Jean Spies: The Track Cyclist Who Raced Against the Odds
From sleeping in barns to borrowing bike parts, track cyclist, Jean Spies has done whatever it takes to chase his Olympic dream. Now, after two Games, he’s gearing up for a new challenge.
Jean Spies says he became a cyclist because he never wanted a real job. It’s a comment dripping in irony because Spies has worked non-stop to achieve his goal of representing South Africa in track cycling at the Olympic Games. From self-funding to crowd-funding to borrowing bicycle parts – not to mention some infamous tales of sleeping in weird and wacky locations just to be able to train or attend events – he’s pursued his Olympic dream with immense grit and determination, ultimately representing South Africa at Tokyo 2020 and last year in Paris.
Now home, and sleeping in his own bed, a new chapter awaits…
Why track cycling? When I was young, there were three disciplines of cycling on offer: mountain biking, road cycling and track. My dad was a pro cyclist and I wanted to follow in his footsteps. I began with mountain biking, then road. One day, a friend of my dad’s was throwing out a track bike. I took the bike and discovered there was a track close to us at Turffontein in Joburg. I really wanted to be a pro on the road, but I found out that I was actually better suited to track cycling.
Are track cyclists very different from other cyclists? We know roadies just ride to drink coffee and eat baked goods, but there aren’t too many coffee shops on the track… If I look at the sport in general, track fits in between road and MTB quite nicely. A typical racing day involves sprint and endurance racing. We’ll do the sprint races, then the endurance ones, so you’re looking at about three to five races. In between, you sit around watching and chatting with mates – it’s very social.
Should more cyclists be riding on the track? I think track cycling is very good for your road and mountain biking fitness and ability. The physical demands and the cardio workout really benefit the other disciplines. A lot of top international riders also incorporate a track regime – I think South Africans miss the boat a bit there.
Track also opens you up to the world – the directors of World Tour teams use track races to scout new talent. It’s quite difficult to spot talent on the road but on the track there’s nowhere to hide, so it’s a good place to get noticed.

You went into the Olympics last year under the weather after a bad crash – what happened, and how do you put something like that behind you so quickly? Crashing and illness are part of life and sport. I was doing about 80km per hour, chasing a motorbike on the track, and I had a blowout. The crash resulted in second degree burns down the left- side of my hip and leg, a degloving of the hip, and ligament damage in the ankle. I was fighting infection, struggling with a virus, and to top it all off, I arrived at the Olympics on antibiotics.
But it is what it is. I needed to get on with it. I mean, it did totally suck from an Olympics perspective because a lot changed in my build-up and how I rode the event itself. But there was nothing I could do other than put my head down and push through.
How would you describe your two Olympic experiences? Tokyo and Paris were two different worlds. I spent time at the UCI World Cycling Centre in Switzerland during my preparation for Tokyo. For two years I was in this cycling bubble where all I did was eat, sleep and ride. I couldn’t get to Switzerland to prep for Paris, so I had to make it work, and my prep was very different as a result.
Because of the accident, I also had to go into Paris with a different approach. In that sense, Paris was more challenging but it was also my second Games so I was a bit more prepared.
It’s the Olympics; it blows your mind being there. The equipment, the track, and the incredible gear that the riders with better funding use, like the Vorteq skin suit which can cost up to £3 000 (R69 000)! Everything is at another level. I had a few moments where I was admiring all the amazing gear thinking, “Wow that would be nice…”
What does it mean to be an Olympian? To be honest, I’ve been asking myself that question since I got home. It’s a lifetime of sacrifice to get there; an eight-year year journey living out of a suitcase. Was it worth it? I think so, but I’m also wondering what I could have done differently. I always wanted to be an Olympian and I got there by doing what I love. I cherish that.
You were man-alone in terms of track cycling for Team SA at the Games. How do you handle being so isolated? I did have support, thanks largely to sports therapist and athlete manager Brigitte Mileson. She walked this journey with me. There’s no way I would have made it without her. Bènedict Moqumo is someone else I have to thank. He’s a professional mechanic who works for Team Cofidis and at the UCI World Cycling Centre. Having him around was very positive. Nicole Shuttleworth also came with us to the Games as a soigneur.

Paris shouldn’t have been a once-off, though. From a rider perspective, team consistency is key. Team Great Britain for example, have had the same two mechanics since 1998. That’s a proper team. A relationship like that creates trust between riders and staff. If you want to do well, it’s so important to have those structures in place.
What was the most expensive thing you bought in Paris? Haha. I didn’t have money to buy anything! But I did get a Paris 2024 hoodie.
From a TV viewer’s perspective, track cycling looks terrifying. What goes through your mind when you’re racing flat out? A lot is happening in my head, actually. Keirin, for example, is six laps, three of which are full-gas racing. Those three laps, just 750m in total, feel like they go on forever. You’re thinking about the space, where you can move and how you can attack. The bikes have no brakes so it’s quite safe; there’s no sudden stopping. You also generally trust that the riders around you aren’t going to do anything stupid. There are accidents, but not often. Accidents are quite exaggerated when they do happen because of the space, the track and the cameras being close to the action.
How do you strategize for a race like that? There are two parts to that prep. If I was German or Dutch or British, I could build an analysis of my opponents. Those big countries have video footage of everyone. But nothing beats experience. If I can give any advice to a young rider, it’s all about packing your bag and getting out into the world and riding or racing as much as you can.
Talk us through a track cyclist’s gear – it seems fairly unique? Track cycling is on two opposite extremes. It’s the cheapest cycling discipline – all you need is a second-hand aluminium bike and you can start. For racing, there are no road closures, so the cost of putting on a race is a lot less.
But the Olympics is a different world. Each of the bikes Team Japan used in Paris cost more than a Porsche 911. The big federations develop their own kit and bikes. The Koga Kinsei bike ridden by Dutch rider (and five-time Olympic gold medallist) Harrie Lavreysen was developed for the Games. In that sense, track is like the Formula 1 of cycling. Everything starts with the track and eventually trickles down to road cycling.
What was your approach to equipment and gear for Paris? My skin suits are made by a brand called Rule 28. They make amazing aero clothing at a reasonable price. A lot of time is spent in the wind tunnel developing these items. Everything is so intricate, even the direction of the stitching. I crowd-funded a Koga Kinsei bike and then borrowed wheels for the Games. As with any form of cycling, there’s big debate around tyre width and pressure. I’ve been running 23c Vittoria Pista Speed tubular tyres (glued directly onto the rim of the wheel) at 200psi. You get about 500km out of a tyre like that; they are specifically designed for speed. Great Britain ran Continental GP5000 tyres with latex tubes, while the Dutch team used Dugast Pista latex tubulars, which are incredibly lightweight and wear out in just a few laps.
You need to embrace the uncomfortable. Nothing is going to come easy.
You’ve spoken about sleeping in barns, caravans, under the velodrome… How do you focus on racing when you have so many distractions? The reality is, how badly do you want it? If you really want to get there, then you have to live an uncomfortable life to achieve what you want. You need to embrace the uncomfortable. Nothing is going to come easy.
What’s next for you in the world of track cycling? I thought my career was done after the Olympics, but something new and exciting called the DerbyWheel Pro Keirin Tour has come along. Keirin was developed in Japan after World War II as a platform for betting to help boost the economy; the idea behind DerbyWheel is to take keirin to a wider audience with events around the world. I was contacted by the organisers in 2022 to give some input and they held a few races last year. The series is scheduled to start in 2025. It’s definitely something that will give my career some longevity… and the chance to make some money!
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