REIGNING Daily Dispatch Spar Cycle Tour champion Jevandre Pauls says he will be racing for nothing but a medal at the Junior World Track Championships in Glasgow, Scotland next month.
The South African junior double champion glided through his last bit of preparation in East London ahead of one of the biggest junior cycling events in the world.
And to top it all, the former development rider sealed a deal with internationally renowned Team Bonitas, a move which will see him officially turn professional later this year.
And the 18-year-old Pauls believes he is in much better form this year than he was at last year’s world champs.
“My preparations this year have been great, I’ve won all my championship races.
“I was also the overall winner of two of our top provincial races in the EP Road Champs and the Dispatch Cycle Tour, so there’s been progress since the beginning of the year.
“I’m feeling great and in much better form than I was last year heading to the event.
“This year I want to take control and fight my way to the front with the big guns because I’m searching for a medal at least,” said Pauls.
The former Port Rex Technical High School pupil departs on Sunday for the junior track worlds taking place on August 7 to 13.
With such a busy schedule ahead of him, Pauls will return to SA for five weeks of preparations for the Junior World Road Championships taking place in Tuscany, Italy at the end of September.
The reigning SA Junior Track and Road champion said he will be looking for one last big push in the junior ranks with the upcoming events before turning his attention to professional cycling with new team Bonitas.
The East London-based rider also went on to highlight how he is anticipating starting his professional cycling career with the Pick n Pay Cape Argus Cycle Tour next year.
“I got the offer in June and we had been in contact up to signing the paperwork and agreeing to terms and conditions a couple of weeks ago.
“I’m only meeting up with the team when I come back from world champs but the guys have already provided me with everything I need to start with. I’m really looking forward to it,” he added.
Pauls and fellow newcomer James Fourie, both joined a Bonitas team of six riders in Herman Fouche, Willie Smith, Christopher van Heerden, Luthando Kaka, Clint Hendricks and HB Kruger, with Christopher Jennings and Jason Bakker racing overseas for the team.
Team Bonitas sporting director Barry Austen said Pauls’ outstanding form, especially this year, made it hard for them to ignore him. “His results in the juniors have been great this year and he has won a couple of high-profile elite races as a junior as well.
“He was known as a track racer but he’s proved a lot of people wrong by also winning the SA Road Champs. He will go on a fully fledged professional programme next year after the junior worlds.
“We are really looking forward to having him in the team and hopefully the whole team will come down to East London next year to support him at the Dispatch Cycle Tour,” concluded Austen.
Pauls will have three weeks to acclimatise in Scotland ahead of the race.
Cycling sensation is on a mission to crack Champs
The South African junior double champion glided through his last bit of preparation in East London ahead of one of the biggest junior cycling events in the world.
And to top it all, the former development rider sealed a deal with internationally renowned Team Bonitas, a move which will see him officially turn professional later this year.
And the 18-year-old Pauls believes he is in much better form this year than he was at last year’s world champs.
“My preparations this year have been great, I’ve won all my championship races.
“I was also the overall winner of two of our top provincial races in the EP Road Champs and the Dispatch Cycle Tour, so there’s been progress since the beginning of the year.
“I’m feeling great and in much better form than I was last year heading to the event.
“This year I want to take control and fight my way to the front with the big guns because I’m searching for a medal at least,” said Pauls.
The former Port Rex Technical High School pupil departs on Sunday for the junior track worlds taking place on August 7 to 13.
With such a busy schedule ahead of him, Pauls will return to SA for five weeks of preparations for the Junior World Road Championships taking place in Tuscany, Italy at the end of September.
The reigning SA Junior Track and Road champion said he will be looking for one last big push in the junior ranks with the upcoming events before turning his attention to professional cycling with new team Bonitas.
The East London-based rider also went on to highlight how he is anticipating starting his professional cycling career with the Pick n Pay Cape Argus Cycle Tour next year.
“I got the offer in June and we had been in contact up to signing the paperwork and agreeing to terms and conditions a couple of weeks ago.
“I’m only meeting up with the team when I come back from world champs but the guys have already provided me with everything I need to start with. I’m really looking forward to it,” he added.
Pauls and fellow newcomer James Fourie, both joined a Bonitas team of six riders in Herman Fouche, Willie Smith, Christopher van Heerden, Luthando Kaka, Clint Hendricks and HB Kruger, with Christopher Jennings and Jason Bakker racing overseas for the team.
Team Bonitas sporting director Barry Austen said Pauls’ outstanding form, especially this year, made it hard for them to ignore him. “His results in the juniors have been great this year and he has won a couple of high-profile elite races as a junior as well.
“He was known as a track racer but he’s proved a lot of people wrong by also winning the SA Road Champs. He will go on a fully fledged professional programme next year after the junior worlds.
“We are really looking forward to having him in the team and hopefully the whole team will come down to East London next year to support him at the Dispatch Cycle Tour,” concluded Austen.
Pauls will have three weeks to acclimatise in Scotland ahead of the race.
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