On the penultimate stage of the Tour Down Under, I was given the chance to experience the race from a totally different perspective – from inside the Skoda VIP vehicle as part of the race.
My driver and guide for the day was John Robertson who is flown by Skoda from South Africa to drive the vehicle for them at both the TDU and the Tour de France.
John was formally the manager of Barloworld, who were the first African team to compete in the Tour de France. A true cycling aficionado, he has been driving for Skoda for the last three years and it was soon apparent why the moniker the Skoda Stig fitted.
His role within the race and his opinions on the cycling in general made for a very interesting day.
Dylan: Tell me about your role at Barloworld?
John Reynolds: Well the team was conceptualised to be the first African pro cycling team to compete at the Tour de France. Barloworld provided the funds and I was initially given free rein to take the team forward. At 33 I was the youngest manager in the peloton and I was both daunted and super excited by the role.
And did the age element count against you at all?
I don’t think my age created problems directly, it was more the new ideas that I brought to the table. You have have to understand that back then there was a very established way of doing things and there was a French/Italian axis that very much dominated how teams operated with most team managers having been in place for ever and a day. I came in with a new set of ideas and I met quite a lot of resistance.
What sort of ideas did you bring to the table?
Well the very idea of Barloworld being a team with English as a common language was quite revolutionary back then. I also believed women should play a bigger role within the team and in fact my PR person and main soignier were both women.
This might be a lot more normal now but 10 years ago it was considered an affront in what was very, very male dominated environment. I still find it hard to believe just how poorly those women were treated at the start – they showed commendable fortitude to stick it out.
Was Lance Armstrong’s treatment of his female soignier a reflection of the misogyny that existed within the peloton at the time then?
Ostensibly yes, but I think Lance’s treatment of her was more to do with an attempt to discredit her following her whistleblowing. The Discovery team were like Barloworld in many respects in that they were looking to introduce ‘new world’ ideas to the sport of which an increased female representation was one initiative. I personally felt and still do feel that women are naturally far better suited to the soignier role and I think that is being recognised by many more teams now.
And why were the French and Italian teams so much more conservative in their approach?
Well you’ve got to remember that guys like [Giancarlo ] Ferretti at Fasso Bartolo were in their 70s and had been managing teams since forever. There was very much a set way of doing things and that was just how it was.
For example, post-race it was standard that every rider would be given just a baguette with ham on it. The team would wait until 9pm every evening to have dinner and hence half the time the riders would be bloody starving until then. Pretty amazing when you consider what we know about the importance of replenishment in the hour after a race but that was just how it was done back then.
As manager of Barloworld I tried to bring in a more scientific approach and place a far greater emphasis on what the riders were eating and drinking. Back then half the teams were using a sugar supplement in the riders’ drinks that you could buy from the local supermarket for example.
Sounds like you were a bit of a pioneer then?
I wouldn’t go that far but for sure a number of the ideas we introduced regarding nutrition, especially regarding reducing gluten intake and using juices to get the calories in without big issues of digestion, have been increasingly recognised as being beneficial. I look at Sky’s attention to detail and the dietary approach they have and I certainly think that Barloworld led the way in that regard.
And did team success follow from this new approach?
For a young team I think we did really well and the initial concept of having an African team was one I was very proud of. We also played a significant role in the development of Chris Froome, who is very much in the running for the Tour this year.
That’s right I remember reading somewhere that Chris had been at Barloworld. What were your impressions of him back then?
He was incredibly tough and phenomenally determined to improve. I remember the first season we had him racing in Europe when he was totally unfamiliar with the Alpine roads. He simply could not come to terms with the switchbacks and I remember on his first race he must have come off four times.
We had three Chrises on the team back then and we kept hearing on the radio that ‘Chris has fallen off’ so we were never totally sure who was down. Every time we went to pick up the pieces though who would we find but Chris Froome.
Battered and bruised as he was though he wouldn’t quit and just kept going and his skills just improved out of sight the more he rode. I also remember his training rides for which he always taped food to the bike to save him having to stop.
