Whatever Happened to John-Lee Augustyn?

Imagine that you are a passionate cyclist immersed in a two-wheeled holiday through the heart of Italy. The terrain is varied, complete with tough climbs, sharp descents, breathtaking scenery and even a peak into the Giro 'd Italia on one of the days. You are guided by a longtime Italian resident, a soft-spoken fellow with a distinctly South African accent. He exudes the ease and grace on his steed that is reserved for only a select few – perfect symmetry and pedalling stroke that is best described as supple. Imagine finding out that this guy has suffered on these very roads, and thousands more, has won obscure races in faraway places, been a formative member of cycling's first “super team”, and has even fallen off the side of the highest paved road in Europe.

Sound far-fetched? Well, no, not actually.

For a while, John-Lee Augustyn was one of the top young prospects in world cycling. Having left his hometown of Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) upon completing high school in pursuit of cycling glory, John-Lee's career trajectory indicated he would most likely follow in the footsteps of his countryman Robert Hunter and be a sought-after rider at the very sharp end of the sport. He adapted well to the rigours of European racing, especially when the road went upward, and his results were encouraging. But then it all went quiet. After a series of injuries and ensuing comebacks, John-Lee simply disappeared, quickly becoming yet another afterthought, another statistic, another prospect relegated to the proverbial “boulevard of broken dreams”.

So, whatever happened to John-Lee Augustyn?

'I think I've finally found my place,' says John-Lee. 'An occupation that excites me. I was doing a bit of bike tour guiding on the side when I was working for an online bike retailer but then the pandemic hit, and tourism just died. So, I went into carpentry for a while. Since the world opened up again, cycling tourism in Italy has increased exponentially. So, I'm back in the bike-touring business again with Italy Bike Tours. And we're super busy! I enjoy interacting with our clients and helping them improve their riding. Plus, I'm heavily involved with our logistics and maintenance of our bikes. It's a broad role but I like it.'

It was in 2007 that John-Lee first arrived in Italy. Having signed for Team Barloworld after a stellar amateur career, 20-year-old John-Lee was part of a group of young riders signed by team manager Claudio Corti to beef up the ranks. And it was on the back of some good results in Asia the preceding season that secured him his place.

'Because Konica-Minolta is a Japanese company, we were invited to compete in the Tour of Japan,' he explains. 'Fortunately for me, there was some mountainous terrain, and I won the stage to Mount Fuji, eventually finishing second on GC. While it was those results that attracted Barloworld's attention, we had a really good racing program at Konica-Minolta, so I was exposed to a variety of racing styles internationally. The team was well organised and it was the ideal place to develop."

While John-Lee's rise indicated a possible Grand Tour start in his neo-pro year, a crash at the Tour of Portugal ended any aspirations of lining up for a three-week tour. But 2008 would be a different story.

'I broke my leg in Portugal and was sidelined for the rest of the season. It was a tough time – when cycling is your life and you can't train and race, you have a lot of time on your hands. But I did learn guitar during that period, and Rob Hunter was very good to me, inviting me to stay at his place while I was recovering. But eight months later I was on the team for the Tour de France.'

John-Lee's name is synonymous with Le Tour 2008. Cresting the Col de la Bonnette in a breakaway group, a stage win was a distinct possibility. And then he crashed on the descent, going off the road and tumbling down the mountainside with his bike. A scramble back up the scree and rejoining of the race ensued, where he finished the stage oblivious to the world-wide reaction to his dramatic accident.

'I didn't know the whole world saw the crash,' he remembers. ' It was only after the stage that I realised the magnitude of what had happened. The press was going crazy. But when I think back to it, I realise that I was very lucky. I've got friends who have suffered life-changing accidents.'

But John-Lee's life did change after his Alpine drama. Barloworld announced the following year that the team was ending, he signed for the fledgling Team SKY and, unbeknown to him, his best racing days were over. A whirlwind chain of events indeed, as he both enthuses and laments.

'Look, we were all disappointed that Barloworld was stopping. It might have been a small team, but it was super well organised. And the people were awesome. Guys like Rob Hunter, who was a great mentor to me, as well as Geraint Thomas, Steve Cummings, Daryl Impey, Chris Froome – we're all still friends. And the staff too – Gary Blem and Hanlie Fouche, for instance, all got jobs with top teams. Several of us actually went to Team SKY in 2010 and had incredible success. But I was unfortunately not destined to be one of them.'

It was that crash in Portugal that came back to haunt John-Lee. Whilst adapting to Team SKY's innovative approach to pro cycling, his hip and lower back just didn't want to play ball. It was time for an intervention.

'Dr. Jeroen Swart convinced me to come to Cape Town for a scan on those problem areas,' he explains. 'The MRI revealed avascular necrosis of the head of the femur, and we decided a hip resurfacing would be the best course of action. But I was out of racing for eight months. Even when I was able to resume training, I was never the same again.'

Signing for a small Italian team meant a lesser racing program, but John-Lee sucked it up, determined to continue. The magic, however, was just not there. A year-long hiatus ensued before he attempted a comeback with MTN-Qhubeka. But by May 2014, it was all over.

'It was a difficult decision, but Doug Ryder was very understanding and supportive. He offered me a sports director role in the team, but I was married by then and didn't fancy 200 days on the road. I ended up spending a year in Cape Town after that – my old coach Barry Austin asked me to help manage his U23 team and get involved with his coaching business, which I enjoyed. But my wife and I were wanting to start a family by then, so we returned to Italy.'

For John-Lee, though, it was always going to be a case of "what might have been". Embracing Italian culture and lifestyle was one thing – rueing the loss of his professional cycling was but another, resulting in some dark days.

'It was hard to watch my peers go on to great success in cycling,' he says, with obvious reference to Froome, Thomas, Impey and so on. 'But then they didn't have it easy either. Leaving SKY and riding for much less money on a smaller team while everyone else seemed to be on the upward curve was difficult. Having to quit the sport was even harder and I sank deeper into depression. I eventually got help and managed to get myself together again.

'Tour guiding saved me really; it is something that excites me and gives me a sense of purpose. Plus, the behind-the-scenes work is something I thrive – building the bikes, managing our warehouse and so on. Cycling is what I know so it's great to make a living from that, albeit not as a racing snake.'