French Broad Classic Criterium

                                                                                               Image Credit: Ash Smit

 

I find myself strangely excited with the return to what was my bread and butter last year. Yes, skinny wheel action and more specifically criteriums…

 

After racing a couple of crit’s in the USA last year, I remarked that we didn’t have ‘real’ criteriums in South Africa and hence I found myself in front of a steep learning curve. “My love hate relationship with criterium racing” rings a bell…

 

Come Sunday, I will be lining up at Century City with the Lights by Linea team to take on the final race in the Lights by Linea Hero Challenge Series. Strangely enough, I have not yet managed to do any of these crits and from what I have seen I am proud to say they look like REAL crits!

 

Sunday will be the warm up if you will for next week’s: Bestmed Tour de Boland where I too will be racing with the LBL boys. The four day tour precedes the Cape Argus Pic n Pay Momentum Cycle Tour come the following Sunday (that event name is for real, no kidding!). The Tour de Boland which a couple of years ago was one of my first tours on the road kicks off with a 20km time trial and is followed by 3 road stages, with the final stage finishing atop the beast of a climb that Franschoek Pass is.

 

The Argus, as it is better known as will be raced after a day’s rest. As the biggest timed event in the world with 35 000 participants it carries a certain amount of prestige to win it, even though it is affectionately known as the “Fun Riders World Champs”. It won’t be easy to win it and despite what some may say, in the South African domestic cycling world, being the Argus Champ carries more value than being the National Champ!

 

Until next week then, ciao!