Luca’s surname, Ruwiel, is Dutch. When loosely translated to English, it means rough wheel. One could say that he was destined to do something on off-road wheels!

Luca’s cycling journey began when he was just three years old. His parents put him on a small bike with training wheels, and off he went, cruising up and down the streets of Hermanus. His Dad quickly realised that those training wheels were not necessary. He promptly removed them, convinced that Luca was confident enough to ride on his own. Luca recalls his first off-road ride in Majik Forest on a red steel fixed-gear bike with 20" wheels when he was five years old. His dad remembers Luca following him through the forest, tackling all kinds of obstacles while singing. He was in his element.

Luca competed in his first MTB race at the age of 11, surprising himself and others by finishing second. He went on to win his next race, igniting his desire to compete and win. The following year Luca competed in his first Western Cape XCO race where he finished well down the field. This only inspired him to do better and a year later he was the South African Champ.