On Sunday. among the thousands of road cyclists taking on the challenge of the aQuellé Tour Durban road racing event will be 65-year-old Gerard Boekestein who took on his first Tour Durban in 1993.

“Through the years there have been many different sponsors and route changes and being a cyclist who participates for the sheer enjoyment of the sport, I have lost track on how many races I have completed,” he said. “I have missed less than a handful, but do remember not finishing in 2019 due to a fall along the way.”

The cycling bug bit Gerard when he was 24, in the mid-1980s.

“I started watching triathlons and liked the idea of cycling to stay fit and healthy,” he said. “I got hold of a bicycle and started cycling to work and I’m still in the saddle, going strong.”

Being in the manufacturing business and having to work different shifts, Gerard’s training was sporadic – a little on and off with strong weeks followed by quieter ones – but he persevered and made use of whatever opportunities came his way.

“I cycle purely for enjoyment which meant I always found time to ride and slotted it into whatever work schedule I had. Through the years, I have always managed to participate in the country’s longer races, doing the first of many amaShovas between Pietermaritzburg and Durban in 1987, 17 Argus rides (now Cape Town Cycle Tour) in the Cape and a few Johannesburg 94.71 races,” said Gerard.

It’s the challenge of the races that appeals to Gerard. Now that he is retired, time is finally his own and for him, it’s all about time on the bike.

“I train three to four days a week with riders from the East Coast Cycling Club, doing circuits and covering anything from 40km to 80km on a ride. On the weekend, I do longer rides, sometimes up to 110km and average between 150km to 200km a week,” he said.

It hasn’t always been plain sailing for Gerard though. Having been cycling so many years, there are bound to be injuries and accidents, his most serious being when hit by a car.

“Luckily, I am here to tell the tale, damaging the tendons in my left leg which kept me off the bike for six months. That was a tough time but there are always some knocks and bumps along the way . People get tired on long rides and suddenly stop in front of you or inadvertently cross your riding line. It comes with the territory,” he said.

Satisfaction, a deep sense of pride, friendship and good banter is what keeps Gerard in the saddle, changing gears and pedaling further down the road. The encouragement from others is the extra boost he needs, but it’s never as good as the many coffees and beers he has enjoyed along the way.