Horses for courses, this course didn’t feel like mine. The South African Marathon Championships took place over a brutal 95km and 3300m of vertical ascent over the last weekend.  I’ve just realised that this is about the 5^th time I’ve described the course as brutal in different manners, tells you something doesn’t it. The race would also be a dress rehearsal of sorts for the upcoming UCI World Marathon Championships later in the month and hence would give us an important look at the terrain we would encounter.

 

With so much climbing and an especially difficult final 21km loop, it would be important to spend your pennies wisely. With this in mind I started in a more conservative fashion than usual.

 

With the race passing through my parents farm I took the opportunity to promote ASS MAGIC, if you raced you may have noticed the Warthog’s ASS?

Expert feeding by my Mom 🙂

Image Credit: Alison Wakelin

 Long day.

Image credit: QuickPix

Image Credit: Boogs Photography 

Image credit: Alison Wakelin

 

Thinking back on the race there is not much more to write about, that would not otherwise bore you, so enjoy a couple more images than usual. Perhaps they will give you an inkling as to what it was like.

 

In a nutshell there was a lot of climbing, it was steep, there wasn’t much place to recover and the downhills were quite technical, again not allowing much respite. I’m happy with how I managed to ride on the day, equipment was good and I had a fantastic back up team with my Mom, Alison and Rob. In looking at where improvements could be made, pre-race there were elements that could be improved, sometimes things beyond control happen and you just need to roll with the punches and learn from your mistakes.

 

I did manage to have a good look at the world’s course; the nightmares that may result may not be such a good thing, but ultimately it allows a smarter race to be ridden in 3 weeks.

Last Feed/Tech Zone

Image Credit: Rob Gee

I guess I was taking a bit long so they had to keep themselves entertained in some way?

Image credit: Rob Gee

Image credit: Rob Gee

Image credit: QuickPix

Image credit: Rob Gee

Yawn, early morning start!

Some six years ago I lined up for the first edition of the Amarider 100 Miler. It was my second year at University in Stellenbosch and some 6 weeks before I had finished my first Giro del Capo. I had my head kicked in a bit at the Giro and motivation wasn’t high, so I didn’t train much. With a week to go and realising that I was going to be in for a long race, I did two 3 and a half hour, ‘long’ rides. Little did I know that they probably didn’t help much for the 8 hour onslaught I was about to take on in the pouring rain and gusting wind.

 

On Saturday I came a bit more prepared to the 100 miler. I had some good training and racing in my legs, my support crew for the day was fully briefed and I was eager to impress in my first outing in my new team’s strip. I had suspected that the main competition on the day would come from Johann Rabie (EAI Cycling/Bike Addict) who has recently come off winning the Joberg2c and placing second at the Sani2c.

 

The initial selection of 9 riders, including most of the stronger veterans was whittled down to four of us up the first major climb 60km into the race. This included Rabie, Tim Hammond, Quintin Myburgh and I. The steep punchy climbs shortly thereafter provided the springboard for Rabie to make the race harder and soon it was just the two of us left.

The initial selection.

Chasing Rabie.

As we still had some 100km to go we formed an allegiance with a powerful North wind which felt like it was consistently against us for much of the day, we would need to work together. I only found out at the finish line but we had managed to put some 15 minutes between us and the chasers.

 

Rabie had managed to ride away from me on the climb out the last water point at just over 140km and took the big W, after a solid day’s worth of bike racing, 6 hours and 160km or 100 miles later. I was pleased with my efforts and happy to repay Hanco and the Altech Autopage team’s faith in me. I was fortunate enough to have my ‘in-laws’ (Ash’s parents) as my support crew on the day and they did an amazing job of getting me fresh bottles and food, a big thank you to them.

 

With some heavy rain scheduled for Cape Town this week I’ll be dodging the weather as best as possible as I continue preparations for a busy month of racing in June. First up will be the SA National Marathon Champs, followed by the MTN Hilton Ultra Marathon two weeks later and then the big one, the UCI World Marathon Champs on the 29^th.

 

Upcountry Hanco raced the MTN Rooiberg National Ultra Marathon. Rooiberg is renowned for being a very rocky, rough and energy sapping course. After a strong start he finished 12^th in a competitive field. All in all it was a good weekend for the team and this gives us a good foot to work off from here.

Suffering to the finish.

All Images Credit: Oakpics

The newest and most exciting team to hit South African mountain biking, Team Altech Autopage Professional Cycling, is a coalition formed between professional riders Hanco Kachelhoffer and Chris Wolhuter.

 

The pairing have recently completed their first race together, the Old Mutual Joberg2c and along with two stage podiums, they managed to finish in 4^th place overall. Through the remainder of the year the team will be targeting the major one day and stage mountain bike marathons across South Africa. This will include races in the MTN national Marathon Series, SA National Marathon Championships, UCI World Marathon Championships, Altech Autopage Jozi2Kozi and the Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek.

