Jeremy discusses the Team Dynamics at Luso Africa Cycling,
Cool prods welcome back to straight line podcast and today I’ve got Ricky Farah with me he is the team manager coordinator from um what is the team is known as l l Africa L Africa L Africa okay but yeah we’re going to go into a little bit more about who the team is
What the sponsors are and what what the objectives are of the team um you know that they known as one of the the teams that you that you kind of see see in the race getting stuck in get a get a big win every now and
Then um yeah let’s find a little bit more about the team Ricky welcome to the show glad you can in afternoon give us some information here on on the team okay we’ve been chatting we’ve been chatting a little bit before about the team the Riders the history of the team
Um I think that a lot of people don’t know exactly what the team is and what the team belongs to so you said tell me what ler Africa tell us what is that so Losa Africa is a sport Culture Club Yeah okay or yeah Portuguese club mostly known to where they’ve got football
They’ve got a restaurant inside in German you know so actually like a a club it’s got an their state ium small stadium where the soccer guys are playing football they’ve got scouts club there they’ve got a bar restaurant and a big hall for pretty much a social club so it sounds
Like it’s a do say that like Community cultural club that Cates for your your sports and with the name portes cultural Sports Club okay Prett much what it is yeah so everyone to know it’s Luso Africa is is the main is the main mother Club they call it
Yeah is the mother club and then from there you got the the cycling teams you got a professional racing team and the social cycling side and then they’ve also got like I’ve said mentioned is the um Scouts that was handle for the kids but that’s pretty much pretty much it
Okay so know the scouts and the footballs laer but quite frankly we not we’re not too concerned about that um the professional race ACDC how does ACDC fit into this whole this whole team so they are the main sponsors to the club and and ACDC certain correctly that electrical
Wholesal throughout it’s South African so let’s go ACD Dynamics yes they are the Distributors of obviously electrical pots yeah you know they big into solo now theyve obviously tapped into that into that section but ACDC Dynamics is they distrib Distributors yeah then they’ve got which they sponsor now is the proide
What we known as the proide yeah then you get ACDC Express yeah they our sponsors to the Social Club Riders okay so that’s why you’ll see the pro sides more on the blue kit yes and the social guys are now black and red okay so that’s how we just pretty much split it
Two together and funding comes from ACD Express okay and the pro get is from ACD Dynamics okay because we live here in the EAS and I’ve often seen the ACDC Express the the club rides going on and from what I understand the the pro team also do a couple of rides
Yeah we join them just to you know help them through and okay give them some support yeah so the the main sponsor is is is AC and then tell me like the other sponsor you got on the team um 32gi yeah they’ve been two year running with us this is their second
Year pretty much give us a budget that we can work with and we filter that through to to the Riders yeah and then we get massive discounts from yeah Al Dave and his team they’ve also been kind of sponsored the the and not any the
Crits I mean I see all over the place all over the show I see out recently they um the main sponsoring sponsor for the comrades so on the big running so 32 jars all over the place good product good people um I think Markus Mar that
Also pushes a lot of the products I think he’s also pretty much and then another socks I see all the social post you guys put up all the colorful socks yes that’s a second year running socks re ambassadors now for them yeah so they give us socks we advertise for them yeah
It’s pretty much a fun thing tell me the the socks brand where are they J they in Victoria site um okay it’s their warehouse I see they’ve moved more towards into a plot that they mve from ptor Centurion I think they still got their Factory shop okay in Centurion but
They’ve moved is it Centurion or moreor side and the fact so they support the I’m sure I see some of the bu socks yeah so they’ll be there yeah we get all the colorful socks every 3 four months okay they send us socks we have them that’s
Cool so that’s why we’ll never see us running with a specific color team color you know everyone will use the same socks races okay and it’s all colorful looks like and then I see you guys got some pretty cool sunnies um 100% 100% also second year second year running
With him okay so 100% that’s that’s the brand that P was does he still use the glasses I mean I know from yeah yeah I still there glasses yeah I think he’s the kind of guy that he kind of put he put 100% on the on the map cuz before
That it was the Oakley you Oakley Oakley then he went across this to 100% like what’s this and always matter what it is yeah so they’ve also this year they’ve given us I think their limited edition U Belgium belgi Belgian green yeah that’s pretty good with a gold lens on it
That’s that’s given us a limited edition for this year so that was pretty cool then also not you got um fredin is that’s that’s from J&J they’ve come on board also second year running very much giving us massive discounts on tires you know it does help a lot to the team
Riders especially with the smaller guys like we are we can’t yeah you know keep Riders at least keep them massive discounts you know on the tires because if you’ve got five to six cars on a team and you need to buy tires every a few months that adds up quickly very much
