From South Africa to the World with the support from the local industry.

As a Youth, Josh Johnson has held a South African National title in every cycling discipline on the road and mountain bike, including winning the three major road races as a u/17: Cape Town Cycle Tour, 94,7 Ride JoBurg and Amashova Classic. His victories extend the border having won on the mountain bike in Switzerland and on the road in Belgium, Netherlands and France. His performances this year saw him being Nominated as Junior Sportsman of the Year at the KZN Sports Awards.

It is not just his “on the bike” antics but his personality off the bike - well spoken, welcoming, funny, mature and knowledgable of the sport, his training and race craft showcase real professionalism beyond his years.

Josh’s stand out event was one he didn’t even podium at - Le Pevele Classic is considered the Paris Roubaix for u/17 where he lead a field of 167 riders into the first cobble section having never ridden cobbles before. Unfortunately whilst in the winning breakaway of 7 riders with 15km to go Josh got a puncture and not speaking French was unsure if the service vehicle had the right gearing on the spare wheel so chose to ride on the flat. Hanging onto the pack for 10km before they managed to get away - Josh still crossed the line 28th. This performance saw Josh being contacted by multiple team managers eager to recruit him.

Its been a long road to get to this point in such a young career. Dad (Andrew) meticulously planned each international race to strategically position Josh at the highest attended races as well as races where the biggest names in European Junior cycling would be competing in the aim of getting noticed and to this point - signing with one of the World’s Top Junior teams(official announcement to be made soon).

The path to this achievement has been paved not only by hard work and dedication of Josh and the family but also by the invaluable support of key partners. Josh’s growth and performance has been nurtured by the Ballito based DriveTrain Academy led by coach Ty White. Ty has been a cornerstone in Josh’s development as well as several other athletes on the verge of following suit.

With so many opportunities and avenues to spend marketing budget for Trek South Africa, signing a 15 year old with a contract in excess of R400 000 seemed very risky. However, it was less of a gamble and more of a calculated investment into a youth athlete who showed the potential and work ethic with the results both locally and internationally to not only justify the spend but exceed expectations.

Partnering with CIOVITA was essential as we knew the importance they would play in not only creating high quality technical kit for the aerodynamics of road racing as well as providing warmth to conquer the European cold but the added bonus of brand exposure for all the partners involved in this journey.

Josh was identified by KZN Cycling and received support through the EADP(Elite Athlete Development Program) for the past two years where he has been able to incorporate off the bike strength and conditioning. Every brand has had a strategic role to play through power meters from Sigeyi, head units from Garmin, recovery products from Hyperice, nutrition from Bioteen, eyewear from 100%, regular bike services from OnTrack Cycles, to silent partners like Shiptech Petroleum who provided financial backing and Red Bull providing content creation.

These partnerships are a testament to the power of collaboration in building future champions. The cycling community in South Africa can take pride in the role they have played in fostering young talent and helping athletes like Josh reach the highest level of the sport. Andrew added “The reality is, Josh wouldn’t be in the position he’s in today if it weren’t for these businesses, the people behind them, as well as family and community. The path is possible, although it’s far harder for Africans and nearly impossible without local industry support."

The future is exciting for Josh and we eagerly await the team to make the official announcement!