The BATS Network 

Robyn joined me as an Assistant Coach in 2022 after I have worked with her as an athlete for many years. Robyn is a former professional mountain bike athlete with an elite racing career spanning nearly two decades (2005–2023). Renowned for her consistency, resilience, and tactical racing ability, Robyn competed at the highest level of international marathon mountain biking (XCM), representing South Africa with distinction on the world stage. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sport Psychology and a BSc (Med) Honours in Exercise Science (Biokinetics), combining academic excellence with real-world elite performance experience. This unique blend allows Robyn to approach athlete development holistically—integrating physical conditioning, performance psychology, and long-term athlete wellbeing. In 2019, Robyn founded THRIVE, a performance-focused coaching platform dedicated to sustainable athlete development, durability, and resilience across endurance sports. She specialises in mountain biking, with a strong focus on marathon (XCM) performance, durability training, and athlete longevity. Career Highlights •🏆 6 × South African XCM National Champion •🥉 Bronze Medal – XCM World Championships •🥇 Winner – Swiss Epic •🥇 Winner – Montafon Extreme •🚵 Cape Epic •10 Stage Wins •General Classification: 🥈 ×2 | 🥉 ×2 Connect 📧 robyndegrootsa@gmail.com 📱 +27 83 682 1486

Nicol is a former professional cyclist and performance-driven coach based in South Africa. With experience racing at elite level and now coaching full-time, Nicol specialises in evidence-based endurance development using the BATS methodology. His coaching approach combines long-term athlete development with data-driven decision-making and practical, race-specific preparation. Working primarily with cross-country and marathon mountain bike athletes, Nicol focuses on building sustainable performance through structured progression and clear performance metrics. Coaching Disciplines - XCO (Cross-Country Olympic) - XCM (Marathon Mountain Bike) - Youth & Junior Development - Elite & U23 Athlete Pathways Connect 📧carstensnicol96@gmail.com 📱 +27 79 330 7844

Louis is a former South African professional cyclist who progressed through the national development pathway before racing in Europe with professional teams. His racing career highlight came when he won the South African U23 National Road Race Championship, marking him as one of the country’s leading young talents of his generation. Having gained valuable experience competing internationally, Louis transitioned into coaching, where he focuses on helping cyclists train smarter, improve performance, and build confidence through structured development. Having worked within Barry's environment during his own racing journey, he now contributes his experience to supporting riders across multiple disciplines. Connect WhatsApp: +27 61 180 5212

Jaco is a former South African professional cyclist who spent more than a decade competing at the highest level of international road racing, including the UCI WorldTour. During his career he raced all three Grand Tours — the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España — as well as all five of cycling’s Monument Classics, a rare achievement among South African riders. A powerful and respected teammate known for his relentless engine and race intelligence, Jaco was crowned South African Elite Road Race Champion in 2016 and came close to major international victories, including a fourth place on a Giro d’Italia stage and a near-win at the Vuelta a España. Originally starting in mountain biking before transitioning to the road, Jaco travelled the world racing the sport’s biggest events before retiring from international professional racing in 2019. Since then, he has returned to his multi-discipline roots, competing in mountain biking, gravel and road events in South Africa while focusing on athlete development and coaching. Having worked with Barry during his formative years as a rider, Jaco now collaborates with Barry to help guide the next generation of cyclists — sharing the experience, knowledge and mindset gained from racing at the very top of the sport. Connect Email: venterjaco87@gmail.com WhatsApp: +27731697708

Lorenzo Mottini, known as Coach Lore, is a Switzerland-based cycling coach who supports athletes through a human-centred coaching philosophy grounded in both personal growth and performance development. His approach combines structured performance analysis and data-driven insights with a strong focus on the individual athlete — recognising the importance of self-awareness, adaptability, and the ability to navigate external environments within sport and life. Rather than pursuing performance in isolation, Lorenzo’s coaching emphasises long-term development, clarity of purpose, and sustainable progression. At the core of his work is the belief that self-awareness is the foundation for lasting performance, guiding athletes toward meaningful improvement both on and off the bike. Cycling discipline - Mountainbike Cross-country - Mountainbike Marathon - Gravel Cycling - Road Cycling Contact Phone: +4179 422 86 84 Email: lorenzo.mottini@bluewin.ch

