Hello and Welcome

Enjoy the ride and listen for the scream of joy on the trail.

 

EuroTrip '10

 

Windhaag

21 June
I was looking forwards to this race, after we had a good practice session on this ultra technical course. It was fairly dry still and we were all stunned by the steepness of “Höllenloch” and Burgruine.  It took me a few attempts before I finally got down the burgruine drop.
It was a whole different ball game on race day though, it also rained through the night but didn’t stop like the previous day. No sun to dry out the course a bit and what we rode through was worse than Albstadt the weekend before. I didn’t ride down one of the long drops, it was just too scary for me. Mannie still organized us some better tyres to ride the mud after I had forgotten my mud tyres in Karlsruhe. But even with these was I not going to take a chance. On the climbs I went well for a change but the rhythm was gone. Slipping and sliding through the corners was not bad as one got a feeling for it as the race went, what was bad was the chainsuck. Riding in big blade seemed to be the only option but at parts it was just too steep.
After they had shortened the race one lap before the race and yet another during, I finished in 17th place after 7 laps. Luckily today it is still raining today otherwise I would have freaked.

 

Albstadt Bundesliga XC

13 June
Today I was not feeling great in the race. I don’t have my normal physical or mental push that I normally have in XC race. Maybe the reason for this was that it had rained overnight and the course was just one mud bath. Team mates Phil and Francois raced in the morning as there was a separate elite and u/23 race and then already I saw how the guys just pulled out of the race due to breaking stuff on their bikes and it was still raining so the course didn’t change over the day.
I was pushing on nicely the first two laps after a slow start again and then my troubles also started. Slipping gears, me slipping, bending drop out, jumping gears, having fun though. I used this race to practice my riding skills in the technical mud.
In the end I was lapped and pulled from the field in 32nd place, making my day just a bit grey. Luckily Germany played their first WC game and 4 nil after we had a good time chilling with the organisers.
This week the team all go separate ways as it is ‘do your own thing’ week. I will be going to my good friends Gaby and Ralf in Karlsruhe to catch up on two years absence.

 

Saalbach

11 June

We are deep in the mountains. Saalbach-  Hinterglemm is where we are. This is a mountainbiking mecca in summer and of course a winter paradise for skiers. But of all the biking valleys in summer this has got to be the best. Home to adidas freestyle, people here do lots of work to attract riders of all ability to come visit. Hotel guests get a Joker card with which they can ride any ski lifts as many times as they like, for free. This comes in really handy if you love the downhills more than the uphills.
Famous bike guide Reini was there again and together with him and other guests we criss crossed the mountains like goats. And reini never shows weakness. We basically rode all day leaving at 10 and only returning at 5 or later, visiting the Alp huts for the best food and drink this side of the Mediterranean Sea. But now the legs are tired, I’m sure the hill riding will pay off soon.
Thanks to Bike Hotel Conrad for having us again. The most biker friendly hotel in the world!

 

Alpen Tour Trophy

6 June

It is a great feeling to finish a tough MTB tour, especially when it is in terrain that is pretty unknown to the ones I normally do. Together with my team I took part in the 4 day individual stage race AlpenTour Trophy in Austria from Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 June.
What seemed to be short stages in comparison to what we normally ride in South Africa was a shock to the system at the end of each day. Coming into the finish exhausted after 65 km just tells you that, even on pretty smooth terrain, riding uphill all day is not easy.
Day one started uphill immediately and the road didn’t point down for the hole first hour and some. The stage was altered due to snow on the next mountain so we were sent on the finish loop, just to ride the first hill up again, luckily only half way. It was enough for the day. I finished in 16th position, way off to what we all expected to achieve in this race.
Day two was a shocker, after a bad start I went backwards all day. Luckily Francois still came from the back half way up the hill and together with him I struggled through the day. Even after going through a better patch from half way, Francois still thought this was too slow for him and left me for dead the last 10km. After having seen Philip at the front of the race at the start of the first climb I thought yes, this will be a good day at least for the team. But unfortunately I also caught Phil with 3 km to go. I finished somewhere in the 40s.
After such a bad day I just concentrated on the next day and even dreamt how I was riding uphill the net day. I could feel that this day would be good. This was also the Queen stage of the day with 70km and 2600m climbing. I decided to start a bit slower to avoid my lately regularly appearing bad starts. I was climbing much better and after the big climb of the day I heard some guy say the group I was riding in was riding for 9th place. I was still feeling good but there was still some climbing to do and the man with the hammer waits just around the corner in the Alps. After catching and being caught again by some riders and a battle between riders of my group I still ended up 9th and was pretty happy as it was only 7 minutes off the pace.

