Johnny Koen, ex-professional rider and now television commentator, does not hesitate when asked about what he considered to be his favorite race when he was still actively racing.

“Definitely the Zoo Lake Criterium. Horse racing has the July Handicap race and South African cycling has the Zoo Lake Criterium. When I was still racing, it was not unusual for a crowd of up to 20 000 spectators to watch the race. This created an amazing, festive atmosphere.  For me it was as if I could feel electricity in the air and that helped to get my adrenaline pumping.”

The MTN Zoo Lake Criterium was the one race that Koen could never win, no matter how hard he tried.

“The first time I competed in the Zoo Lake Criterium was 1978 when it was also the last stage of the Rapport Tour.  The Italian rider, Albert Salvi, and I managed to get away in a break and then the two of us contested the final sprint.  Salvi made sure that he won by forcing me off the road.

“I was furious but I forced myself to stay calm.  When asked afterwards whether I thought I could have won, I said I didn’t know, but I knew I could have beaten Salvi. That is cycling!

“The next Zoo Lake Criterium took place in 1980. You won’t believe who won. It was Mike Thomson, father of Jay Thomson from MTN-Energade.  I was again 2nd.  I think I managed to finish second five times and in the eight times that I have competed in the race, my worst finish was 10th.

“The biggest mistake I made every time was to try to outride Alan van Heerden during the middle section of the race, because I knew that he was the one rider that would beat me in a sprint to the line. Unfortunately, I wasted a lot of energy in battling it out with Van Heerden. That cost me dearly because every time I just did not have enough power left in my legs for the final sprint. That led to me being beaten by sprinters whom I usually would have put away on any good day.

“In those days, before we professionals started with our race, there was an executive relay in which teams, consisting of three riders each, competed.  It was a big happening.  I think in one year nearly 400 teams competed.  I am convinced that the MTN Zoo Lake Criterium played a major role in getting Joe Average interested in cycling.

“We professionals really enjoyed watching the relay, because it was often hilarious.  At the change-over one team-mate had to push another from the grass onto the road.  Those days we rode with toe-clips and many of the riders’ bike-handling skills were not that good. It meant that riders crashed into each other during the change-over, or they fell because they could not get their feet out of the toe-clips fast enough.  It was a rough and tumble affair, but everybody enjoyed it.

“I rode the Zoo Lake Criterium for the last time in 1990. I did not have a good day in the saddle, but still managed to finish in the top ten. I think Lourens Smith was the winner that year.”

Thanks to MTN the Zoo Lake Criterium is a permanent fixture on the South African racing calendar and promises to bring cycling back to the masses.