Yeah so they’ve keed out the Riders you know as we started they Ked out the Riders and then going forward you get massive discounts from them okay you know they what they pay in basically so they help us with that then I made a not show while we were talking I think this
Would be a cool sponsor for the that’s for the fat city city for the guys who aren’t who aren’t familiar with their brand Brands up here in Jurg they’ve got oh I think about 180 stores Countrywide that’s massive so and all they sell is fat cake cities for the fat Oaks
And those trying to goow yeah so it’s yeah they’ve you know with a small team I needed to get some okay more funding into the budget so they’ve come on board nothing expected I’ll put him on the kit all all happy with it so I’ll just eat
More that cakes nothing wrong with that um now let’s go on to the riders that you have the team here um first ride I want to talk about he’s unfortunately had a bad he had a bad year last year a lot of bad crashes and accidents um Josh van and of we
22 yes yeah so let’s go back 22 he started was it 22 he started riding for us well he actually came on board just before 94.7 it wasn’t we a small team we Underdog team nothing expected from us spoke to him I he a good Rider m i
Mean he’s brilliant Sprinter best on the track yeah before 94.7 I gave him a kit he me that was 94 was a big thing for me and he didn’t he run like fifth or sixth he came fth on the Sprint yeah I remember in theint you it fifth place for me it
Was for him it was the one yeah but for me it was great I mean it was the best thing we’ve done on the road race and then carried on a 23 oh towards the I think it wasting jamps was it the J Grand PR in December M December massive
Crash just before on the track and uh went together both out of um what’s it about the AUST cycle no before that the 26th of December what’s Boxing Day boxing day was big for them and both them are art okay so that was massive crash three months recovery yeah so kept
Him on the team great thr there boom first ride back he wins this game right for yeah I remember that day that was a massive unexpected from The Underdogs yeah and so for that on the Sprint I think em from I think was office grw that time came second at that
That was quite a close close Sprint yeah but yeah straight after that moves to he moves overseas crashes just before WS yeah it was big and that was him until now yeah you said wed his knee before 94 period now he actually was a week or
Two ago yeah um he said a good couple months rehab for get to get his knee R so yeah he’s he’s he’s on the team and I mean I think when Josh comes back and he wants to start racing again he’s he’s going to make a make an impact
Somewhere yeah I think he’s his Fitness level when he comes back I think his mindset is just right yeah you know he hasn’t I mean I think any ride that crashing as much time as he has I would stop sing yeah sing easy let in your blood
You’re going to come back yeah now as I’m right I’m looking here this is definitely the you got the teams of the joshers you got Josh F Josh D and Josh Ros yeah Josh D um yeah sure good ride good ride they been riding for also two
Years with us G from a junior came through the ranks probably one of the best now on the track against Sprints yeah he’s pretty much an allrounder when he puts his mindset to it you know he’s sometimes he gets a brain fart yeah he’s like you know come then out of the blue
He’s back in it again and he’s in the break I mean just G right for Sight last year couldn’t believe it he actually pukes off the back he comes to the car and you say he’s not feeling well yeah so what does he want to do say stop spuk
Him and then out of the blue he just attacks into the petto takes it off the front and he’s in the brake yeah and he sits to the brake almost to the end yeah okay yeah so that’s he gets a brain F now and then but if he’s in there I mean
I never thought he he can he’s starting to climb well yeah he can actually sit and he climbs well never thought he would be a climber or someone that can Sprint and climb yeah it’s not every day you get a rer like that Josh Josh is
Also a big Wing a big Wing a big win is imminent with him he he’s he’s always there he’s always there and because of his of his of his strong back strong track background when you take him to line somewhere he’s going to do something he’s going to do something and
It’s coming I think it’s coming yeah um I really I mean I thought rustenberg was the one when we had at rustenberg last year yeah I mean to stay up with Kent M gusta Gustaf bla it was him yeah okay that obviously Kent M and Gustaf were
Playing the game there and he sat on those big clowns okay those Loops were hard and all the climbers were off he has Little D still sitting in there for the last four came fourth place but I think it just give a man A B no he’s
He’s good to win something then yeah the other Joshua got on here Josh R Josh R comes from Office Guru yeah obviously pretty what happened boy d boy yeah yeah so he’s up here for cycling that’s all he’s doing is cycling so came this his first race was
Now obviously was sa champs yeah came out of recovery so he wasn’t feeding too well but he still raced and I think he finished didn’t finish think he didn’t lost at four laps before he P it quits yeah and then um Monte Casino so Monte Casino Yaki was in
The pretty much in the in the race the end of last with the E crits had that that draw for those foro power pedals and then I did the do a did the live draw and you mixing the numbers pick it out oh Josh r as well done so I
