Support Jessie’s recovery:

https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/jessie-munton-5834745534688430810

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Byron Munton is the kind of rider who can chase a Cape Town Strava KOM in the morning… and still talk like a student of the sport at night.

In this episode, Byron breaks down the exact moments that separate “strong” from “pro”: pacing a full-gas effort (including a Trapeze KOM attempt that came within seconds of a milestone), learning how European racing really works, and what it takes to keep your head steady when the pressure spikes.

He’s also stepping into a new chapter with Modern Adventure Pro Cycling—George Hincapie’s new UCI ProTeam project (debuting in 2026) with big European ambitions. Byron’s recent results back it up too: a stage win and 3rd overall at the 2025 Tour of Portugal.

But the real weight of this conversation is what happens off the bike. Byron speaks about his sister Jessie—hit by a driver while training in January 2024, leaving her in a coma, and the ongoing reality their family has had to face since then.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

- How pros think about pacing, risk, and recovery (when it matters most)

- The mental game of racing in Europe (and why “fitness” isn’t the whole story)

- The truth about chasing big goals while carrying real-life pain

- Why cycling safety isn’t a debate—it’s a responsibility

If this episode resonates, subscribe for more honest conversations with riders shaping the next era of South African cycling. Share it with a friend who needs a spark—and drop your biggest takeaway in the comments.

Cape Town cycling has a rich history...

In this episode, Graham Ward (Western Province Road Commissioner and Chair of the City Cycling & Athletic Club) takes us inside one of Cape Town’s oldest sporting communities—how the club traces its roots to 1891, what’s been preserved in minute books dating back to 1905, and the legacy of riders who went from Cape Town to the Empire Games and the Olympics.

But this isn’t just nostalgia.

We unpack why road racing in the Deep South largely disappeared, how compliance and permits changed the economics of hosting events, and what it really takes to put a race on the calendar today—from marshals and traffic support to ambulances and cost break-evens.

00:00:00 Meet Graham Ward + City Cycling’s origins (1891)

00:01:52 The archives: minute books (1905) + early club stories

00:03:47 Legends & legacy: Jack Rose, hour-record era + Green Point track

00:05:40 City riders at Empire Games & Olympics (1930s–1960)

00:08:19 The old scene: 100km time trials, trophies, Fripp Cup

00:10:53 Why SA lost time trial culture (traffic + safety realities)

00:13:48 Modern club racing: DC, safer circuits, “club races” today

00:14:21 Compliance 101: permits, police, medics, what triggers what

00:17:15 What makes a “real” club? constitution, committee, affiliation

00:19:29 WP League + provincial champs (Durbanville) + virtual colours

00:25:33 Clubs shaping change: meetings, agendas, building the calendar

00:27:27 Event permits: “Cycle Tour rules for 200 riders” + Cat 1–4 system

00:31:03 Safety calls: cancelling races, marshals, ambulance thresholds

00:40:21 What it costs to host a race + why crit racing could work

00:47:47 Deep South case study: Radial/Simonstown league race + risk planning

00:58:28 Motorists vs cyclists: hooting, etiquette, and practical fixes

01:10:03 Quick fire: DC, favourite rides, UCI classic, Cycle Tour

01:14:27 Join the club: pace groups, rides, membership (R400/yr)

01:16:51 Double Century teams + final wrap

Luke Moir went from being a kid digging “gnarly” trails with spades in the bush… to lining up at MTB World Cups and earning a spot on Mondraker Factory Racing (MFR).

This episode is the real story arc — not the highlight reel.

You’ll hear the early sparks (traveling overseas young and getting results that hinted at something bigger), the big jump (a standout junior performance that proved he belonged), and then the harsh reset that hit right after (COVID-era disruption, fewer racing chances, and the mental grind of trying to keep momentum alive when the calendar collapses).

Luke also talks about the unglamorous side:

the sponsor scramble, the pressure that comes with finally “making it,” and what it feels like to race when you’re not starting at the front — having to fight forward and learn fast at elite level.

Now he’s in a new chapter: joining MFR, spending time in Europe, and learning how to turn raw potential into consistent World Cup-level execution.

