Mahmud Valley, 69, died on Sunday morning during the 45th Cape Town Cycle Tour. Photo: Jaco Marais
- Mahmud Valley, 69, died on Sunday morning during the 45th Cape Town Cycle Tour.
- His brother Nazeem said the family still had no idea what caused his death.
- Police have opened an inquiry.
A devastated Worcester family have been left reeling after their 69-year-old relative died during the 45th Cape Town Cycle Tour on Sunday.
Mahmud Valley was buried according to Muslim rites on Monday, but the family say they still don’t know what caused his death.
“When I got the call to say my brother passed on, I was completely shocked because I just saw him on Saturday, and he never once mentioned he was going to take part in the cycle tour,” his brother Nazeem Valley told News24.
“I think he didn’t want to tell me because he knew I would give him a hard time about going to cycle because, earlier in the week, he told me he was not feeling well,” Nazeem said.
According to Nazeem, his brother was a well-known track cyclist and won numerous track cycling titles in the 1970s under the former South African Cycling Federation.
“There were many times I’d go with him to the Cape Town Stadium for these events, and I could see how he absolutely enjoyed being on his bike.
“There were even a few times where he would beat other well-known cyclists because he was that good at the sport,” Nazeem added.
The heartbroken brother said when he got the call to say Valley had died, he closed his eyes and said a silent prayer.
“There were so many calls coming through to me, all speculation about what happened. Eventually, I found out that he was cycling with a group of friends, and one of his close friends was cycling in front of him when he realised that Mahmud was no longer behind him. The two made sure they would be close to each other,” Nazeem said.
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According to Nazeem, the friend turned back to look for Valley and saw him on the ground next to his bike. They struggled for more than 30 minutes to get medical assistance, but their brother was already dead by the time the medics came.
“We don’t know how he died. We are still waiting for information regarding this,” Nazeem said.
He added when the family got the body back from the mortuary on Sunday evening, there was no indication on the forms about the cause of death.
“We will go back to the mortuary for clarification. Our main priority was to give my brother a fitting send-off. … He died doing the very thing he grew up doing. He loved his bicycle. It was one of many things in his life that made him very happy,” said Nazeem.
Valley was the third of nine children. He leaves behind his wife and two sons.
His wife Aziza is in a wheelchair and depended heavily on her husband.
Nazeem said:
She’s not doing well. My brother had a blue van that he made wheelchair-friendly for his wife. He retired from his retail job to take care of her, and now he is no more. It’s just unbelievable.
Valley’s wheelchair-friendly van which he drove to the cycle tour on Sunday has gone missing.
Meanwhile, Western Cape police have opened an inquiry after the 69-year-old cyclist collapsed and died at Misty Cliffs.
Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said: “According to reports, the cyclist collapsed and succumbed to death at Misty Cliffs at around 11:00 in what is believed to be natural causes.”
Event organisers said it was with deep regret they had to confirm the fatality.
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The Cape Town Cycle Tour organisers said the details surrounding the incident were being investigated.
“Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the rider,” they said in a statement.
About 220 riders were treated by medical staff along the route and at the finish, and 19 people were referred to the hospital for follow up treatment.
“Most of the injuries were soft tissue injuries as a result of falls; this was predominantly knees, elbows, shoulders, and wrists,” said the organisers.
News24 senior sport writer Heinz Schenk reported the strenuous event is periodically marred by fatalities, as was in the case in 2018, when two riders and a course marshal were killed.
In 2020, one participant also collapsed and died soon after completing the race.
Chris Jooste and Kim Le Court de Billot were crowned men’s and women’s winners of the Cape Town Cycle Tour on Sunday.
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