'I'm worried, something needs to be done' - Ryan Gibbons on the state of South African road cycling

'It's not looking good in the near future' says Lidl-Trek's South African champion, also shares ideas on how to support young riders from outside of Europe

The South African champion before stage 2 of the 2024 Tour de France. Image: A.S.O./Billy Ceusters

Over the past couple of decades, South Africa has been a constant presence in the WorldTour, producing top tier talent including the likes of Daryl Impey, Ashleigh Moolman Pasio and their current national champion, Lidl-Trek’s Ryan Gibbons.

Gibbons has just finished his second Tour de France, which he was riding in support of Mads Pedersen before the Dane withdrew from the race. After that, Gibbons took on sprint leadership himself at the Tour, picking up three top ten placings.

The 29 year old is one of just three professional South African riders in the men’s peloton, alongside EF Education-EasyPost’s Stefan De Bod and Intermarché-Wanty’s Louis Meintjes. Moolman Pasio is the only South African rider in the Women’s WorldTour.

It’s a trend of decline over the past near-decade. Gibbons first joined the WorldTour in 2017, riding for Team Dimension Data, the South African registered outfit managed by Doug Ryder, which boasted a total of seven South Africans that year.

Gibbons is concerned about the decline in stature of South African cycling and doesn’t see that changing without action being taken.

“I'm worried about the state of South African cycling and I do worry that once I retire, once Louis [Meintjes] retires, once Stefan De Bod retires, I think there's going to be a big period where we don't see a South African jersey or a South African flag next to a name on the start list of a race,” Gibbons told Global Peloton.