 

With Kachelhoffer coming from a successful professional career spanning ten years in which he has ridden for most of the major professional road teams in the country and Wolhuter coming from a mountain biking background the duo will have a wealth of experience to draw on. More recently, Kachelhoffer has converted to mountain biking in the last year, whilst Wolhuter spent the last season racing for a team on the road in the USA, a reversal of roles if you will. Their backgrounds and experience should complement each other well, as they look to grow into one of the top professional mountain bike teams in the country.

 

The team will enjoy the backing of Altech Autopage as the headline sponsor, thanks to the passion from directors Thinus Dippenaar and Boyd Chislett. “We as Autopage are excited to be associated with two riders of the calibre of Hanco and Chris. We look forward to seeing some great results from these two talented cyclists under the Altech Autopage brand.” The teams co-sponsors include: Ingram Micro, NFB, Courier It. Equipment and nutrition will be supplied by: Rudy Project, Sludge Tyre Sealant, Squirt Lube, Continental Tyres, Hi5 Nutrition, Nike Vision and ASS MAGIC Chamois Cream.

 

Keep an eye out on the racing scene to see Hanco and Chris in action in a race near you soon. The team can be followed through their Facebook account here.

Joliviet Farm at the end of a tough stage.

Looking back on a week of racing through our beautiful country there are many memories. Although different race villages, terrain and the days are essentially blurred into each other now, I still think of snippets here and there and am reminded of something which puts a smile on my face.

 

The Ginger Ninja, AKA Hanco Kachelhoffer and I teamed up for the 9 day race under the Karan Beef banner. Fittingly the Ginger Ninja owns a red car, and this towed our home for the week, our off-road caravan. We weren’t going to be rolling with the plebs in tents this time!

 

Stage podiums

One of the first highlights of the week that come to mind is certainly our two stage podiums. The first came on the 4^th day of the race. We were in 5^th place with the Fedgroup Itec Connect team with some 20km to go, passed them 5km later and with the Ginger Express firing on all cylinders ‘all I had to do’ was sit Hanco’s wheel. A further few clicks down the road, we caught and passed a flailing Contego team. The last 8km drag on the mighty Sterkfontein dam wall, with a strong cross wind saw me deep, deep in the pain cave. I was fixated on my Garmin, begging the kilometres to finish quicker. We made it and enjoyed our first podium.

 

Our second podium came in a similar manner. The 6^th day and the queen stage of the race would see us leave Kamberg traversing the foothills of the Drakensberg to Underberg, (read alpine passes) which saw us summiting the first major climb in 4^th place. We kept the tempo high, caught and passed Contego over the top of the second major climb, and kept the pressure on to take a second podium behind the Cannondale Blend and EAI teams. We had also taken a significant chunk of time out of Fedgroup and moved back into 3^rd on the overall GC.

All aboard the Ginger Express

 

Being charged by rhinos

Five days into the race, a supposedly easier day we were thrown a major curve ball. Hanco cut a sidewall in the first 5km of the race. What resulted was a 40km time trial to get back to the front of the race. With the Ginger Express on full throttle we did make it back, after being held up in the traffic of other riders and a herd of cattle in the single track.

 

Now back in the front group we entered the Zulu Waters Game Reserve and would encounter further traffic from the vast amount of game. I spotted a lone Wildebeest running through the veld and shortly thereafter the front group had to slow as two Blesbok came hurtling across our path. Now Blesbok are not the biggest of antelope but nothing could prepare us for what happened next.

 

With the front group in a long line as we rode single track through the bush we saw 3 rhino! Two large adults and their young one, the young rhino seemed to be interested in us and started running towards us, uh oh not a good idea. Mom and Dad wanted to protect the young rhino from us seemingly dangerous cyclists and this resulted in them charging towards us at a fairly rapid rate. I was 4^th last wheel in the group and after our huge effort to get back I was not losing it, I put in a big effort to edge out the rhinos and hold my space. The last 3 riders thought it would be safer to slow down and let the rhinos do their thing. It was an exhilarating experience.

 

Community interaction

Something which the race organisers have done that I really enjoyed was involving the communities in each of the race villages. To the extent that each community will essentially run their race village in terms of catering and other services with the personal touch. Each community can use their own initiative as to what these other services may be. At times it was as simple as helping riders take their bags to theirs tents as they finished the stage(no easy feat after a 5 hour day on the bike), to some of the most amazing sweety tables, with cakes bearing life like resemblances of the race villages. Along with encountering such polite children from each of the schools involved, each village was special in its own unique way. These are major fund raising events for each of the towns and we certainly were looked after by warm welcoming people from many different walks of life.

