The Path To Pro & The Missed Opportunity (so far) of SA’s Corporates
Dear Vodacom, Investec, Sasol, Checkers and and and…. let’s play bikes!
In comparison with sports like rugby, cricket and soccer, the pathway to becoming a professional rider is not clearly marked. To be more accurate, it barely exists. For a country that dearly loves (and needs!) it’s sporting heroes, this is an unfortunate reality.
Looking back, when individuals and organizations have invested in our most talented riders, disproportionately massive success was achieved. Spur, MTN and Barloworld are examples of big corporates whose multi-year, multi-million Rand investment into professional cycling in South Africa, produced wins at the highest level. Think stage wins in the Tour de France and Mountain Bike World Titles. Incredible stuff. All of which is testament to (a.) how driven we as South Africans are – #hulle_weet_nie_wat_ons_weet_nie – and (b.) that corporate funding makes a huge impact.
Sadly, as it is in the marketing world – those aforementioned brands currently play elsewhere with their client acquisition and retention budgets. Looking forward, a dream scenario would be for the likes of a Vodacom, Investec, Sasol, Shoprite (etc etc) to spot this opportunity and step forward with their sizeable marketing budgets, to support our best riders and help develop more South African cycling heroes. Wouldn’t that be lekker!
It’s no secret that within the landscape of the UCI, our national federation, their provincial bodies and affiliated cycling clubs – there’s a general lack of funding for cycling in South Africa. In fact, such is the lack of funding that the majority of individuals who represent and work within these bodies, do so as volunteers who are driven by nothing more than a passion for the sport. Often, there’s no pay cheque. [On a side note, let’s never forget to thank and celebrate these individuals who do things like running the races and driving the sport forward, especially at the grass roots level. The takeaway here is unlike in mainstream sports, none of the organizing bodies have funding to support or nurture our best-of-the-best.]
So what is the Path To Pro then?
The first part of the process is to understand why you want to take your riding to that level. Understanding the ‘why’ is more important than understanding the ‘how’.
The next step would be to identify whether you have the biomechanics, the skill and the sheer grit required in this line of work. That process could involve consultation with current or previously successful riders, or through one of South Africa’s world-class coaches – like a Mike Posthumus, John Wakefield, Jeroen Swart, Barry Austin, Johann Potgieter, Andrew Neethling et al.
If it is still early days in your riding, and you are at a grass roots level but love it intensely (and have real potential!) then it’s a good idea to form a relationship with a local bike store that can support you, in one way or another. Remember, their marketing budgets are not massive but it’s a starting point. Free workshop services might turn into discounts on product, which could then escalate to more extensive race support from a bike brand. Throughout this process, it’s important to show the bike store a return on their investment in you. This could be through simple things like arranging group rides that start or end at their shop. Helping them grow their social media following is another example. You could also do volunteer trail building days on trails that their customers ride. The trick is to find ways that add value.
Once the bike shop see’s the value you are bringing to their business, they’d likely put in a recommendation to a bike brand to support you. This step opens up the national marketing budget. From there, if you continue to show results the bike brand might have an international feeder system that you could try out for. If successful at this step, you’d get exposure on the international scene and potentially be groomed to join a Factory Team – and then you are a professional. Paid to produce results.
The timeline on all this varies. Depending on your starting point you’d need to bank on a 10-year plan, but, when it’s done right, it can take half that time. It could also be worthwhile to work with a local Sports Marketing Agency that offers Athlete Management to expedite the process. OneMovement Management is an example of such an agency.
Of late, Cannondale, Specialized and Trek are perhaps the three most supportive brands when it comes to unlocking the potential, from our pool of talent. They’ve had tremendous success through their support of Alan Hatherly, Candice Lill, Luke Moir, Tyler Jacobs, and Josh Johnson. Of course, there are many other brands involved with the success of these riders (and generous parents!) but these brands in particular, are to be commended on their efforts.
As an example of the bike industry’s efforts to help athletes, Trek has an athlete development program known as GART, or Great Athletes Ride Trek. Their program is “designed to support and empower riders to reach their full potential”. It’s a four-step process that takes riders from a store ambassador level, to a nationally (Trek SA) supported rider, to an international feeder team (Trek Future Racing) with a chance of making it on their fully professional outfit (Trek Factory Racing). Our youngest crop of riding stars, Luke Moir, Tyler Jacobs and Josh Johnson, have worked their way through Trek’s GART program and are about to sign lucrative professional rides for 2025, with various brands.
In summary, the path to becoming a professional rider is not an easy one. This sport is tougher than most and only a very small percentage of the most tenacious individuals, have a chance of success. In a dream world, we’d have more corporates and big business playing in this space, creating more opportunities and pathways for riders to develop from a grass roots level, to pro. Dear corporates, our rising stars need you. Let’s make more heroes! //
| Images: OneMovement Management |