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 mens 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 theyre 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.