South African Marc Pritzen, who has been part of the NTT Continental Cycling Team for the 2020 season, is working towards his ultimate goal of stepping up to WorldTour level.
Marc Pritzen has been part of the NTT Continental Cycling Team for the 2020 season. Photo: Nicholas Parthesuis
The 20-year-old, whose last local win before heading to Europe was at the 947 Ride Joburg, has been racing internationally for roughly four months now.
“Racing internationally has proven to be much harder than racing back home,” said Pritzen.
“On an international level it’s more of a select field, where teams from different countries will bring some of their best amateur cyclists to compete.
“The racing here is more intense and bunch positioning is crucial because of the narrow roads. You always want to be near the front, making sure you don’t miss any splits or get caught behind any crashes.”
Regarding his team, Pritzen said he had really been enjoying his time with them.
“Everyone has the same ambition of becoming a pro and I think that we’ll push one another to achieve that goal.”
He felt it was important to gain international experience for many reasons.
“If you want to make cycling your profession it’s definitely important to get as much experience as possible racing on an international level.
“You have to race against the best in the world to become the best in the world. You can be dominating races in SA and then you come to Europe and barely make the finish. That’s how big a step it is.”
Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic his training has been moved indoors since March 11.
“We don’t know exactly how long our lockdown will continue but we’ll definitely be spending the entire April indoors due to the hospitals being at full capacity,” said Pritzen, who is currently based in Lucca, Italy.
“I spend a lot of hours riding on Zwift with my friends. I now try to focus on gym work like stability exercises and core workouts.”
The talented youngster started cycling thanks to his brother Kai. Pritzen would try to join him on weekends whenever he had no athletics or cross-country events on.
“At the end of 2016 I hurt my knee during cross-country training and I was then advised to ride my bicycle more to strengthen my knee again.
“I started doing some MTB events and 2017 was my first full season on a bicycle. I won the Spur MTB Schools League series and a half-marathon race that formed part of the National MTB Series.
“I also won the junior Clover Tour and the Junior Youth Festival where I met Malcolm Lange. This was all in 2017.”
Pritzen said Lange then gave him the opportunity to join his BCX team, along with top riders such as Nolan Hoffman, David Maree and Steven van Heerden.
“When I got this offer it was clear that I was going to continue cycling after school and, looking back, it was a very important year for me being able to learn from the best cyclists in SA.”
Pritzen feels the sport has taught him self-discipline.
“My parents have always supported me with my decision to try and pursue a career in cycling.
“I feel I had to make sure I used the time I’d been given wisely and really make sure that I tick all the boxes when it comes to becoming a successful cyclist. So [that meant] going to bed early and making sure I did all the necessary training for all the upcoming events that I’ve targeted.
“Also this does not only apply to training but to the small things like making sure that my bike is clean and in a good racing condition.
“Cycling has taught me that even making sure that the smallest things are good can make the biggest difference when it comes to the results.”
He added that with the experience he had gained from his own mistakes he had become a smarter and more conservative rider.
“I understand the racing a lot better than I used to. I used to attack as hard as I could and really just hope for the best.”
For Pritzen, a highlight of his career was winning the 947 Ride Joburg in November and seeing his dad overwhelmed with joy after the race.
“That was definitely one of the best moments of my career.
“My dad and mom have spent countless hours following me on long rides around the south of Johannesburg and just to be able to show something for it and having my parents at the finish line made the moment so much more special.
“Looking ahead, my ultimate goal is to make the step up to WorldTour and race races like Paris-Roubaix and Tour de France.”
