Anton returns to his roots

A Shropshire businessman is returning home to his South African roots to compete in the world’s biggest timed cycle race.

Anton Gunter, managing director at Global Freight Services in Telford, will fly to Cape Town, where he grew up, to take part in the Cape Town Cycle Tour on March 8. The event will see him cycle 110km around the mountainous terrain of the Cape Peninsula starting and finishing in the shadow of Table Mountain – one of the seven wonders of the world.

Anton, who is no stranger to endurance events having already completed the London Marathon and also the Prudential Ride London, said: “Cape Town is my home city and where I grew up and spent most of my childhood. There are parts of the tour route which I used to cycle as a teenager with friends to go swimming or surfing.

“Back then we didn’t care that we had to cycle miles along mountainous roads and I remember heading out with just a bottle of water and my swimming shorts. This time it will be a little different and at age 47 I’m not sure I’m going to make it up some of the hills quite so easily.”

Anton, who emigrated to the UK when he was 25, will be competing against thousands of other cyclists in the event including Tim Duncker from Cape Town-based CTC Worldwide Logistics.

“Tim is our agent in South Africa and the whole idea of competing in the tour came about as a result of a bit of friendly banter between the two of us,” explained Anton. “It will be networking of a different kind as we attempt to catch up on a bit of business in between hill climbs.”

Global Freight supports businesses of all sizes with their international trade programmes and has a track record of helping first-time exporters achieve growth overseas.