Bester Performance is a sports development and management company focused on growing the sport of cycling through attracting sponsors to our beloved sport, managing professional cycling teams, coaching athletes of all ages and levels of experience to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
More about Shaun-Nick Bester – Director of Bester Performance
Shaun-Nick has been racing his bike professionally for over 10 years. He has raced all over the world on the road bike and mountain bike. He competed in world championships, world cups, UCI races on both disciplines.
Cycling achievements:
- 1st overall Joberg2C GC – 2019
- 1st overall Cape Pioneer Trek – 2019
- Multiple medalist in the South African Championships for road, time trial and mountain bike
- Multiple race, stage and overall race wins 2007-2019
- Gold medalist at the All African Games – 2015
- 1st Vuelta al Besaya Internacional UCI 2.1 – 2009
- 8th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – 2009
- 11th UCI XCO World Cup – 2009
- 25th UCI Road World Championships – 2009
Shaun-Nick is also a UCI certified coach and helps athletes of all ages and levels of experience reach their full potential and goals.
He is also the owner of a professional mountain bike team and manages the sponsorships, publicity and runs the team on a full time basis.
What our athletes have to say
Name: Gert de Lange
Age: 44
Cycling Discipline : Mountain Bike (XCM)
I started cycling in 2015, and back then thought training entails getting on your bike and riding 20 – 40 km with your buddies. Later on it became joining your buddies on 100km challenges, that took more than 7 hours. But come race day, there was no improvement in my times or position. The next 3 years I was with 2 different coaches, but still did not see any improvements.
In October 2018 I joined Bester Performance Coaching, with professional cyclist Shaun-Nick Bester as head coach. It was after this that I realised why I never saw improvements, it is because there wasn’t a training plain in place. With Bester Performance Coaching, my structured training plan was set up on Training Peaks, and I could see exactly what my training session for any day would be. It was also developed in such a way that I will be on peak form come race day. No guess work, all based on scientific methods and HEAPS of experience and knowledge from coach Shaun. He monitors training sessions daily and can immediately tell if some adjustments are required, or if it is time to take a break.
But, many of my old training buddies and friends would ask me, why would someone at my age, not a professional athlete, join a coaching program and put in all the hard work. I guess it comes down to commitment, and in my case I have a competitive streak in me. If I do something, I want to do it to the best of my ability.
So, at my age, since joining Bester Performance Coaching, my power-to-weight ratio increased by 23% !! I enjoy cycling more than ever, as I can now also tackle the climbs with confidence.
Coming back to racing – just some highlights of the improvements made during 2019:
- Barberton XCM – improved time with 1 hour
- Bielie Mielie 3 day stage race : finished 9th overall and 2nd veteran.
- Nissan Trailseeker SA Champs: 3rd Veteran
- Cowhouse Winter MTB : 4th Veteran
- Nissan Trailseeker Cullinan : 1st Veteran.
- Finished Nissan Trailseeker 2019 half marathon series as 1st veteran
Lastly, coach Shaun is also the head coach of Hoërskool Montana, where I used to be team manager for a couple of years. Since he took over, we have seen the school going from strength to strength. This year history was made when some of the Bester Performance athletes finished 1st in their age category for the province in the Spur XCO series.
In short, whether you want to be a professional cyclist, or just improve your general cycling fitness, and most of all want a coach that will also be your friend, join Bester Performance Coaching.
Name: Deon du Toit
Age: 21
Cycling discipline : Mountain Bike (XCO / XCM / XCE)
My coaching experience prior to Bester Performance was quite extensive, having been coached by 5 other high profile coaches I expected the shift to Shaun-Nick to be nothing special and only be a minor priority . Boy, was I in for a surprise!!
After an extensive chat about my strengths and weaknesses Shaun-Nick guided me in the direction of what best suited me. That decision would lead to me winning the Elite South African Championships in XC Eliminator.
The issue I had with previous coaches was the inability to see my unique set of skills and strong points, they would only conform with the norm and create a training plan that suited a XC Marathon rider, where Shaun-Nick actually understood that my body was different.
My training program was adjusted to suite my muscle type and preferences. A customized training program makes a massive difference!!