On the last day I was still on a bit of a high and was not feeling too bad but couldn’t produce the same results. It was the shortest stage with ‘only’ 52km and 1800m. There was one big climb and the finish was at the bottom of the downhill. Unfortunately I crashed in the snow at the top. Not serious but it wiped the chances of catching slower riders as the gap was too big now.
In the end I finished 21st overall. Not quite what I expected but I was still good riding and great experience once again. 

 

The first report from good ol’ Germany.
The first impressions were not so good as we landed with 7 degrees cold and rain. Luckily that was quickly forgotten as we were visiting our co-sponsors adidas at the Headquarters in Herzogenaurach. We went on a little tour in the walk of fame and also had good lunch and coffee in the ‘Stripes’ canteen.
After spending a day and a night in a fancy hotel we packed our cool Renault bus and headed for Offenburg where we were to race our first world cup. One more day in the cold and the weather turned for the better luckily. Francois Philip and I went to check out the course while still crazy slippery and had a bit of an eye opener and also bought some real estate in some real shitty places. The next day was much better and the course dried up well and everything was well rideable and the drops much more manageable.

The race itself on Sunday did not go well at all for all three of us. Phil broke his chain after half a lap, Francois trashed his tyre on lap 2 and me, well I just went backwards. Highly frustrated I was pulled off the course after 5 of 7 laps. Only in lap 3 I felt like I was going somewhere but it didn’t last long. I always pushed on but there was really a form low.  But still a great event to race with so many spectators, it’s absolutely mind blowing. Working on it to get out of this form hole though.

On Monday Karl Platt invited us to join him at Nürburg ring. This is the famous race track where, on open days, every dick tom and harry can come with which ever car and race. And obviously this place makes any motorshow in Africa a joke to visit. We were surrounded by Porsche and Ferrari and Lambos as if this was the factory. We all went for a spin in Karl’s GT3. Now I’ll try to give you an idea but I know I’ll fail horribly as I can actually not do it. I always thought it was somewhat manageable to do this but now I know that I will never be able to drive a lap like that in a race car to be totally honest. And no not even you! In the first few corners my vision literally blurred from the G-forces and the speed. What a rush, It was absolutely awesome. It looks so slow on TV. Anyone who has witnessed Phil go down a downhill will know he is a bit crazy and you would think he would love the thrill. He nearly threw up in the car!

Yesterday we went for a good bike ride with Karl again and then drove to Garminsch-Patenkirchen to take part in a marathon this weekend. We decided to skip the XC in Switzerland as it was way off route and logistically a little complicated. Luckily there are a few options on weekends here so a marathon it is.
Till the next post.

 

 

Mr Price Karkloof Festival

A MTBikers favouride festival (at least it should be) took place this weekend in Karkloof again. This superbly organised annual event is sponsored by Mr Price, synonymous to mtbiking in sa for a long time already. There was one change this year...the morning cold was gone! Thank you global warming.  (just one time I don’t mind) Normally we would freeze our asses off on those beautiful green polo fields but this year it was so pleasant. And you could see the appreciation of the weather by the turnout of people. I mean there are always plenty but this year there were more. The access was a bit annoying this year but I’m sure the organisers noticed and will change that again.
Our team was staying luxuriously on the farm with family Stubbs, what great hosts they are. Thank you for letting us take over. Luckily we are all well mannered and are not a hand full.

Racing wise it was a rollercoaster ride for me. I had food poisoning Wednesday night and slept the whole of Thursday to recover. I thought I was back to my old self but soon noticed I had only half the power. On lap one of the XC I thought I was going fast with pulse on the max when both team mate Francoise and Melt just rode away from me without saying good bye. There was nothing I could do and soon was handed down the ranks to finish disappointed. During the rest of the day I chowed down on take away spur burgers and some fluids to try get my body back into shape while watching the furiously fast freds battle it out in the sprint shoot out. It was pretty boring this year, the field spread out like an uncontrolled virus.

