Serious about the sport. Serious about the people who ride it.
Veloworld is a cycling coaching business in Cape Town, built on one idea: cycling changes people, but only when it's coached well.
(01) FOUNDER & HEAD COACH
MARCEL VAN DER POLL
Marcel holds a UCI Level 3 Diploma, the highest coaching qualification awarded globally. He is the Western Cape Mountain Biking Commissioner and one of only six accredited PACE psychometric tool practitioners.
Marcel founded Veloworld in 2015 with a specific frustration: he had watched too many talented young riders burn out before they turned seventeen, pushed into training loads their bodies were not ready for. The alternative was not to coach them less seriously. It was to coach them effectively while building a love of the sport for life.
That became the Veloworld Development Pyramid. Eleven years on, the riders who came through it include world champions, Cape Epic finishers and provincial colours recipients. Many of them are still riding and competing. That second fact matters as much as the first.
Marcel also coached Phillimon Sebona, whose Ithuba Developments academy now shares a coaching platform with Veloworld and opens elite race pathways for young riders across South Africa.
UCI LEVEL 3 DIPLOMA
Cape Epic top-100 finisher
Marcel van der Poll
Founder & Head Coach
UCI Level 3 · Cape Epic top-100
Jani Jordaan
XCO Championship Winner · Double Century 2025 Team Winner
Coach
Coach
Seth Barton
Regular WC Enduro Podium Finisher
Aidan Redman
Coach
Student. Gravel Rider
Nina Immelman
Coach
Junior Rider Coach
(02) COACHING TEAM
THE COACHES
A coach's qualification tells you what they know. Watching them run a session tells you about their skill, passion and commitment.
(03) VALUES
FIVE VALUES.
ONE CULTURE.
01
FUN FIRST
Fun isn't a distraction from performance. It's the foundation of it.
02
RESPECT
The culture we build on the bike shapes who we become off it.
03
FINISH WHAT YOU START
We build riders who don't quit, on the road, the trail or in life.
04
Grateful athletes are coachable athletes.
GRATITUDE
05
TRAIN WITH PURPOSE
Every drill has a reason. Our brand promise and our daily practice.
These core principles are the non-negotiable foundation of every coaching session we lead.
(04) AMBASSADOR PROGRAMME
THE RIDERS WHO
LEAD THE RIDERS
Veloworld riders aged 16 and older, with at least two years in the Performance Programme, may be selected as Ambassadors. As custodians of Veloworld’s values, they help set the standard for younger riders by joining coaching sessions, group rides and other coaching activities.
As Ambassadors, they take on greater responsibility, lead by example and wear exclusive kit designed just for them.
(05) PARTNERSHIPS IN DETAIL
WE DON'T DO THIS ALONE.
Ithuba Developments - Phillimon Sebona
Ithuba means opportunity. Phillimon Sebona's academy is a South African cycling institution; a non-profit that has lifted young riders out of townships and onto the start line of the Absa Cape Epic, and into professional development setups. Marcel coached Phillimon. Today the two share a coaching platform, and Veloworld and Ithuba athletes train within the same ecosystem.
For our bucket-list adults preparing for major stage races, that shared expertise is a direct advantage.
Master International - The PACE psychometric tool
Your mindset plays a vital role in your performance. PACE is a self-assessment that maps an athlete's mental performance across thirteen dimensions: focus, resilience, competitive mindset, self-belief and more. It benchmarks the results against norm groups, including elite athletes.
It shows a rider exactly where their head is strong and where it is costing them races.
tiletoria
tiletoria invests in the next generation of riders. Their sponsorship supports our Development Group, for riders aged 12 to 14. They bring funding and practical support, from water bottles to training essentials.