As he stepped into the Lampre-Daikin campervan, Brent Copeland felt his heartrate rising. By now in his late-20s, Brent had already spent seven years plying his trade in European cycling. Starting off as an aspiring elite amateur rider in Switzerland in 1994, he then assumed the role of soigneur at the elite and then professional level. And now his unplanned trajectory had taken another step; he was now the youngest sporting director in the upper echelons of professional cycling. And as he explains, it was a role that made him particularly nervous.
'I was only 27 years old then,' remembers Brent. 'Lampre-Daikin had promoted me to the role of sporting director (DS) because of a change in the UCI rules at the end of 2000. Up until then, I'd been working for the team as a soigneur but had always driven the second team car in the race convoy. The rule change now required the second car to be driven by a DS and because I already had a DS license, the team asked me to assume the role. It was a little nerve wracking in the beginning to say the least.'
But the source of Brent's butterflies weren't the added responsibilities required. It was more a case of a young buck telling the established stars what to do racing-wise.
'I remember being petrified before that first meeting. Here I had the likes of Oscar Camenzind, Frank Vandenbroucke and Franco Ballerini sitting in the campervan and I had to outline the race tactics for the day and instruct them what to do. Ballerini was fantastic, though. He was instrumental in helping me feel comfortable around the riders and instilling proactive communication. He made me feel in charge. From then on, the task of earning the rider's respect was a little easier.'
A quick internet search of “Brent Copeland Cycling” doesn't reveal much. Sure, there are references to his current role as General Manager of Team Jayco Alula as well as his being president of the AIGCP. But there is little about how a guy from Roodepoort who now calls Como home has steadily risen up the managerial ranks of professional cycling. Which begs the question, where did it all start?
'The massive climbs of the Alps and the Dolomites fascinated me from an early age,' Brent explains. 'So, I was already dreaming of turning pro from my days at John Orr Technical School in central Johannesburg. My military service put my cycling aspirations on hold – I wasn't selected for the SADF sporting division – but I started racing for teams like Woodstock Cycles and Lanco and gradually built myself up as a rider. But Europe was my real goal, although I didn't want to follow the other South African riders who went to Belgium; the terrain and racing style there didn't suit me. I needed hilly races, so I started writing letters to the Italian, French and Spanish federations asking for opportunities on amateur teams. Needless to say, I got no replies.'
Fortunately for Brent, though, an introduction to a man of influence turned things around.
'I got to meet Sergio Bianchi through my friend Andy Lambert. Sergio had connections at Velo Club Lugano, which was one of the bigger amateur teams in Europe and their racing program suited my strengths. He offered me a place on the team for the 1994 season, so I made my way over to Switzerland with high hopes and realistic ambitions.'
To say that the level of racing was a shock to Brent's system would be correct. Not only that but niggling issues such as visa requirements, and an absence of disposable income made things challenging. But he rolled with curveballs thanks to his own steely resolve as well as another one of those guardian angels.
'The team manager could see I was battling financially and offered me part-time work in his bike shop. So that helped enormously with rent and food. But these were the days before the EU, so visas required to enter the individual European countries. Being on a South African passport made things difficult so I missed out on a lot of race days as a result.'
Brent raced for VC Lugano for three consecutive seasons. Racing in South Africa complemented his European exploits, which included selection to the national team for the 1996 Rapport Toer. And while he continued to chase the pro racing dream, time was running out to earn that elusive contract with a professional team.
'I had given myself until the age of 25 to turn pro,' he says. 'That was my limit. I was planning on returning to South Africa when our team acquired a few Japanese riders. The management asked me if I would be interested in looking after them in a mentorship and carer role so that is how my start in the staffing side of cycling began. I enrolled in various courses and certifications such as massage therapy, sporting director, team management and the like and this enabled me to also manage the South African national team for two World Road Race Championships. I became a jack of all trades and really served my apprenticeship by the time the offer to work for Lampre came around.'
As is this case in many spheres of life, favors and recommendations can prove reciprocal. Case in point a young South African talent from the East Rand turning heads around that same time.
'I'd seen Rob Hunter beat Malcolm Lange in a sprint in South Africa and knew he was getting offers from teams there. VC Lugano were looking to fill their roster, so I put Rob's name forward. He made an immediate impact upon his European debut, gaining a stagiare position with Mapei later that season. And once he was established on Lampre a few seasons later, Rob was instrumental in my obtaining a working role there.
A decade of sports directing at Lampre followed. Brent honed his craft there, learning from the likes of the legendary Pietro Algeri .
'Pietro was the master DS,' he says. 'He didn't rule with an iron fist and taught me the delicate balance between friendship and respect in a team environment. He knew how to create a good working atmosphere.'
A few years working in the MotoGP industry followed ('Ben Spies made me an offer to work on his team - another great learning experience'), but pro cycling still beckoned. Brent eventually returned to Lampre as general manager after a short spell with the fledgling MTN-Qhubeka first forays into the European scene. From there it was on to helping Bahrain-Merida get off the ground before Gerry Ryan made him an offer to manage Jayco-Alula in the COVID-19 year of 2020. And it is in the GreenEdge Cycling organization where Brent is still immersed.
'I still attend about 80 race days per season, but my role now is far more of overall manager,' he says. 'Jayco-Alula has 180 personnel spread over four teams, each with their own level of autonomy. So, there is a lot of overview work. Communication is key as is having the right people in their respective functions.
'Added to that is my being president of AIGCP, or Association of Professional Cycling Teams. We represent the interests of the teams when dealing with UCI, who I've actually just been meeting with in Switzerland.'
Interestingly, with three decades on the Continent, not to mention calling Como home (he was enroute there from Aigle during this interview), Brent has lost none of his South African accent or inflection. How much English then does he converse in these days?
'I speak Italian at home to my family but day-to-today working communication is primarily in English,' he says. 'You know, it's funny, but I'm still a bit of novelty over here given my South African roots. People still can't believe a non-European who didn't race professionally is a GM in the World Tour, not to mention heading up a rider representative body.'