On Sunday I was loving the fact that I felt my long sleeve jersey was too much clothing already while warming up and was looking forward to the marathon. People were talking about all the sweet singletrail, which I missed last year due to injury. I missed the split in the start loop. Caught behind technically disadvantaged riders in the first trail, while technically super advanced riders, like my team mate Phil, went for a sprint prime back at the start finish, made me loose contact and the field once again split quickly. Soon I felt like I had some good power again and rode back to a group that was riding for 4th place. In this group were Melt, Brandon, Rourke and David George to name some. Melt pulled hard up the first climb and soon we caught Phil, who couldn’t follow the crazy pace of Burry and Kevin.

A friendly character had kindly loaded the track for me on my Garmin and it showed me where the start of key points in the race where. Brandon then picked the pace and I saw that we soon where to hit “the gauntlet”, a real mtb rollercoaster ride. That trail was way too short but we were immediately back into sweet forest singletrail, carrying on forever. Popping out at the other side we were heading straight on the mayor climb of the day, no more of those boring district roads like I remember.

Only me, Phil and Brandon were left and Brandon sat at the front all the way up to the top of the climb. On every corner I thought come on just go, but I held back cause I knew there was still lots of chance to blow, I’ve seen and felt it too often. I also already started to feel a little pull in my quads and I knew immediately, still low on minerals from my toilet hugging Wednesday night. Passing through more heavenly trails we were soon close to heading down the hill and then bang, I was forced to walk up a small climb due to cramp. Once that dissipated I was following a good pace and was catching back to my race mates. One more looong sweeping trail was another joy of the day, but was to no advantage in catching up proper, as both Phil and Brandon are excellent bike handlers. Back on the last district road home bang!...the cramps hit again, this time hard. I could see the muscles forming balls and as I stretch the quads, the hamstrings do the same. Horror. But that also went away and I was able to quickly dice home before another bunny was able to catch me. And so I finished 5th...which I am happy with. Was this story to dramatic? I was in the mood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MTN Marathon # 4 Clarens

 

It’s always the same with these cosy little towns like Clarens, it’s so beautiful and all the coffee shops and art galleries just feel like one could live there. Thing is, the weather is normally not my favourite. Maybe for a day or two but I love it warm, into the night. But that’s why we visit there right.

I wasn’t there to chill though, it was racing time again with the MTN Marathon #4 to be conquered. Mostly new route meant racing blind again. And luckily, my teammates and I pre rode the last 20km loop the day before. I knew we were in for a tough one. Basically riding on cut grass paths only ridden over with a motorbike 2 or three times. Hail to the Full Suspension.
I was really motivated for this race, knowing a top 5 was in it. The pack raced off on the gravel roads towards the Golden Gate Park, another new part, through soaking marsh land we went. It had rained during the night and even still when we all woke up. This did not hamper me though. Over eagerness/ bad luck stopped me dead though when my tyre came off through the first river crossing. I kept my calm but struggled a bit with putting a tube in to get going again. Afterwards I was just loving the mud bits to keep spirits high.

Then we hit the Golden Gate climb and I could see that the field had been ripped apart already which was good for me. I just rode my own tempo and slowly but surely reeled in the strugglers. The golden gate loop was also really brutal with no prominent paths, just mowed strips of grass, draining the energy out of you.

Thee second part was great as we rode this last year, it has really good technical singletrack. Only thing was that we came across the half marathon here this year which really spoilt everything. Still keeping the last loop in the back of my mind I kept it steady on the district roads and constantly picked up riders that went too hard. Cramps made a short appearance as I started the last bit. A quick stretch and a lot of drinking and the climb was a breeze. I saw Melt and Paul up on the climb but they were just too far ahead.
My efforts got me an 8th place, showing once again to never give up. I would have liked better, but that’s gonna come soon.
Results:
1: Kevin Evans
2: Mannie Heymans
3: Phil Buys
4: Francois Theron
5: Adrien Nyonshuti
6: Paul Cordes
7: Ben Melt Swanepoel
8: Marc Bassingthwaighte
9: Jacon Venter
10: Justice Makhale

 

The Garmin connect file:

 

 

 

 

