South African Morné van Niekerk has enjoyed a successful stint in Europe this year and is now hoping to secure a spot in the professional peloton.
The Christian Magimel rider, who recently won the Route d’Or du Poitou and Grand Prix de la Tomate in France, said this was the first time he had stayed to race on the continent for longer than three months in a row.
“My season has been really good and I’ve adapted this year so it has elevated my level a lot,” said the 23-year-old.
South African Morné van Niekerk, who recently won the Grand Prix de la Tomate in France, is hoping to join the professional peloton soon. Photo: Alexia Tintinger
“I’m not really sure where my future is heading but I hope to be in the pro peloton as soon as possible. At this moment it’s all a waiting game as it always is at this stage of the year.
“I really hope it can happen soon. I’ve got my fingers crossed,” Van Niekerk told In the Bunch.
He said when he received the opportunity to turn professional his ultimate career goal would be to win races and have a good, successful and healthy career as well as to inspire youngsters.
“I’d like to help them go for their dream. Every day I go out training and every race I do is towards this goal. It’s about preparing yourself to go out and do your best every time.”
Van Niekerk, who hails from Centurion, Gauteng, felt the support from back home helped to feed his success.
“It’s always great to see people at home recognising what you’re doing overseas and supporting you. It gives me goose bumps.
“Every time I go into a race I know I have my family, team and everyone who believes in me behind me. It just gives you so much more drive and that extra bit of potential to suffer.”
He added that it helped him to hang on a bit more and push harder when he attacked.
“It’s so great that every time you do well after a race you see the comments coming through from home. It means a lot.”
Van Niekerk said as cycling was moving up a level in SA, it was nice to be part of that progression with all the young riders coming through.
The 150km Grand Prix de la Tomate was the most recent event that he won and he felt it could not have come at a better time.
“I had been struggling a bit with fatigue but had been working well with my coach, so by the time we arrived at the race I told my team I was ready to win.”
He added that he wanted to make sure the team went away with a win and was happy to go over the line first in a sprint finish.
“I was ecstatic. My body is really tired after a long and hard season without any breaks, so to still be able to pull off a win was great.
“I had a bit of pressure going into it as my team expected a top result from me and so did I,” said Van Niekerk, who added that he was excited about soon being joined by fellow countryman Bradley Gouveris.
