ProTouch cyclist Jaydé Julius is ready to face some tough competition in the 57th Tour de la Province de Liège from July 16 to 20.
The 24-year-old South African will turn out for a Belgian team, Mysenlan-SPIE-Douterloigne.
Julius, who is based in Belgium as part of a SupportSATalent initiative, is looking forward to the race.
ProTouch’s Jaydé Julius, who is riding for the Belgium team Mysenlan-SPIE-Douterloigne. He will compete in 57th Tour de la Province de Liège from July 16 to 20. Photo: Halfpint Photography
“I’m feeling pretty good and my form is getting better by the week. I’m feeling confident,” he told In The Bunch this week.
Julius, who has taken part in several international events, is one of two general classification riders in the team.
“The race suits me to a T. We’ll take it day by day and see which one of us should be in front at the end of each stage.”
Hoping to enjoy a problem-free ride, he has set his sights on a good result. The biggest challenge could be to stay near the front.
“To compete with 150 riders for a good position in a European race is tough,” he says.
The team arrived in Belgium at the beginning of June, thanks to the SupportSATalent initiative that creates opportunities for South Africans to gain experience.
The Netherlands, Spain and the Czech Republic could be included in the programme for next year.
“To settle and get into the racing in another country is a challenge,” Julius said this week.
“I was nervous. I felt like an under-14 starting my first race because I had been on a mid-season break for two weeks before leaving for the heart of racing in Europe.”
He has met other South Africans who are riding for various teams and says they generally support each other during “down moments”.
Training on Belgian roads and riding the Tour of Flanders cobble climbs came as an eye-opener. “It’s definitely different to watching it on television!”
Julius is in second place overall and also second in the Best Tour Rider competition in the Support SA Talent road cycling series, behind teammate Gustav Basson.
They will return to South Africa at the beginning of August before heading to the Tour of Rwanda.
View a breakdown of the Tour de la Province de Liège stages:
July 16 (stage 1): Verviers – Verviers
July 17 (stage 2): Beyne Heusay – Beyne Heusay
July 18 (stage 3): Clavier – Clavier
July 19 (stage 4): Remicourt – Remicourt
July 20 (stage 5: Seraing – Seraing