Intervals.icu (aka “Intervals RCU”) started as one developer’s side project to analyze torque intervals… and quietly grew into a serious training-analysis platform used by over 120,000 monthly active athletes. In this episode, we sit down with David, the founder, to unpack the full origin story—and what it takes to scale a niche endurance product into something the pro world starts paying attention to. 

We talk cycling progression (and why he’s chasing an age-group win at the Cape Town Cycle Tour), power-meter accuracy, and how Intervals pulls data from platforms like Garmin and Strava—plus the realities of building on APIs with shifting rules. David also breaks down what “serious” teams care about (kilojoules, durability after 2,000+ kJ, nutrition modeling), why he runs major parts of the infrastructure on real hardware (not just cloud), and how the platform evolved from evenings and early mornings into a full-time business supporting a small team.

Cape Town bike shop stories don’t get more real than this. John O’Connor shares how he went all-in on a small storefront in town—after being told he “won’t last three months” —and how that decision helped shape a huge part of Cape Town’s cycling culture.

John takes us back to 2009: the move from the Tiger Valley area, the risk of using what was left in their bond, finding the spot in the rain, and backing his gut when the “smart” advice said don’t do it  . From there, we go deep into what’s changed in the sport—especially gravel—plus the hard-earned lessons you only get after decades in the industry.

0:00 Intro 

5:42 Bike touring lessons: safety, punctures, staying smart 

7:05 Cycling community: how the shop introduced him to everyone 

7:49 The shop origin story (how it started after liquidation) 

8:39 Finding the spot in the rain + “pitching” the landlord 

10:06 “They said you won’t last 3 months” — surviving the early rent pressure 

15:06 The day-to-day reality of running the shop (logistics, grind, consistency)

16:34 The cycling boom: what changed and how demand exploded

18:51 Old-school road racing culture (why it worked, why it was special)

21:36 Malcolm Lange + the SA circuit / racing memories

26:44 Double Century: how it started and why it exists 

31:30 Tandem with his daughter + Cape Town Cycle Tour reflections 

35:03 Southside Cycles + women showing up in a big way 

36:49 Trends in cycling (where bikes and the culture are going) 

42:06 Bikepacking story: Caledon → Riviersonderend (heat, storms, learning) 

46:22 GravelBurn 2025: route breakdown + “Hospital Bend” moments 

1:02:19 Riding in Europe: Alps climbs + what it teaches you 

1:08:07 Savage Tuesday, cycling groups, and the Coates battle 

1:09:35 Final thoughts + wrap 

What does it take for a Cape Town motocross kid that championed the coaching game and led multiple SA champs to become one of the leading performance brains behind UAE Team Emirates and Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe? In this episode, John Wakefield—director of coaching, sports science and technical development at Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe—unpacks the wild, unplanned journey from local tracks and garage coaching to testing WorldTour riders in a Sheik’s private gym and shaping grand tour contenders.

John shares how a bad injury pushed him from racing to coaching, the early days of building Science to Sport with Jeroen, and the “we’re going to take over the world” mentality that took two South Africans into the very top tier of pro cycling. We get into how UAE rebuilt its performance structure before its Tour de France breakthrough, how the Bora Hansgrohe → Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe evolution changed the game, and what it’s really like living out of hotels for 160 days a year while trying to keep riders healthy, fast and winning.

You’ll also hear honest stories about brutal interviews, being thrown into high-pressure testing days in Abu Dhabi, handling difficult personalities inside WorldTour teams, flirting with burnout, and why John still gets his biggest kick from a domestique nailing their job or a development rider stepping onto a podium. If you love pro cycling, performance, or underdog South African stories punching in the big leagues, this one’s for you.

00:00 – Intro: Springboks, Saturdays & who is John Wakefield

02:22 – Present day: Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe & life in Andorra

04:40 – Growing up in Cape Town & school sport

05:09 – Surfing, speed and discovering motocross

06:41 – Injuries, rehab & first road bike with Jeroen Swart

11:29 – Starting Science to Sport & the first 20 athletes

17:27 – Taking Science to Sport to Girona & Europe

20:49 – The UAE Team Emirates phone call & N1 roadside interview

31:22 – Burnout, stepping away & why he almost left pro teams

37:13 – Inside UAE’s rebuild and the structure behind a Tour win

39:31 – Why South Africans are more world-class than they think

44:23 – From BORA to Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe: culture, budget & pressure

56:52 – Purpose, underdogs & what success means to John