Grocott’s Mail’s very own Stephen Penney, came 137th in The Herald Volkswagen Cycle Tour last Sunday.
So why is that special?
He was also the first local from Grahamstown to make it over the finish line and one of only two locals to finish in under three hours. The story of how he got there needs to be told.
Grocott’s Mail’s very own Stephen Penney, came 137th in The Herald Volkswagen Cycle Tour last Sunday.
So why is that special?
He was also the first local from Grahamstown to make it over the finish line and one of only two locals to finish in under three hours. The story of how he got there needs to be told.
Penney started out as a road-runner. Starting in matric he ran the Two Oceans Marathon for 17 consecutive years, and after his 10th race became the second youngest person to earn a permanent number.Penney did his first cycle race in 2008.
It was the Makana Brick and Tile Cycle race and sadly he had a terrible race with a couple of punctures and came out feeling disappointed and discouraged.
He then decided to focus on his running but unfortunately broke his ankle a few months later by falling into a storm drain. But he recovered and managed to complete his 17th Two Oceans marathon.
After that he decided to set himself the goal of the Half Iron Man. He completed it five hours 51 minutes, and when talking to me about it he said that he felt very good during the cycle leg of the race. In a last minute decision he decided to enter The Herald/VW Cycle tour only two weeks before.
“I was still cycling fit from training for the half ” he said. “So I thought I’d see what I could do on a bicycle.” I then spoke to Penney’s training partner in cycling, who himself is a well-known cyclist said: “This is not about me, it’s about Stephen.
When a guy is really good, he needs to be recognised for that. Stephen comes from a running background.” He added: “He also broke his ankle, and to come from that to actually performing as he did, is unique.” In these races cyclists are seeded into groups based on ability.
There is a five-minute gap between each group, with the professional top cyclists starting first. Those with unknown ability, such as Penney, are placed into groups that start well after all the professional cyclists have gone. The group that you cycle with has a direct impact on how well you do. “Where he started it’s really hard to do well and get a good time.
Most of the guys he was with probably didn’t understand basic drafting principles. He probably had to teach some guys along the way and to keep up an average speed of 35km/h for three hours. With very few guys there doing the work with you, is something very special,” his training partner said.
“It usually takes five to six years for riders to reach that level; he rode 90km a week in training and most cyclists ride more than 200km a day in training. To be around 35 years of age and achieve what he did is just amazing. I think what set him apart was his commitment. The want to win was there.
You must recognise and value that.” I then spoke to Penney about his race. “The day before I reluctantly asked to change my starting group, at the urging of my training partner. I was originally in the second last group to leave, but luckily got moved up to the first group ofunrecognised riders.“
That meant I had to change my mindset because suddenly my race wasn’t going to be relaxed. I had to be aware of others trying to break off from the rest, especially at hills and after corners.
I just tried to stay as close to the front as possible. We were passing a lot of guys from the groups who left before us and nearer the end of the race there were about 100 cyclists together. “I stayed in the front with a few others and we did most of the work. Most of the rest just went for a free ride.
In the last 2km lots of individuals started sprinting, and I managed to keep up, knowing they
were going for under three hours.” The staff of Grocott’s Mail congratulate our own Stephen Penney for his great achievements and wait to see what he does next! • Grahamstown results of Herald VW Cycle will
appear in Tuesday’s paper.
