Johnny Koen’s voice is a familiar one at many cycling events across South Africa. He commentates, and he brings in the riders, with a passion and a knowledge of the sport, its obstacles and its triumphs that only a former racer could impart. 

And what a pro he was: eight years as a full-time racer (well, as full-time as you could be, in the 80s) on the biggest teams of the time. Then he hit the cycling kit industry with the same gusto, in the early 90s; first with a brand called Anatomic, and then, in 2000 – after selling Anatomic – with the Velotex brand he still runs today. 

All this alongside his commentary stints, and being the SABC’s go-to cycling man for over 30 years.

BEING A PRO IN THE 80s
They were the glory years. TV was involved, in a big way, and sport was huge in South Africa. 

But we all had to have jobs, too. Even Alan van Heerden had to run his bike shop to make any money – there wasn’t money like today. My first contract, in ’82, was R200 a month! You had to hustle, and plan for the next year when there might be no contract.

MY BEST YEAR AS A PRO
In 1984 I took home R80k from my cycling, in salary and winnings. For perspective, a Porsche Carrera would have cost you R60k at the time. I don’t think a lot of guys today are earning Carrera money in a year!

MY EARLIEST CYCLING MEMORY
Chrome track bikes hanging on the fence at the Westbourne Oval. In PE, you went either to the wrestling or the football to spectate, or to the cycling. 

I can still hear the bunch coming past, seeing Willie Marx at top speed. I was about 11, in 1968… it’s still with me, that excitement.

MY FIRST RACE
I won my first race at the age of 11, a 400m beginners and novices handicap. And on a bigger bike than I retired on. “He’ll grow into it!” said the salesman. 

I got a 200m handicap, and beat a guy who’d replaced his handlebars with a car steering wheel. 

THE INDUSTRY
Our biggest change has been in the fabrics – moving to Lycra-type materials in the shorts, from rugby-knit and woollen pants, and to synthetic liners from the real chamois leather that would hurt you so much if you weren’t particular with caring for it. 

Synthetics changed the jerseys, too. We had pockets on the front, with buttons, so the back of the woollen jersey wouldn’t sag down onto your back wheel. 

Aluminium water bottles… they were hard to drink from. So much has changed.

I STILL RIDE
Yes, of course I do! But not a lot. I have some vintage bikes – my newest is from 1992 – and I get out twice a month. It’s not that I don’t want to; I just ride every day I don’t work, and I seem to be too busy.

MY FIRST BIKE
It was in 1964, I suppose – a Humber, with wire brakes and mudguards and a leather tool bag. I would do pretend laps around the block, lying on the handlebars to go faster.

MY CYCLING IDOL
There are two. The Idol, Alan van Heerden; and the greatest of them all, Eddy Merckx.

 

 

 

MY LONGEST RIDE EVER
It was a 300km training ride for the 1983 Rapport Cycle Tour, with Robbie McIntosh and co. Bryanston, Vereeniging and Van der Bijl, and even some motor pacing thrown in.

MY FAVOURITE EVENTS AS A COMMENTATOR
Trans Augrabies. Lekker fietsry, and the best gees en fees. And then the Casino events on the road, they have such an energy about them. 

And for television, it has to be the Olympics. It’s the biggest, and it has a lot of track, which was my first love. And I love the corporate stuff, the different people it brings into our sport.

I GOT INTO COMMENTARY…
…by mistake! At the 1992 Rapport Tour, which went out delayed ‘live’ each night, the producer asked me into the studio. The first tap on the knee meant ‘start talking’, the second tap meant ‘stop’ – I had 30 seconds to make what was on screen come alive. 

The first slot, I hit 29 seconds exactly, no tap needed. “What are you doing next year?” I’ve been the SABC’s official cycling correspondent ever since.

TRAINING BACK THEN
Monday off. Friday, 40-kay leg-loosener, with legs covered (because that’s what Van told us to do). Tuesday was strength, Wednesday stamina, Thursday speed. 

So, two and a half to three hours a day, and then racing both days on the weekend, with track racing during the week. 

THE BIG BOYS
Willie Engelbrecht and Alan van Heerden were the gods of our era. Engelbrecht was more difficult to beat, more dominant. We couldn’t even buy races from him – he wanted to win everything! 

At least Van would give you a hot spot to keep the sponsors happy. You could beat Van occasionally, on fresh legs. 

Robbie Macintosh was hard to take on in bad weather, or on hard routes. Just about unbeatable.

CYCLING IS BETTER TODAY…
…I think we just have an increase in numbers. 

It’s different, though. We have a million riders in SA, 100 000 of them participate, of whom 5 000 actually race. Why aren’t people racing? 

It’s become a pastime, not a sport. It’s good for the industry, we all do well from it; but as a sport, I wish it could grow.

3 CYCLING ESSENTIALS
Cell phone 

Wallet for coffee.

Wallet for cycling kit – you really can buy speed and fitness these days!

E-BIKES…
Yes! But at the moment, they are pariahs in our sport. Incorrectly so; they’ve widened the market in the right places. We have more people riding bikes who never would have. 

I would love to see a brand-new unclassified racing league with them, no-rules racing. Like stock cars on two wheels. Bring the non-cyclists in, as racers and spectators. Imagine that!

MY BEST BIKE
The best bike I’ve ever ridden was a Viner Super Professional 1982/3, dressed at first as a Le Turbo and then as a Hansom, to keep sponsors happy. I won the majority of my races on it, so ‘favourite’ is skewed…

MY BEST CYCLING MOMENT
Winning the two national pro titles on the track; and in ’84 and ’85 I think it was maybe 16 consecutive 1 500m races, including internationals, against the top riders in SA and the world.

MY WORST CYCLING MOMENT 
I was always very resilient, so I don’t have many. Being overlooked for national team duty when I wasn’t riding the correct bike was hard to swallow, though. 

And I was nominated for the State President’s Award by the Professional Cycling Union, but the SACF turned it down because we were professional riders.

IF I COULD GO BACK TO WHEN I WAS 5…

…I would do it all again, just the same.

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