Kim Le Court-Pienaar’ s rise to the top of women’ s cycling has been a bit like a bike race – a mix of breakaways, mechanicals, and moments where she wasn ' t sure she had anything left to give. There have been long, lonely stretches out front, carrying the hopes of an entire country, and crashes and setbacks that could have ended it all before it even started. And, eventually, there has been a sprint to the line – the kind where you ' re not certain your legs will hold, until suddenly they do. And it’ s pure elation.
The Mauritian has become the first African rider to wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France Femmes and the first African to win a stage of the race – which she’ s now done twice. She won Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes last year, she’ s a four-time Cape Town Cycle Tour winner, and more recently the overall winner of the Tour of Britain.
And she’ s done it all in the most unconventional way possible, forging a path where nobody from her tiny Indian Ocean nation has ventured before.
“ I never imagined anything like this. When I was younger, I was just riding my bike because I loved it. I didn’ t grow up thinking I would become a professional road cyclist, never mind win stages of the Tour de France,” admitted the 30-year-old.
“ Even when I started racing professionally, the idea of being where I am today felt very far away. I think that’ s what makes it so special. It has been a long journey, with a lot of ups and downs, and I’ m still sometimes trying to realise how far I’ ve come.”
Things could have turned out very differently after Le Court-Pienaar contracted malaria as a three-year-old and her parents were told she was unlikely to survive.
“ I obviously don’ t remember it myself because I was so young. It’ s something I’ ve learnt about through my family and what they’ ve told me happened,” she explained.
“ It is strange to think about because, when you’ re told that you came so close to dying as a child, you obviously wonder what could have been. But I don’ t really think about it in a dramatic way every day.
“ For me, it’ s more something that reminds me how precious life is. I’ m very grateful to be here and to have had the opportunity to live the life I’ m living now.”
That life could also have been very different had she accepted a soccer scholarship to an American college she was offered at the age of 14. But she chose cycling instead. And while an early trip to compete professionally in Europe didn’ t work out as planned, it ultimately pointed her in the direction of mountain biking, where she won the 2023 Cape Epic with Vera Looser. That victory, in turn, led her back to the road, and it was her husband – mountain biker Ian Pienaar – who reportedly contacted every pro team available to secure his wife a place.
It was eventually AG Insurance-Soudal who signed her up – and Le Court-Pienaar has ensured they’ ve never regretted that leap of faith.
Even after all her success, road cycling is something she’ s still getting used to.
“ I think I’ ve got much better at it, but I still don’ t think I will ever completely love riding in a big bunch,” she explained.
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“ When I first started road racing, I was so uncomfortable with how close everyone was riding and how quickly things could change. On the mountain bike, you have your own line and you can control a lot more of what is happening around you … I’ ve learnt to trust myself and the riders around me much more, but I still have moments where I think: Why are we doing this?” That question is answered every time she crosses a finish line in front – which seems to be happening rather a lot lately. But she’ s still hungry for more.
“ I still have plenty of dreams,” she said.“ I think winning a Monument was already a huge one for me, and winning stages of the Tour de France is something I never thought would happen. But I don’ t want to just look back at what I’ ve achieved.
“ I would love to win more big races and keep improving as a rider. And obviously, the dream of winning a World Championship is always there.
“ I don’ t know exactly what the next big thing will be, but I’ m not done yet.”
Fuelling her all the way is the thought that the trail she’ s blazing could just be inspiring the next young Mauritian cyclist.
“ That’ s probably the biggest thing for me. When I was growing up, I didn’ t really have someone from Mauritius doing what I wanted to do and showing me that it was possible.
“ If a young rider in Mauritius sees me and thinks:‘ Maybe I can do this too,’ then that means a lot to me.
“ I’ m very proud to represent Mauritius. It’ s a small island, but there is a lot of talent there. Sometimes people just need someone to show them that the door is there.”
Asked what kept her motivated when there wasn’ t that clear path to follow, Le Court-Pienaar reckoned:“ I think I’ m quite stubborn. Maybe sometimes too stubborn! But I always believed I could do something with cycling, even when other people probably didn’ t see it … There were moments when it was really difficult financially, logistically and mentally, but every time I thought about stopping, I felt like I would regret it.”
There are certainly no regrets now, and as she returns to her home in Somerset West towards the end of the year, she can look back on a phenomenal season. But beyond the titles, jerseys and glory of victory, it’ s the simple love of riding her bike that still excites her.
“ I love being on my bike and exploring places. Even after all these years, there are still days when I get on the bike and think,‘ This is pretty cool.’
“ At the end of the day, I think I still do it because I genuinely love riding my bike. Everything else comes after that.” www. modernathlete. co. za 27