Welcome Aboard Johann van Zyl

I (Nate) started Catalyst Coaching in October of 2015. In August of 2017, Jim Peterman joined me. I think anytime someone starts their own business they can be really protective of it. I put so much into starting Catalyst, and my personal livelihood depended on its success, so for a long time I was very afraid of bringing more people on. When the opportunity to work with Jim came about it was an easy question to say yes to. Jim is someone I already knew really well and is an expert in his field of exercise physiology. I knew that I would enjoy working with him and that he would bring knowledge I didn’t have. Since Jim joined, I’ve thought many times about adding another coach. However, it’s taken me a long time to find someone that is the right fit. Having put so much into starting the company always makes me a bit nervous and resistant to change. When I had the chance to bring on Johann van Zyl, I realized immediately we had to do it. Johann simultaneously meshes with mine and Jim’s coaching ideologies, yet broadens our horizons and the knowledge we can collectively provide to our athletes. When we bring on a coach we are not just bringing on one coach for one athlete, we are bringing on someone that strengthens the company and contributes to the crosstalk we have that trickles down to all our athletes, whether they’re coached by Johann, Jim, or myself. With that, I am really excited to add Johann to our team of coaches, and I want to share a bit more about him.

Johann started cycling at the young age of eight years old. He instantly fell in love with the sport and from the beginning had his sight on becoming a professional cyclist. On his way to his first professional contract in 2013 with Team MTN-Qhubeka, he went on to win multiple National Titles on the Road and Track. Johann has participated in the World Cycling Championships on four separate occasions and claimed his first professional victory as a neo-pro at Tour of Rwanda. He has a solid reputation as a valuable domestique in the peloton with multiple personal results to back his ability. 

Johann joined Team 303 Project, a Boulder-based Continental team, for the 2019 season. He took on the role of road captain, which significantly improved the team’s tactical experience and brought the riders closer together. This showed in the team’s performance  as they enjoyed a successful racing season and racked up some impressive results. It was also the perfect transition year, as Johann started to shift his focus from racing to coaching. 

Now, after a successful racing career, Johann is excited to share his experiences and knowledge gained racing as a World Tour Cyclist through coaching. While racing, Johann worked closely with top-level coaches to find every possible percentage where performance could be improved. Improving athletes goes beyond just looking at power files but also includes close attention to recovery, nutrition, equipment, and racing strategy. This attention to detail and constant urge to seek improvement, beyond just riding the bike, but by working on the complete lifestyle of being a professional athlete is what sets Johann apart from other coaches.