Mountain bike champion makes the switch to the road : “This is the perfect time to step out of my comfort zone”

Alan Hatherly, a professional mountain bike rider from South Africa, made history at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games by securing the bronze medal. This achievement marked a significant milestone, as Hatherly became the first African and non-European to win a medal in the men’s mountain bike event. The race saw Tom Pidcock clinching the gold, successfully defending his title from the Tokyo Olympics.

In a surprising turn of events, the 28-year-old Hatherly has now transitioned to road racing, signing with the WorldTour Team Jayco AlUla. This move comes on the heels of an exceptional season in which Hatherly also won the gold medal at the World XC Championships in Andorra.

Hatherly expressed his excitement about this significant career shift: “I am incredibly excited about this new chapter in my cycling career and very grateful for the opportunity to ride for Jayco AlUla for the next two seasons. I think this is the perfect time to step out of my comfort zone and develop myself even further. The switch to a WorldTour road team is of course something completely new for me, it will be a steep learning curve and I will learn from the best.”

Brent Copeland, Team Director of Jayco AlUla, spoke highly of Hatherly’s potential: “Alan has clearly had a breakthrough season in that discipline and it shows he has much more to offer.

“We are delighted to be working with such a talented rider and believe that our strong support network within the WorldTeam setup is something that Hatherly will benefit from. He has a lot of talent and clearly a lot of potential and we believe he can go far on the road.”

With his proven talent and newfound opportunity, Alan Hatherly's transition to road racing marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in his career.