David Low recently joined the coaching environment as an Associate Coach, expanding his knowledge within the BATS methodology while contributing decades of experience in athlete development. He is the founder and Head Coach of Tipping Point Coaching, a KwaZulu-Natal–based programme established in 2013 and built around a passion for cycling and long-term athlete growth. With more than 25 years of involvement in mountain biking, David brings practical racing experience together with structured coaching education. He is a UCI Level 1 & 2 certified coach and has completed the Cycling Australia Level 1 & 2 Coaching Courses. In 2003, he earned South African Colours, representing the country at the World Championships in Lugano — a milestone that continues to shape his athlete-centred coaching philosophy. In December 2021, he launched the Tipping Point Cycling Academy, supported by Brink Towing Systems and additional global partners. The academy focuses on identifying and nurturing young talent through structured coaching, mentorship, and clear development pathways toward elite racing opportunities. http://www.tippingpoint.co.za/

Brandon is a versatile and dedicated coach with extensive experience across both high-performance and developing athletes. Working in conjunction with Barry Austin for the past eight years, he has helped guide riders at junior, U23, and elite level, while also supporting corporate athletes in achieving their performance goals. He has built a strong reputation for developing time trial specialists and well-rounded stage racers, combining tactical insight with a calm, objective coaching approach. Still actively competing on a UCI Continental team, Brandon brings current elite-level racing insight directly into his coaching environment, ensuring his athletes benefit from both practical experience and structured, performance-driven methodology. Connect: WhatsApp: +27 72 187 6959

Marcio is a Brazilian endurance sports coach with a Master’s degree in Sports Science from Universidade Estadual de Campinas (2013). Expertise in exercise physiology and biochemistry, applying science and technology to optimize athletic performance. He has certified over 500 coaches in performance metrics for running, cycling, triathlon, and MTB. Also coaching amateur and professional athletes, integrating multidisciplinary collaboration with physicians, physiotherapists, and nutritionists. He provides personal training, remote coaching using wearables and apps, and consultancy services for endurance athletes and coaches. Marcio Lazari is performance consultant for Famiglia Squadra Pro Cycling (road) and MTB coach for Gen2Rise youth team in Brazil.

Emma is a Brisbane-based cycling coach, mountain bike skills instructor, fitness instructor, and founder of Bike Life Coaching. I’ve been riding and racing bikes for just over 10 years, after first discovering mountain biking at the age of 41. The fact that I’d barely ridden a bike before this made mountain biking an interesting midlife “hobby” choice, to say the least, but it’s one I wouldn’t change for anything! From those early rides, where I simply struggled to stay upright, I developed my love of riding. I’ve gone on to race everything from XCO, CX, XCM, Solo 24-hour, multi-day bike packing events & even a few local enduros - but it’s the endurance events that appeal most. I consider myself to be very much an everyday athlete. Even so, I’ve achieved things that my younger self would never have believed possible and have podiumed at local, state, national and world championship (WEMBO) level in my age group. Some of my proudest moments, however, are more about PBs than podiums: learning new skills, riding 100km for the first time, riding 200km for the first time, completing 300km in a 24-hour mountain bike race and, in 2025, completing my first ABSA Cape Epic. Fast forward ten years, and it’s safe to say that off-road cycling has taken over my life! I am a mountain bike skills instructor, working with beginner to intermediate riders, and run instructor courses for AusCycling, Australia’s national cycling body. I am also an accredited cycling coach, with a particular focus on helping other everyday athletes juggle work, family, life and training. This is my passion: helping others to achieve their own fitness and performance goals – regardless of whether they are training to race, complete a cycling event, prepare for a cycling holiday, or simply want to get fitter and ride faster. This is my purpose at Bike Life Coaching: helping everyday athletes achieve their cycling goals. Contact Website: https://bikelifecoaching.com Email: admin@bikelifecoaching.com Instagram: @bike.life_coaching