Phoned him and said Josh you’ve uh You’ve Won yourself power pedals Oak was happy and um when he came to pick him up he was telling me that his that his his power meat and his crank had bombed out like two weeks before that oh he was
Like oh I’m not going to get the you know the power me done and then he he do this ironically he was the last guy to enter on the last day at at the last event he just said last minute literally last minute the T was packing
Up and and he me take a ticket sometimes you’re very lucky yeah I think he’s an allrounder I think he can do well if I think he’s in his form I mean he did some he’s a good worker at office career when he was there yeah so
We’ll see how it goes with him this year yeah the best that the B that I’ve seen of him and my interactions with him he seems like a bit of a he will be like a calming Factor amongst the team um seems very calm you know
Doesn’t and doesn’t get too worked up by something and he a CH in the team you you want you don’t want guys go crazy in the team you just want you need the guy to be calm to calm now and everyone’s pretty much he seems to have had that
And then another R I’ve got Jared Hayes n gu just joined literally C oh maybe two three weeks ago called him up I was looking for an exra Rider especially with when I’ve noticed especially like SAS you’ve got the juniors are separate so I’ve got one Junior yeah then I’m riding with five
Riders obviously Josh is out or Josh was my fifth Rider didn’t have a six I’ve always kept that spot open yeah just in case you see someone and you you can at least fall the gap they become a bit short and I look at the numbers and I go what happens if one
Oak is sick so I need to get someone on speak to one or two guys he name came up so he would did very well he can Sprint he’s good good Sprinter I think you’ll be pretty much G the opportunity I think he’s going to be there blue diamond as
We all pick him up you what spr Jersey yeah and then last year at uh the east side crits he started coming to a few and I always noticed guy attacking you see one Racey a few laps you notice it you go okay you see it again and you go
He does it again and then some of the races when we had the with the finish at the at the bottom you you start watching the guy more and more this guy’s always in the front he’s always in the brakes if the split goes he’s trying to get across to it
So I think a unknown Rider un unrated but I think if You’ been watching he’s know in the break out there all all the way through to the Finish pretty much before the last turn you know the last turn the mishan guy attacked just before the turn he
Followed and I think it burned him a bit and he came off the back yeah to finish I think he finished I think fifth I think at Monte fifth is a decent result yeah his first race back he’s been off also fair enough been sick that was his
First race back Monte Casina he’s been in recovery as well so definitely a he’s going to be one to watch I think definitely you know especially through the type of races we have here yeah thing we were talking about it earlier that um I think going forward into 20124 team like
Te they must be the fav to win most of the races to me I don’t I don’t see you know like come on we taken him on I don’t see any other team that’s got to sprinters they do to Finish Well if if a meal can win a race you’re racing
Against two Oaks you sprinting against two Riders good Lane Lane’s good and then with with Sunday coming up the the rful sight it’s going to be a big drag race down the bottom of that Hill you put a and blae working I actually I don’t know
The Finish but last year’s last was a straight in they changed it used to go into the left turn so turn rider that’s why I always favored Josh for that is because from the tracks guys you know they got more technical experience you know to take that turn at that speed
They’re not scared they can make their own space so now I think it’s still going to be a finished I’m sure they’re going to keep the same finish yeah on a downal so that’s going to be interesting yeah and I think it’ll be a bunch sprints again
I I don’t see it that route is almost always a bunch you know on occasion you you get a break that goes away and then from that break sometimes a guy will break away by himself but predominantly over the last couple years going and actually last year there
Was no wind and usually out there it does blow if you go ride any practice rides or just a social ride you’re going to get win there and last year was flat yeah so it’s going to be another good team for Sunday is is alwani you take you take
Doesn’t matter how he is if you look what R did at CHS B was out there was there and and it comes down to a straight Sprint and a drag race you with a guy like noan leading out I mean but he they’re a good team they’re a good
Local team can’t take Nolan out never never never never don’t how old is he maybe noan sorry noan if I’m 44 no must be Slightly North of 35 35 35 36 34 let us know you can I think you can still at that age and take
On the under 23s into a Sprint 100% I think he’s if you want to sit on someone’s wheel that’s the first wheel I would sit on before anyone if he’s still there that’s the wheel that I’ll be sitting on sure so then on to the next
Two the last two Riders I made not of Two Brothers Dion andon and L stean the only Junior we have yeah he’s been pretty much in the podium since I’ve took them on end of last year so they came so give you a small background is
