Johannesburg – On Thursday, in the city of his birth, Daryl Impey was content. He had just moved house from the north to the south of Joburg, the city of the birth of the first man from this continent to wear the yellow of the grandest race of them all.
There are parts of Impey that struggle with the weight of being the first African to be the leader at the Tour de France, yet, he has made peace with them. I have known Impey since he was a teenager; I have shopped at his father’s shop – and coming to terms with that kid and the man who wore the yellow jersey is hard. Here is a kid from the south of Joburg who has done the seemingly impossible. He has worn the jersey that divides them all. His is an achievement that builds on the Tour de France stage win by Robbie Hunter in 2007. Hunter is the catalyst for all of South Africa’s cycling self belief.
“Ja, I’m back in the South,” said Impey. “It’s easier with the baby and us being away so much. We’ve moved, but we have no furniture. I better sort that out soon.”
Impey has a wife and a child, Ali and Ayden, and his time with them has defined his time at home. It has been a hard and rushed time, but “not overly hectic, but a lot busier than it was last year”.
The hectic is the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge, the second-biggest timed race in the world. He will ride the race for the Teddy Bear Clinic, along with Talk Radio 702’s David O’Sullivan. His aim is for a gentle ride, to make sure that a 150-rider strong peloton finishes together, with Discovery sponsoring them to the tune of R1000 each. Some R310 000 has been raised for the clinic thus far. Impey has not changed.
“I’ve tried to be the same me despite what people may think of me and winning the yellow jersey,” said Impey. “It’s strange. I win the yellow jersey and what I am as a cyclist and person changes. I come back home and I still have to change dirty nappies and put my son to bed. It puts stuff in perspective. Cycling is a sport that demands so much.”
Which is why Impey has signed an extension of his contract with Orica-GreenEdge for the next three years. It is a team that values family and friendship more than results, which is a strange thing for a competitive cycling team.
“I said to myself, ‘Why leave?’ This team is awesome. I still had a year on my contract now. I extended it. It’s like everything. Why change something that works. I have opportunities here that are special and that work for me. It’s a team that works for me. We don’t have any GC riders, we look at stages and winning the other races. There’s a vibe in the team that is like no other.
“I think from the start it was a brand-new team, and all the riders had been there from the start, we watched it grow, all played a part. From day one everyone had a role to play, from the domestiques to the sprinters, you feel part of the team. They are just pretty slick, a new team with new visions.
“They also appreciate family time, and they give you what you need. I’ve been on teams caught up in old ways of doing things and they don’t believe in family. That’s vital. It’s been a big part of us. We are all self-driven and know what we want. The pressure comes from the riders, and we know what we want to win. Of course, we know when we’ve messed up, but the pressure is from us. We don’t mess up because this guy is going to shout at us. We want to win for each other.
“In Barloworld we had a great environment. Riders are the guys who make the team. We made a big impact there; it’s just about everyone being friends and getting on with the job. Even though I’m in SA, I have heard from some of the (Orica) guys. It’s not just a quick message, it’s been a call. How the baby is going, stuff like that. It’s a family.”
Next year Impey’s programme will remain about the same: Tour Down Under, Milan-San Remo, Amstel Gold Race and, naturally, the Tour de France.
But, on Sunday, he will ride the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge for charity. “I’ve been second and third, I think. I got beaten once by Nolan Hoffman and the other time, I don’t know. For me, riding the charity ride for the Teddy Bear Clinic is a big challenge to get everyone in one piece. Riding for the Teddy Bear Clinic, was an easy decision. My child has been born and there are kids out there who get abused.”
The Star