He knew exactly what power output he needed to maintain and hence on a six hour training ride rather than stop to eat he would simply keep on going to maintain the intensity while most of his peers were stopping for coffee halfway through. Looking back it is no surprise he is where he is now.
Do you think Sky have played a big role is this development too?
Undoubtedly and I think that is why Chris so is loyal to them. Sky have simply taken the view that they will do everything better and there approach has definitely played a role in developing all the cyclists in that team.
Did you know on the Tour de France they send guys ahead to each hotel to change mattresses where required, install AC if needed and set up their own section for the chef in the kitchens?
Their attention to detail is phenomenal, especially when I consider how the teams were operating back in my time as a team manager.
So you buy into this idea that it is the little extras that have made the difference?
If by that you mean do I think there is more to it the answer is no. I truly believe we have turned a page on the drug front and in my opinion Sky are leading the way in that regard. They have really applied a scientific approach to cycling and the training camp approach they have taken is simply awesome.
With the biological passport, the Whereabouts program and a new generation of cyclists coming through, things have changed dramatically and I am optimistic about where things stand now.
And how does that compare to when you were managing Barloworld between 2003-05?
Sadly I would say that at least 80% of riders were ‘on’ something back then. It was just how it was and it annoys me greatly now to hear some of the riders of that period being all holier than thou and taking the moral high ground when I know they were doping just like the majority were.
So that is to say that members of your team were doping too?
Within the Barloworld team is wasn’t a systematic program but yes it was going on. As a team manager I chose to just turn a blind eye.
I knew some were doing it but it was so much a part of the culture back then you just tried to not incriminate yourself. We did what we could to discourage riders but it was a vicious circle for them so we just tried to make the best of the situation.
By doing what?
By not getting caught. For example before the Classics we would always test the riders for their red blood count and if it was ever anywhere near the limit we simply sent them home. I never asked them how it had happened but it was a given that you’d do whatever you could to protect the name of the team.
So you weren’t surprised when Lance confessed?
No not at all, as anyone involved in professional cycling in that period knew what was going on. The difference with Lance was that he basically took doping strategy to a new level. Whereas other teams were perhaps all using the same few doctors in a bit of ad-hoc manner, Lance brought a level of detail to the process that was unprecedented and led to the success he had.
So the notion that Lance was still the strongest regardless of the drugs is a fallacy in your eyes?
No not really. I still think Lance was the strongest rider of his generation as he had an incredible motor. The drugs basically made it a more level playing field – without the drugs you simply couldn’t compete.
But that isn’t necessarily the case anymore?
Look it would be naive to think that it is no longer going on and I could name a couple of the big name cyclists I’m pretty sure are still following the old way. Overall though I really think we are on the right track and from what I see there has been a huge culture shift in the right direction.
And what about you John, would you ever get back into team management?
Well I am still involved but now it is with managing a female mountain bike team in South Africa, which is a whole lot less stressful. Given the chance though, I would certainly be tempted to get back into managing a pro team again.
That said I really enjoy the VIP role I have with Skoda now as I still feel part of it but the pressures are considerably less than managing a team of 28 riders.
I’ve had conversations with people who were involved in the sport during the Armstrong years and the level of reticence to actually answer straight questions has always disappointed me. It was great to come into contact with someone like John, who simply told it how it was.
For his candour as well as an awesome day in the car I am very grateful. Cheers John.
Fancy a wager on your favourite sport? Head on over to PlayUp for great odds and friendly customer service and pick a winner. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Australia's Jai Hindley has said he is "lost for words" after a shock stage victory at the Tour de France earned him the leader's…
Australia's Jai Hindley has said he is "lost for words" after a shock stage victory at the Tour de France earned him the leader's…
Tadej Pogacar has won a drama-packed Tour of Flanders, winning in a breakaway with Matieu van der Poel second, Mads Pedersen third and Wout…
Women are not allowed to compete in the Tour de France. However you choose to re-read that sentence, the fact remains: the most famous…
The jam-packed month-by-month quiz full of 2022 sports trivia!
Australian Grace Brown has won silver in the women's time trial, the first event at the world road cycling championships.
