I am a race winner and I have a very ‘attacking’ style of racing. Together with my European experience, I am further developing myself as an all rounder/ puncheur rider having ridden for the ProTouch Continental Team for 3 years. I am ranked 5th in South Africa, 13th in Africa and 374th in the UCI World rankings.

“I continually strive to be a winner. My goal is to always exceed my own personal boundaries and expectations”. Jayde Julius.

HERE IS MY STORY – I started cycling when I was 13 years old on the track, which was my initial introduction to racing. I surprisingly won my first race -1 500 m scratch. I rode away at the start of the race, and just stayed away. This became my racing style, which my sponsors have delighted in, as it provides them great exposure in both televised and online features of events.

I was introduced to the ‘versorger’ of the Belgian National Team – Rik Keyearts – a man with many talents on the professional scene at the time. He invited me to a training ride and thereafter, I was invited to race in Belgium for 2 months in that year. I wanted to race in Europe so, I decided to continue my schooling in Belgium at the Ronse Cycling School. In between schooling and racing there, I came home to race in South Africa. As an U16 cyclist, I was placed 3rd at the SA ROAD Championships and 1st at U16 NATIONAL TOUR (Stage Race). I did well the following year, as I finished 2nd in the U16 BELGIUM CUP, alongside many of the Belgian future stars at the time.

I am a natural mountain climber and I capitalise on this talent when I am racing. I have ridden for a number of local teams, who catered for U23 racers (Bonitas and Dimension Data). At the same time I have represented South Africa as a Junior in all the Youth Olympics, World Championships, Nation Cups around Europe, Switzerland and Spain. I also represented SA as an U23 rider at Richmond (USA) World Championships, Tour of Flanders, Cote de Picardie, Giro di Toscana (Nation Cups) and rode for South Africa at the 2019 African Games (Morocco).

HERE ARE SOME OF MY 2019 NOTABLE RESULTS:

1 SPRINTERS CLASSIFICATION JERSEY; 2 TOP 10 GENERAL CLASSIFICATION FINISHES; 8 TOP 10 STAGE/CLASSIC FINISHES; 9 TOP 20 STAGE/ CLASSIC FINISHES; PART OF THE TEAM THAT WON THE GOLD AND SILVER MEDAL AND GOLD MEDAL FOR THE TEAM TIME TRIAL AT AFRICAN GAMES [MOROCCO]

• LA TROPICALE AMISSA BONGO – UCI 2.1 – 856km – 8^th Place Mountains classification; 1^st Place Sprinters Classification (most Points)
• TOUR DU RWANDA – UCI 2.1 – 958,7 KM – Part of Team that took Stage 1 – 1^st Place KOM; Stage 2 – 2^nd Place KOM; Stage 3 – 6^th Place KOM; Stage 4 – 8^th Place KOM; Stage 5 – 9^th Place KOM; Stage 6 – 10^th Place KOM; Stage 7 – 8^th Place Points Classification
• SA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Road Race – 8^th Place; Time Trial – 5^th Place
• AFRICAN CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 8^th Place (Road Race)
• LE TOUR DE LANGKAWI – UCI 2.PRO – 528 KM – Stage 2 – 10^th Place; Stage 5 – 10^th Place
• 100 CYCLE CHALLENGE – UCI 1.2 – 100 KM – 1^st Place
• TOUR DE LIMPOPO – UCI 2.2 – 475,8 KM – Stage 1 – 5^th Place; Stage 4 – 10^th Place; 10^th Place GC; Part of Team that came 2^nd Place Overall
• COURSE CYCLISTE DE SOLIDARNOSC – UCI 2.2 – 887,3 KM – King of the Mountains Classification – 3^rd Place
• CHALLENGE DU PRINCE – UCI 1.2 – TROPHEE DE LA MAISON ROYAL – 2^nd Place
• CHALLENGE DU PRINCE – UCI 1.2 – TROPHEE PRINCIER – 1^st Place
• AFRICAN GAMES – TTT – Part of the Winning Team
• TOUR OF CHINA I – UCI 2.1 – 1116,9 KM – Part of the Team that finished – Stage 1 – 7^th Place; Stage 3 – 4^th Place; Stage 5 – 3^rd Place, Points Classification – 5^th Place
• TOUR OF CHINA II – UCI 2.1 – Part of the Team that finished – Stage 1 – 10^th Place; Stage 2 – 5^th Place; Stage 4 – 1^st Place; Points Classification – 4^th Place
• TOUR OF BINZHOU – 329 KM – Stage 1 – 4^th Place; Stage 2 – Part of the Winning Team.

Next week, I return to Gabon to the start line alongside a World Tour Team [Cofidis], two Professional Teams from Europe [Total Direct Energie, Nippo Delko Provence] and four other Continental Teams [Bai – Sicasal-Petro De Luanda, Natura4ever – Roubaix Lille Métropole, Dukla Banska Bystrica], and eight national teams [Cote-D’ivoire, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Algeria, Rwanda, Eritrea and Gabon] to compete for the general classification. Follow me on social media to keep in touch and follow my journey.

This is Part One on My Story – follow me on social media to keep in touch and follow my journey.