MTN XC 2

I’m just gonna skip the epic part and go straight to the next race.
This weekend saw a race of my favourite discipline again. Off we drove to Pietermaritzburg again for the second round of the SA cross country series.
After a good rest and recovery in Namibia after the Epic, my spirits where a bit higher again, much needed to get a good result at a cross country. I was ill the whole week after Epic and was still battling a little bit with gastro last week. My body didn’t want to sort out this one on its own.  I really had no idea what to expect this time round, not really haven done any good riding other than recovery rides.
Once we were on the track on Friday I had a little taste of what I was capable of the next day and motivation picked up once again. Even the grey weather on race day didn’t bother me. This turned out to get better just before the race leaving the course in a perfect racing condition. Laps where cut from 8 to 7 laps due to weather, which wasn’t really an issue anymore. But this turned out to be a good thing as all ‘epic riders’ where suffering. I had a bad first lap but kept the front 3 riders in sight. After tasting blood for the next half lap I just forced a slower tempo and managed to find a good rhythm again and maintained the gap to the front, but never really gaining time. On lap 5 I decided I had to up my tempo to try close the gap only to have the momentum broken a lap and half later to re-inflate my rear wheel which had gone soft on me. A quick bomb and I was on the chase again but knew in the back of my mind that is was going to be tough especially with the fact that I couldn’t really push any gears up hill like I’m used to.
Unfortunately for team mate phil, and luckily for me, he had to stop just before the last singletrack due to cramps, which also made their presence felt in my own legs. This gave me the 3rd place overall and second in the elite cat. Matthys Beukes took the win about a minute ahead of me with Rourke Crouser following shortly.  Phil rolled through behind me and Mannie rode a good XC, with noticeable downhill fears to round off the podium. Mannie cracked his wrist at the same time last year here and that was where all his trouble started, so it is a good thing that it went flawless.
This week hopefully the legs will return to their good old self and maybe even a bit better, cause it’s a Marathon again next week!

 

 

 

Sani2C

Crazy how fast the races go by this year. Once again another Sani2C behind the rubber tread. Bad experiences where experienced, good times where had. It wasn’t the best Sani this year, one race where one tested more than the form again.
Unfortunately I came down in a high speed downhill. The tyre came off in the process and the tube we put in was flat soon after again. Luckily I wasn’t hurt too bad and I was able to carry on riding. Proof that one can learn how to crash. Funny enough it was right in front of the ambulance and the farm I crashed on was for sale too.

It was also my muddiest race I a long time but I won’t complain. I can take any on any condition and the bikes took a good beating without any hassle through the mud. Crazy how the equipment holds up in those conditions.  Day 2 was totally crazy, we basically raced each other blindly down a hill. There was so much mud in everyone’s eyes that we could have relocated that part of the forest to the finish line if we tried. Mannie and I missed out SKS shockboards there. We could have easily taken out 2 minutes on that part.

Day 3 was once again furiously fast and luckily also dry. Normally I am tired come day three but I had good power which is a good sign. Now I just need to work on my slow starts then things are looking much better already.

The Sani organisation once again lived up to their reputation and delivered us a superb event. The people there really know what the riders want, and they give without question. Lunch is served, coffee with OUMA rusks mind you! Or banana bread and doughnuts to feed the nation. Dinner of highest quality and a breakfast where you can choose from whatever you choose at your local food store. It’s all there. Queue at the flushing toilets or waste no time on the porta loos. Your choice in the morning. I already know now that this will be my favourite race for the year, again.

My form is not quite up there with the others yet, but I’m sure after the recovery time now that that will improve still. This year I am skipping the Giro and somehow think it is a good call. So many tours are tiring and I am testing a new way to be as fresh as I can be for Epic.

 

MTN XC #1 Rietvley

How results can change from one weekend to the next. But there are a few things that influence a good ride. It was finally time for a cross country race, the first of the MTN series.
During practice the day before I was already enjoying this time of riding again, technical single trail at high intensity, playing with other rider’s mentality. So I was well motivated.

The route was laid out on the Rietvley Zoo Farm in the south of Gauteng, a new course for many riders. It’s a great venue with lush green lawn everywhere, farm life, an awesome bike shop in a barn and a well run family cafe. 

