And away she goes
Ciska Austin breaks from the peloton on the road to cycling redemption
● Last month Ciska Austin rode into town as Cycling SA’s first female president armed with a mandate to clean up the sport.
Someone had to break from the peloton and show leadership and Austin got the job.
Cycling requires an overhaul and its reputation needs mending. “I want the cycling community to trust me, but that is going to take time,” Austin concedes. “Have things gone wrong in the past? Yes. This means my task is a little harder as there is a reputation to rebuild. Money has probably not been wisely spent in the past,” she sighed.
Upon her election last year as vice-president, she started a review of the business model and the governance of the federation as part of her Masters degree in European Sports governance.
“Being part of the management committees meant that I had insight into the daily and financial management of the organisation. A number of the financial review committee members, including myself, expressed concerns into the financial management of governmental projects and unilateral decisions taken without approval by the executive committee.”
Restructuring on the cards
An investigation found financial irregularities in the reporting of expenses related to the Tour of Limpopo. “Those responsible are no longer associated with the federation and the matter had been reported. We have since come to an agreement with the Limpopo Tourism Authority to correct this,” said Austin.
“I want much stronger governance and financial austerity and ultimately I want to put faith back into the federation.”
At a special general meeting in May the sport’s restructuring is set to be rubberstamped. Austin says it will improve governance and accountability, but it will also position cycling better as a business entity.
To that end she identified eight business pillars to help make cycling a more attractive proposition not just in drawing more participants but to stimulate corporate interest.
They include tapping into the skills of the affiliates, transforming the sport demographically and in the way it is managed, as well as accentuating assets.
There is even talk of the Rapport Tour being restored to the calendar.
“We don’t just want sponsors, we want to grow with partners. I’d like to see if a consortium of external parties can come together.”
She agrees cycling is a niche sport and that it needs broader appeal. “We’re not even in the top 32 sports in the country.”
Austin is confident however the sport has and will continue to branch out. “There is a transition between road cycling and mountain biking,” said Austin, who also talks up gravel racing and cyclo-cross.
Austin has given herself a time frame. She’s out front, but whether she is leading cycling on the road to redemption will only be clear to her in 18 months.