‘Back-a-buddy’ strategy works for Daryl Impey and Team SA

Daryl Impey missed out on this year’s Tour de France due to Covid-19 but the 37-year-old showed no lingering effects of the illness as he sprinted to the silver medal in a thrilling men’s road race.

The vastly experienced South African followed New Zealand’s Aaron Gate over the line in 3hr 28min 29sec after a cat-and-mouse affair over the 160km route, where pre-race favourite Mark Cavendish was trapped early in the peloton and lost contact with the front groups as the lead regularly changed hands.

Former Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas had launched a dramatic late attack, hoping to avoid a sprint finish and secure gold. However, Fred Wright of England along with the remnants of the day’s leading group, hauled back the Welshman.

Wright opened up his sprint for the line, but Gate had too much speed. Impey got going to finish second, with a huge smile on his face as he crossed the line. And why not? At the age of 37, a Commonwealth Games silver medal will sit beautifully on a CV that is as long as his arms.

Read more in Daily Maverick: “Retire? ‘Don’t even ask me that’ – Ndodomzi Ntutu rolls back the years to win 100m para gold”

One of the unsung heroes of the race was 26-year-old Morne van Niekerk, who was in the lead group for long periods of the race and helped make it a true pace. He did a lot of work for his teammate but couldn’t get into contention for the sprint and finished 12th, about 26 seconds behind the winner. However, Impey will have been singing his teammate’s praises afterwards.

There were two other Team SA cyclists in the race, Callum Ormiston (37th) and Gustav Basson, who, like Cavendish, was hauled off the road 144km into the race.

Impey’s silver medal takes Team SA’s haul at these Games to 27 – seven gold, nine silver and 11 bronze.

Read more in Daily Maverick: “‘I have tears of joy, tears of excitement’ – Charl du Toit picks perfect time to retire”

“To get my first medal for Team SA at the age of 37 at such a prestigious event is really nice. We had a super team today. We might have been down in numbers compared to others and we were less experienced, but they rode like champs,” he said.

“To have Morne there with me was brilliant. I wasn’t the ‘chosen one’ in the team. We came into the race with a ‘back-a-buddy’ strategy, wherein if one guy goes on a break and comes back, then it’s your turn to do so, and see what happens. For Morne to make the breakaway that he did was tough. He rode so well.

Read more in Daily Maverick: “The Commonwealth is conquered, now bring on the world – Double gold haul leaves Lara van Niekerk ‘speechless’”

“I didn’t have the legs in the sprint, but scrambled for second. It’s a really nice feeling to have been able to win this medal,” Impey said.

Earlier, the women’s road race evolved into a sprint finish, as expected, and on a flat course it wouldn’t suit Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, who was the highest-ranked road race rider in the field.

They went over the line next to one another, credited with the same time as the winner, but were never in a position to strike for the medals. Australian Georgia Baker hung on for gold. Moolman-Pasio crossed the line in 11th, with Hayley Preen 12th, both in 2:44.46. The first 24 finishers were credited with that time. Kerry Jonker was 39th, 5:17 behind. DM

Gary Lemke is in Birmingham as chief writer for Team SA.