, and was a favourite to defend the Pick and Pay race scheduled for Sunday.


His death has been described as a huge blow to the cycling institution in the country. His protégée Enzo Dalgety told Mmegi Sport that he was devastated by Fabian's death. "I had known him for just a year but we developed such a relationship that he was more of a brother to me. For the past year we trained together every single day. He got me into cycling after seeing me performing some stunts with a bike.

Within just six months, I had won my first race. This goes to show just how good he was, not only as a rider but as a trainer as well," a visibly shocked Delgaty said.

Delgaty added that what differentiated Fabian from other riders was his passion for the sport, and he would never miss a day of training.

"He had a dream for Tsela to cycle international, and he was the first Motswana to enter the Section A of the recent Cape Argus race in Cape Town. He performed well as he finished in the top four 400 from 36 000 riders. His death is a big blow not only for us who were close to him but for the country."

Also deeply saddened by Fabian's death is Thea Khama, who had been sponsoring Gordon. She told Mmegi Sport that Gordon's passing was a huge blow to the sport in the country and had left a huge void that would prove hard to fill.

"I met him four years ago and we had been close ever since. Actually what happened is that I finished ahead of him in some race, and he never really loved the fact that a woman had beaten him. My husband and I saw the potential in him and we decided to fund his cycling career," Khama said with pain in her voice. She said they had good moments together, and Fabian always shared his vision for the sport in the country. "He wanted to see cycling being a part of the Botswana National Sports Council, something he believed would take the sport to even greater heights.

He was also for development, and would always assist in every possible way to see that others fulfilled their potential. He was free giving, and would give tips even to his fellow competitors on what they needed to do to get better. That shows just how confident he was in his powers as a rider. He was a true ambassador of the sport and we will surely miss him."

Khama revealed that Fabian was a dedicated rider, and would always find an excuse to ride when his fellow riders tried to avoid the bike. It was this dedication to the sport that saw him win race after race up until his death. Asked whether Gordon's death would not discourage people from taking up the sport, Khama said: "It is true that some people might start to think that the sport is dangerous, but I look at it as a bump in what is otherwise a very good sport. Of course, there are a number of challenges that cyclists in Botswana go through. These include our roads that are not really designed with cyclists in mind. Also driver education about cyclists on the road is still at appalling levels. So, in a way, his death might encourage the powers that be to redesign our roads, and also to educate drivers about cyclists."

Khama emphasised that at a time like this, people are inclined to point fingers more so that a taxi is involved. However, she said eye-witnesses point out that the taxi had been completely stationary, and therefore the explanation could be that Gordon saw it rather late.

"Therefore, I urge those who are saddened by Gordon's passing to refrain from apportioning blame, and instead look at the good Gordon has done for the sport. "Personally, I'm inclined to believe that he was meant to achieve more in a short time.

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He didn't live for long, but his legacy is there for everyone to see. We will surely continue to grow the sport as this is what he would have loved to see happen." Khama said they had considered cancelling Gordon's Wednesday spinning class, but were requested by his clients to run a class in his memory.

Fabian participated in the following local races, always winning them or finishing in the top 10: The Wharic Cup Boatle Challenge, Gaborone Adventure Challenge, Mokolodi Scorpion MTB race, Pick 'n Pay Molapo Crossing Race, Debswana Intermine Challenge, Jwaneng Mine Race.

In South Africa, he competed in the following (and always improving his time): The Powerade Cansa Lost City Cycle Classic, The Cape Argus Sanlam, Pick n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge - Joburg's Toughest Race, Pick 'n Pay Amashovashova (Peitermaritzburg to Durban) and Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour, the most renowned and largest timed race in the world

Mmegi/The Report Botswana