Active Hobo

Premier Wednesday 15 July 2026

This special edition of The Breakaway explores the powerful connection between cycling, community and the lives changed by every race. Do cycling races really make a difference beyond the finish line? We travelled to the heart of rural South Africa to uncover the untold impact that events like Berg & Bush, Oxpecker and G2C have on local communities, speaking to farmers, residents and race orga...

Cutting weight for the Nedbank Gravel Burn is only half the fight. The other half is not losing the strength to survive it. Five weeks ago, Dave couldn't activate some of his own muscles. He didn't know where his body was in space. Now, deep into an 8-week calorie deficit ahead of a 750km gravel stage race across South Africa's Great Karoo, he heads to a biokineticist in Westlake, Cape Town, to bu...

The latest gravel superbike has arrived, and after spending time on the all-new Pinarello Grevil F9, it's safe to say this bike exceeded every expectation. In this review, we dive into its ride quality, comfort, handling, premium Italian craftsmanship, and whether its eye-watering price is truly justified. From high-speed gravel descents to technical terrain, we put the Grevil F9 through its paces...

At 13, she cried until the start gun went off — then she raced. At 17, she won the XTERRA Youth World Championship in Italy. At 18, Nadia van Wyk is just getting started. This is the intro. The full origin story episode drops very soon — subscribe so you don't miss it. Nadia van Wyk is 18, from Durbanville in the Western Cape, and competes in more disciplines than most athletes manage in a career:...

Bertus van Zyl is the chairman of Western Cape Schools Cycling, the structure behind one of the most overlooked grassroots sporting movements in South Africa. In this conversation he traces the whole arc: how a hobby with his own kids turned into running a province's entire schools cycling programme, the legacy of Meurant Botha and the Spur Schools MTB League that built the foundation this all sta...

Before I can race 750km across the Karoo, I need to know exactly what I’m working with — so I head to the world renowned Sports Science Institute of South Africa in Newlands, Cape Town, for a full physiological baseline test with Reece McDonald and Mark Stevens of Science to Sport. Body composition, lactate accumulation, fat max, VO2 max, peak power — every number gets measured, and not all of the...

South Africa's road cycling calendar is shrinking — and it's not because nobody wants to race. National commissaire Stephan Aucamp breaks down exactly what it costs to put on a bike race in this country, where the money actually goes, and why most events run at a loss every single year. Stephan is a national road commissaire and works at Cycle Lab, giving him a rare view from both sides of South A...

He and his wife sold their dining room table, cancelled their lease, and quit their jobs in 2023 to chase one goal: getting South Africa onto an Enduro World Cup podium. [NEWSLETTER / LINK] Jason Boulle is South Africa's 2024 Enduro National Champion, and one of only a handful of South Africans who have ever raced a full UCI Enduro World Cup season. In this episode he tells the story from the begi...

Join David Jenkins and REVIVE founder Mark Myerson for a conversation that spans continents, careers, and a deeply personal health journey. From Johannesburg to Singapore to Cape Town, Mark traces the entrepreneurial path that taught him what he wanted by first teaching him what he didn't. The turn comes quietly — weight gain, a vague feeling of wrong, and a deep rabbit hole of podcasts, doctors,...

Cam heads up partner activations and hospitality for Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling — Tom Pidcock's ProTeam. In this episode, he breaks down what that role actually looks like inside a professional race team, what big sponsors really want from their investment in cycling, and why the gap between what South Africa understands about sponsorship and what happens at the world level is enormous. He also t...

Former professional footballer and content creator Mike Morton joins us for a deep dive into the state of South African football, Bafana Bafana's World Cup chances, and the power of social media in modern sport. From playing at the highest level to building an audience of over 1.7 million followers, Mike shares the lessons he's learned on and off the pitch. We explore why this may be South Africa'...

The new Specialized Diverge 4 promises comfort, capability, and versatility—but does it live up to the hype? We put it through its paces on rough gravel roads, technical descents, and long endurance rides to find out who this bike is really built for. From the controversial Future Shock system to massive 50mm tyre clearance and Shimano's latest wireless GRX drivetrain, we break down everything tha...

Is the Elves gravel bike a hidden gem or just another carbon frame in a crowded market? In this review, we put the Elves through real-world testing, breaking down its geometry, handling, tire clearance, build options, and overall value. From rough South African gravel roads to race-focused performance, we explore who this bike is really designed for and whether it deserves a place on your shortlis...

In this conversation Tyler breaks down his new deal with Giant and Envy, what it actually takes to compete at UCI level as a non-continental team, and why he thinks South Africa is sitting on a generation of world-class talent that nobody is watching. He also gives his honest read on the 2026 Giro and who he thinks wins the Tour de France sprint stages. If you follow road cycling even loosely, thi...

Photographer Ewald Sadie joins us to break down the stories, techniques, and split-second decisions behind some of his most iconic cycling images. From shooting off the back of a motorbike during gravel races to explaining composition, motion blur, black-and-white photography, and race storytelling, this episode dives deep into what makes a truly powerful photo. If you love cycling, photography, f...

We took the Giant Revolt onto real South African gravel to find out if Shimano, comfort-focused geometry, and a more balanced setup can actually compete with the SRAM-heavy gravel scene. What started as a bike we thought we wouldn’t like quickly turned into one of the biggest surprises we’ve ridden this year. From brutal climbs and loose technical terrain to long-distance comfort and everyday ride...

A bunch ride in Cape Town. A couple from Wellington. And a chain of events that changed everything. Charl and Roxy Kemp join the Breakaway this week... and it's one of the warmest conversations we've had on this show. Also this week: the Giro d'Italia GC battle (Vingegaard, Pogačar, Van der Poel — and the eternal debate about boring vs brilliant racing). SA National Enduro Champs at Karkloof — Kei...

What does it take to run the world’s biggest mountain bike stage race? In this episode, we sit down with Shannon Valstar, race director of the Absa Cape Epic, to unpack her journey from growing up around endurance sport to leading one of the most iconic events in cycling. From behind-the-scenes logistics and creative event strategy to lessons from Paul Valstar and the influence of festivals like R...

The 2026 Giro d'Italia has a new-look leaderboard — and Jonas Vingegaard's cautious racing style is dividing opinion. Dave and guest Layla Schwellnus dig into the GC battle, debate whether Tadej Pogačar's absence has changed how we watch the race, and break down what Mischa Bredewold's Itzulia Women win means for the sport. Closer to home: the conversation gets real. SA Track Champs results, the W...

Sandra Sischka shares the incredible story of cycling from Portugal to Cape Town over two years with almost no prior bikepacking experience. From crossing the Sahara Desert to navigating conflict zones in West Africa, Sandra reflects on fear, freedom, hospitality, and the people she met along the way. This conversation dives into border crossings, survival, cycling culture, and what long-distance...

What does it take to build the world’s biggest mountain bike stage race from scratch? In this conversation, Kevin Vermaak unpacks the untold story behind Cape Epic — from years of financial pressure and relentless risk-taking to creating an event that transformed cycling in South Africa and around the world. We also dive into the future of gravel racing, the vision behind Gravel Burn, and why Kevi...