Remember I used to myself and Marella we used to have yes team margin just for juniors look after the kids that came through the ranks and feed them through to other teams because we were just there to look after the lities look after the wheels have some structure going for for
Youngers they joined we had maybe six seven Riders used to F in aame Gap and I’ve always left them in there like I never never looked at them they were just kids for me yeah then when I moved away from margin and got the opportunity when Frank left ACDC or loso
Yeah been given opportunity to look after to manage the team then it was actually ironic is I could build my own team out of it I didn’t have any Riders yeah only Rider left with was yday in that team and he moved on so I rebuilt this whole team that I
Had and kept margin because they were both they were still Juniors and it was his first year Junior de was under I think it was under 23 or his last year Junior then end of last year towards the end of last year you know oh can I join that team and they
Were the only two Riders I had in so I said you know I just come on board I can’t leave two Riders middle of nowhere yeah so I came on board sure and they excelled there yeah you know the junior Old St can climb I mean he’s a tall guy
Skinny I not much of a I think I think he he can Sprint for maybe that five six seconds okay but he’s been on the podium pretty much almost every single race that he um essays he finished at 11th popped I think going into either going
In I wasn’t at the race from what I heard was either in in saus yeah dropped to the back pked his lungs out they actually called the Medics from what I heard yeah he couldn’t stop yuking so he got helped got back on his bike and he chased everything back down
Finished 11th overall for me that’s I mean just to finish that race it wasn’t easy in that heat and then every other race Monte Casino finished third on the Sprint there was a bunch with with Elite Riders under 23 and he managed to just get a
Third spot okay so he’s doing well for us pretty much and um his brother Devon Devon S of vity good also allrounder funny enough at SAS out of the blue just became a domistic yeah stop bringing bottles he was the only guy coming for bottles okay
Okay he took it on his own just that’s what the thing about our team is we we pretty much I would say structured semi- structured yeah we don’t work for one Oak we don’t are there to have fun yeah um you know we don’t ride for a rider
Okay we don’t pop for any Rider yeah okay unless we see a sprint out you know we you know who can Sprint who’s going to be in the line but then he just follow out of the blue start coming out for bottles nowadays well you sit behind the
Comm you was coming behind to the car get bottles three four bottles going back up every second round he was back in the car again pulling bottles and getting food for the guys and you burn I mean you know it’s hard to to go up and down and obviously going into seos he
Popped off yeah and it was expected that was going up and down was expected still finished yeah he didn’t give up didn’t turn around at end of beginning of cyos when everyone else went in he didn’t sit up he car in the race and yeah he did it
Good Rider I also put him in a category of probably a sprinter he can Sprint a bit a if I look at his physique I think like a powerful yeah can’t probably Sprint think bus bit of an engine he can be there ining the race and he’s got physical attributes to to
Become a sprinter so I think he’s no he’s a good all another note I made here um what would be the goals of the team this year when I say when I say Goals you can’t say we want to have so many races so many podiums I’ll tell you
Now our go and black Podium every track race he does he’s probably one of the favorites so I think do we dominate that area I think we do I think we can and I think we’ve got the riders that rer that can do it I think that’s his what are his main
I think his main focus was St when you with you you train him I’ve been training Josh for good couple years now the focus the focus is track but was building on for I remember on the road side and he on the track is I think every race has been on the podium
Yeah Jos decides to come back into track race you know F and then I think I’ve pretty much got the track covered yeah that’ be good so I mean going back to Josh I think he’s won every sorry F I think he’s become last year what last
Year he was shf for every single category could be I think the only one he didn’t get which is J was wasting was the onum yes that was that’s before his crash that’s why he didn’t come through yeah I remember come back here then go
Back you want to stay in Europe no no it was supposed to come back I think it wased to come I think it was just I think it just happened before just before the crash and I think that was the last one he needed he would have had every single
Jersey I could be mistaken but yeah I think he had he had won every single thing for but then yeah cck obviously dark no pressure that’s his that’s his thing that’s his thing um with the underdogs yeah I think uh our main goal would be
To do one or two upsets yeah okay and I think we’ve got a team to go into a Sprint or to be in a break and do an upset well you you’re talking along those lines and I think a lot of people will will agree with what
I’m going to say now that if if you are a top level Junior um in South Africa you’re placing the podium at National Championships and you make selection to go to Junior worlds and you do spend bit of an extended time in anywhere in Europe racing um my recomend