Kamberg race village replica cake

Team camp

Stage 7, Sani2c trails.

Various organisations were also involved with the water points, which I could unfortunately not enjoy as freely as I did on the first day in ‘Koeksister Strategy’ but I do believe they each tried to outdo one another, nothing wrong with a bit of healthy competition.

 

Off the bike we had an awesome vibe in our Team Karan Beef caravan. Our generator sounded like a PW50 going at full throttle every time we fired up the coffee machine, much to the amusement of our fellow ‘high class’ campers. With a couple of the other teams also hanging out with us, many laughs were shared and I made some new great friends. The mountain biking community interaction with one another is in this sense awesome.

 

The race caravan

Sheldon, AKA the Hobbit did a great job as our mechie/soigney and worked tirelessly throughout the week, his efforts were appreciated by us immensely. Once again we entrusted the body panel beating service to Megan and her REST crew. They were awesome and kept us in check, day in and day out, as our bodies took a pounding from the rough relentless terrain. Essentially these behind the scenes staff as well as the race staff form the ‘race caravan’, so named as they all move from one race village to the next in a long caravan, bringing with them the necessary support structures that we so heavily rely on each day. The race caravan is essentially the back bone of the race in so many ways, from a cold Aquelle water at the finish line, to a steaming Seattle coffee in the mornings. They afforded us many luxuries out in the sticks.

 

Support Structures

Our equipment and nutritional sponsors all played important roles in getting us through the 900km race, a big thank you to: Squirt Lube, Continental tyres, Hi5 Nutrition, Garmin, Rudy Project, Nike Vision, Merida Bikes, ASS MAGIC Chamois Cream and Sludge Tyre Sealant.

 

Last but certainly not least, Karan beef afforded us the opportunity to race under their banner for the week and I believe we did them proud. Karan Beef not only sponsored our team and one of the Masters team but also supplied meat for various race villages. From a hearty oxtail to a delicious rump steak, they ensured our nutritional needs were met along the race.

 

Sponsor wise, keep in touch for some exciting announcements for Hanco and I going forward!

 

I’m sure as I experience certain things in the days and weeks to come I will be reminded of further memories that we were so fortunate to enjoy last week. The Old Mutual Joberg2c is a special race and it was great to be involved in it.

#hurtbox

Family Affair with my Dad at the finish line at Mackenzie Club.

 My Grandpa came down to the finish line in Scottborough.

All images credit Linda Wolhuter.

 

 

 

Its day 3 at the Old Mutual Joberg2c and we are now well and truly into the race. We have traversed the flatlands of the Free State and make our way off the escarpment into Kwa-Zulu Natal tomorrow. I’m looking forward to the awesome trails that await us.

 

The racing has had a different dynamic to it with the GPS navigation. With stage 2 being the first day of racing with the GPS’s it was more conservative than usual, and a big group remained intact until some 20km to go where the racing heated up. One or two navigational errors in the front group forced some teams to chase back on late in the race; whilst the gaps were only 20-30 metres, closing them in the final kilometres in the race can hurt. We managed to get 4^th on the stage in a 5 team sprint, a result we were happy with.

 

As we became more accustomed to the GPS’s the racing returned to a more ‘normal’ structure today. Again it got hard later on in the stage with just 6 teams still in contention. Hanco and I under the Karan Beef banner along with EAI Cycling, Cannondale/Blend, Fedgroup Itec, Contego and Europcar all represented in the front.

 

We lost the group as we needed to stop for liquids at the last water point, but thanks to some powerful efforts from my team mate we fought our way back to 3^rd on the stage and on the GC. EAI Cycling and Cannondale Blend are tied on exactly the same time at the head of affairs. It was awesome to be on the podium and we will be eagerly defending our position in the coming days.

 

Being back in KZN tomorrow will be a home coming of sort, it’s where I was brought up and learnt to love the awesome sport that mountain biking is.

 

Three water points, two koeksisters at each, six for the day, simple nutrition strategy for the opening day of the Old Mutual Joberg2c.

 

The last water point at Bambini forced me to change this strategy somewhat, where I had to swap my koeksisters for marshmallows, dipped in condense milk and then rolled in crumbed chocolate… Tough day I can see you thinking, it sounds like we are on eating camp, but I’m really not. With the first day of the Joberg2C being a neutral one we were able to enjoy the water points much more than what we usually are. The rumours of their excellence where all true and even exceeded expectations

 

Besides the eating, Hanco and I had a good trouble free day. I was able to test out my newly fitted XX1 drivetrain which I really enjoyed.

 

In preparation for the real racing to start tomorrow we will be refuelling with Karan beef steaks tonight and swapping our koeksisters for energy bars and gels in the morning.