Modern Cyclist Magazine Issue 3, November 2014 | Page 19

“I

am willing to sacrifice my entire life to become a pro

cyclist.”
While he said this, Joshua oozed the sort of confidence and

self-belief that you only see in successful people 10 years his
senior.
“But I also know that I am not a leader,” he said, “because
I don’t have the strength to be a leader like Louis Meintjies.
Instead, I know and understand that I’ll be a worker.”
And it’s exactly here where Joshua’s major stumbling block
lies.
“I can say that most of the junior level cyclists in South Africa
now are workers. We are all good racers and good riders but
none of us are leaders. So, for us to be noticed as workers for
the top teams, it is difficult. How do you show a team that you

are strong and can sit at the front of the bunch for hundreds
of kilometres and not pop?”

“In fact,” expanded Joshua, “90% of the professional road cycling
peloton comes from the track. So I’m pretty much following in the
footsteps of the great Mark Cavendish, Bradley Wiggens, Geraint
Thomas who all did what I plan to do. And it worked for them, so
why can’t it work for me?”
Joshua took the opportunity to air his v