And I would suggest is that don’t come back and then jump on one of the go to one of the bigger Ro team I think that’s I mean I’ve had one or two discussion with riders I mean been a short time that I’ve been into cycling and seen
From my son pretty much that’s how I started the cycling and I’ve had a junior essay title right for me yeah um old Jason and speaking to the lities was and not just from me but also from known people in the industry personally I think it’s the
Worst thing sure okay for a youngster to come out of what they are just riding fee there’s no you know you just want to ride your race exactly okay and and that’s the same thing even with Stan you know what’s the what’s the goal for
The team no he a junior you ride your race you look off you got your own race to ride whatever What’s happen with 123s or Elites yeah your race is Juniors and that’s what you’ve got to concentrate on and they freely to race I mean you ride
The way you want to ride there’s no struct there’s no you have to do this for the side so as which I think is is a good thing because if you do go and ride on on one of the bigger bigger teams with pressure with pressure and
Structure you you need to fall into the structure in order for the team to win so let’s go back why would you want to join the bigger side because they’re going to get a free bike okay they’re going to get ah free tours I get promise this I get promised that very difficult
To promise things yeah from a smaller you got to ride your own bike you know what you got to look after your own equipment before you get something for free yeah then also when you’re riding in in a smaller team like with what you I say smaller team yeah you you don’t
Have as much pressure I gu so you pretty much got almost free range to go to race rid you can ride your own race not a case you have to back pedal and and commit and try and get this other person across the road which going to
Compromize your result so it’s exactly I think it’s better for youngsters they need to build that engine can they can they spint can they climb they’re great Riders but they haven’t got the engine they need to build their engine before they can ride for the bigger sides
Because once you go to a bigger side you’re going to be burning to ride for a rider yeah okay and that’s in given always got a main Rider you know what you sit in front until you pop I think if it’s for 20ks yeah you’ve done your
Job but what is that light learned in 20ks how you puke and and and often this happened for decades Rider finds himself in that position the the the belief goes the mental state goes they they don’t have that drive and desire to to fight for the one they just kind of think that
Okay well this is me I’ve going to work for the first couple Cas and when I get drob and after that same year oh you’ve done nothing sorry CH yeah so it’s it’s it’s it’s a very fun line like young youngsters look for a team where you’ll
Have free reign to try and pursue your goals make the national team to go to the the the tours abroad so how do you do that you got to perform in the local races you a bigger team where there are bigger goals than yours you’re going to
Have to fall in line with what the team wants and not what you want yeah and not what you want so if you you got your free reign you can go for that win you can push for that attack of course and I even take the bigger
Teams of was Guru did it they started they had a team yeah you lead under 23 team when they all went through the ranks what did he what did Jeremy do jery do fell back restarted yeah get all the Juniors again build up a team and
Guess what he’s done now we are those Riders now they team you got Neil you got doing very well now okay because he started them from the team and the bigger teams I think they should actually support the Juniors you know bring them through the ranks put them in
Your team keep them as a junior okay let them ride because they will be they will Exile I think they will yeah you know to pick and choose Riders and let them go just as they please that’s how bigger teams are you know you got to perform if
You don’t perform you’re off the back I think four especially for a lot of the youngsters that are coming through they they’ve got high Ambitions of wanting to be in the Tour of France and and riding the bigger races in the world so how do
You go about doing that you want to move up the international ranks winning the the Sleepy River whatever race that absolutely zero nothing we had a rider rider last year that we were trying to help and get get on a ride in in a team in Spain but this youngster hadn’t done
Anything in South Africa there’s nothing for his profile what you give it yeah you know a national title and a national Podium you know it’s nice but it doesn’t mean anything so your big teams yeah mean nothing overseas I don’t care R for yeah when you go overseas you know yeah
You get the bigger Riders 100% they they are the big fish in a small tank yeah that’s what it is you dominate you dominate that that space okay you everything you move overseas you’re small fish in a in a big tank okay I think it’s I think it’s very very important
That that there are teams like like like what the structure you’re running now that they there is that platform um for for the Riders to make that transition from Junior to International you know there is that platform for you to grow and and not
Just go in fit into a shoe box yeah you can fit into or grow something into something bigger all right cool Ricky thanks for coming through thanks foring thanks for the insight and hope you guys know now it’s luo Africa is the is the main club the main organization and the
S team defeated from that anyway guys catch you later Cheers Cheers