Standing next to Burry on the start line was once again something special, even though I’ve raced him plenty times. I had the number 1 board, from winning the overall series last year. Something I’ll probably not see in a while now that burry is also elite.
I had the best start off the line and went all out from there, till I was totally broken half way through the lap. I had to give way to team mate phil who stuck my wheel, burry and rourke and a short while later Craig Paul. On the downhill later Brandon also passed, but never really got away. After recovering a bit and riding behind Renay and Oliver for half a lap, I made my way forward again and soon was back in a good third position behind Burry and Philip, who had built up a good lead in my absence. It was my goal to try and catch phil again but in the mostly singletrail route, which suits phil very well it was up to the power endurance to try and catch him.
The gaps came only down slow but in the last lap it came down fast but had to be happy with third just 20 seconds behind phil.

Yet I was totally happy with the way I was riding the race, always on the gas. That’s what I love about this racing, short and sweet and loads of fun. Burry showed us all again, finishing 5 minutes ahead.

Next I’ll be going home to my real home in NAM for 2 and half weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MTN Marathon #2 Barberton

 

After having felt what racing is like at the Attakwas 2 weeks ago I knew what to do this time round again. Stick with the front as long as possible at the start as the pace normally settles a bit later on.
The Barberton route has quite a technical start and the bunch is frantic to get to the first single track. Lose the front here and it’s hard to catch back to the front by the time the climb starts.

Burry Stander and Brandon Steward where pushing just a gear too hard for me here and although I could hang on, I had to follow my own pace at the start of the climb, losing the front. After a few vertical meters I managed to get a good rhythm and was able to hold the gap but not close it. This really is still soon in the season and I was happy with the way I was climbing up the first mountain.  Climbing between 20 and 10 seconds behind Ben Melt I had a good pacemaker and goal in front of me.  I wanted to catch him just as we crested the 1000m climb but a few turns in the last km made me lose sight of him. He must have upped the pace.  On the next really muddy downhill I also wasn’t able to catch up, rather seeing how the bike was going and not risking it here, only to lose a minute or two to melt.
Once the fog cleared and the road evened out I could see Jacques Rossouw close to me as well as melt ahead of him and Renay just ahead of Melt. Unfortunately Melt caught Renay just before a long open downhill and together they opened the gap a bit more as I was on my own still. Chasing hard down the rocky reserve part I spent a lot of energy and my levels were running a bit low once I hit the feed zone at 75km. I had also lost my bottle with pvm through the rough start trails.

I felt like I was crawling towards the second big climb just as long and hard as the first one. I was passed by a flying Matthys Beukes just before the climb. Once again I found a rhythm but not quite one as comfortable as at the start. I could catch a glimpse on Melt about a minute ahead on the climb but that was the last that I saw of him. Motivation held me back to finish the race off I a good manner and I was still passed by 3 more riders, including team mate Mannie, who showed no signs of a sore wrist and arm. That shows you how hard that man is. Don’t know any tougher guy in the field.  My shocks didn’t work throughout the race either so that also didn’t help to really love the rough terrain that was the last 30km of the race.  At least Joe’s no flats and maxis made sure I didn’t have any punctures this time.
In the end I had lost the race. I’ve learnt again though. I got tougher again. It took a day to put the puzzle pieces together again, but I’m ready for the next one!
The race was won by a flying Max Knox who apparently left Burry and Kevin looking for parking. Still it takes lots to come 2nd and 3rd.

 

 

 

 

MTN Marathon #1 Attakwas

Here is my 5 cents worth of the MTN Attakwas Extreme MTB Race. It is also my first web update for the year so I first need to get some rust off the typing fingers.

I can’t really tell you much how the racing went as I was spending time practicing puncture repares. My two days prior to the event were also not really any motivation as I had picked up a strange infection in my foot, some sort of tendonitis. I was struggling to walk but on the bike in the fixed shoe it didn’t seem to bother. It’s just not so cool when you wake up before a race and you can’t walk. I also had a tooth flesh infection which also brought the comfort level down a few notches. Nonetheless  I was looking forward to the race as I knew it was going to be hard and therefore also a good test for the body, a good prep race for the next races and all the other positive things a hard race brings too.

The punctures started early, about 5 k into the race already and they only stopped after 7. My legs were still fine at the finish but then again I only got to the finish an hour later than winner Kevin, who knew the route like the back of his hand and using all this to his advantage.

I have prepared my wheel s from scratch to make the tubeless seal leak proof since and of course on the training rides it kept in the air just like before the race.  So we’ll see at the next race. But this time i’m confident things will turn out differently.