“People think that because it’s never been done, it never can be done”: Doug Ryder Speaks to GIS Students

“As a young cyclist, I just loved the freedom and independence that the bicycle gave you.”

Twenty-nine years ago, Doug Ryder competed at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta in the men’s individual road race. Recently, he sat down with us to look back at his career and offer advice to the GIS students who tuned into our guest speaker webinar with the former cyclist and founder of the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team.

Born in Cape Town in 1971, Doug grew up during the apartheid, but shared with us his early memories of sport, and how powerful it was in bringing people together. 

“I was very fortunate to grow up in the Mandela time in South Africa, which was really amazing when you saw the diversity and inclusivity that happened in sport and how sport actually united a whole country together.  

“If you look at our Springbok rugby team today, when they succeed and are happy, it unites the whole country together and it becomes such a symbol of hope.

“I was lucky and fortunate enough to represent South Africa at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996,” he continued. “It was only the second Olympics that we were allowed back since the apartheid and in that Olympic Games a black South African runner won gold, and that started the dream of, if Africa can produce the best endurance runners, then why not cyclists?”

The nature of cycling, including the length of the races, can make it logistically challenging to spread the sport outside Europe, meaning the dream is still in the making. This is partly due to the infrastructure for professional cycling varying heavily between countries and continents, with Doug explaining what goes into hosting a cycling event on a large scale. 

“Riding 200 kilometres every day from point A to point B, closing the roads and being safe is really hectic, so not many countries are investing in that infrastructure and the police to do that.

“Even here in the Netherlands now, they’ve got to be qualified police to be able to do it, and they can’t just have any mom-and-pop show doing it, so there’s also less events now in the Netherlands. 

“Going forward, there’ll probably be more circuit races around cities that are easier to close off and to put on a bit of a different show than just these massive Alpine stages, which is sad because the beauty of cycling is that you can literally go anywhere at any time, which is pretty nice.”

Doug then went on to discuss some areas around the world where cycling is on the rise, emphasising countries outside of Europe that, despite potential logistical issues, he sees as having a bright future.

“Definitely Asia. I mean, as a whole area. Singapore, Malaysia, there’s massive amounts of interest. China is now becoming massively involved in cycling. 

“All of Europe is massive in cycling, but there’s also now the world championships in Rwanda this year, the first for the African continent ever.”

On the webinar, Doug was asked whether he missed professional cycling, to which his answer summarised what brings many into the sport in the first place.

“I miss being free and on a bike and out in nature and having the time and the peace of just doing that and riding for hours and hours and hours.”

Finally, GIS students had the opportunity to ask Doug any questions they had, and when giving some advice to any future sporting entrepreneurs, he ended on a powerful note.

“People think that because it’s never been done, it never can be done.”

To attend any of our future guest speaker events with leading members of the sports industry just like Doug Ryder, check out our events and webinars page for more information.

Article by Zakaria Anani