BORA hansgrohe German Professional Cycling

Josh Johnson is the New South African U19 Time Trial Champion

Josh Johnson during the South African ITT championships 2025. (Photo: Karen Mackridge)

At the South African Cycling Championships last week, U19 rider Josh Johnson claimed the South African U19 national time trial title. It was Johnson’s first victory in his first race for grenke - Auto Eder.

A perfect debut. Josh Johnson's performance at the South African U19 Road Championships, held From February 7 to 9, couldn't have been better. The 16-year-old talent from Grenke - Auto Eder, the U19 team of Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, delivered a strong ride in the junior individual time trial, claiming the South African national title in impressive fashion.

On the 22-kilometer course in Midvaal, Johnson showcased his skills, stopping the clock at 26:51 minutes with an average speed of 49.162 km/h—a performance that underlined his potential in his first year in the U19 category.  “This victory means a lot to me,” Johnson said after securing the title. “It’s my first national championship win in U19 and my first victory for Grenke - Auto Eder. A perfect way to start the season and a big motivation for what’s ahead.”

While the ITT race went perfectly, the 138-kilometer road race on Sunday presented a different challenge. In a chaotic race around Midvaal, heavily influenced by race control’s decisions, Johnson was unable to fight for victory due to a race neutralization and ultimately finished in fifth place. “Of course, I had bigger expectations for the road race,” Johnson admitted. “But sometimes, things don’t go as planned, and you can’t control the circumstances. Still, I take a lot of positives from this weekend. I’m excited for what’s coming next and can’t wait to race with the team in Europe.”

David de Klerk, Performance Coach on the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies development team, was satisfied with Johnson's performance: “I was really pleased with Josh’s performance in the ITT. I knew going in that he was the likely winner if he put in a good ride—and he delivered a fantastic one! To win by 58 seconds on a 26-minute course is a strong statement. For the road race, there are always more variables at play. Unfortunately, due to organizational circumstances, he didn’t get the chance to truly race for the win. It’s a shame how things played out, but he showed strong form regardless.”

Results

Photo: Karen Mackridge