After an exceptionally busy two months I enjoyed the last weekend at home this weekend. It has been great to not have to live out a bag and be in one place for more than a couple of days!

Cape Town was met by some unseasonably hot temperatures over the weekend. The mercury hit 36C, with not a breath of wind. Exceptionally unusual for April when autumn usually starts to set in. I’ll take the heat over the cold and rain any day though so I wasn’t complaining.

Something I also realised over the weekend is that I haven’t done a proper full training week since the beginning of February! The schedule has been: race, recover, sharpen, race and then repeat. I think I’ve maintained decent form through the period though so I am happy with it.

The training I have been doing is gearing up for my next challenge. The Old Mutual Joberg2C which kicks off next week Friday. I will be partnering up with Hanco Kachelhofer and we will be racing the 9 day stage race under the Karan Beef banner. It will be my first time at Joberg2C and to say I am excited would be an understatement. I’ve heard many favourable reviews of the race and with Hanco and I in good shape, we have set our goals high. Our secret weapon will be eating Karan beef steaks every night, high in protein and iron!

The ginger ninja, AKA my partner Hanco, considering a career change, interested agents can get in touch with me #schmodel.

For those of you not familiar with the race, it starts on the outskirts of Joberg from the Karan Beef farm; it then traverses for 3 days across the Free State until you arrive at what is traditionally the start of the 3 day Berg and Bush race. We follow the awesome Berg and Bush trails for 3 days before arriving at the start of the final third of the race. In somewhat familiar territory for me now, the last 3 days of the race follow the Sani2C race where we will finish on the beach in Scottbrugh some 9 days later. It will be an adventure for sure! If you want to check it out a bit more, here is the race website: http://www.joberg2c.co.za/

The race will broadcast on Supersport each evening at 9.30pm on SS8 in a 15minute highlights package, so tune in to catch us hopefully ripping up the trails at the sharp end.

Until next time, I’ve got a couple more days at home to enjoy and some Easter eggs to eat this weekend!

Ciao

In its second edition, the Lights by Linea executive corporate TOR was a resounding success. After having done a couple of races on the tarmac for the Lights by Linea team, I was invited to join the TOR for its lap around the Cape. The Lights by Linea team was there to act as super domestiques, pacing guys back in and the occasional push to get the corporates back into their respective groups, after they had been dropped by their more competitive counter parts.

The TOR is a 3 day, social ride around the Western Cape. I say social, but the more competitive bunch of the 30 plus corporates did trade a few punches! The name TOR is derived from a heavy South African, east rand accent play on the word, Tour. Try it for yourself…

The first day of the TOR kicked off in Stellenbosch; the riders would need to traverse the: Helshoogte, Franschoek and Viljoens passes before they could sink into a couple of cold ones at Houw Hoek Inn. This would also mark their departure point on the second stage before travelling in an easterly direction towards Caledon, with a final kick towards the sea to finish the stage in Hermanus. On paper this day may have looked easier but the howling wind had other ideas. The third and final stage would leave Hermanus, follow the scenic R44 along the coast before heading back to Stellenbosch.

Pistol Pete with his bags for the weekend, when you see him next please ask him to explain the benefits of using a large, clear plastic bag as his luggage.

Refuel in Franschoek.

As you can see it was no walk in the park and the beers and buffet meals would have to be earned. As I was fighting off a bit of a head cold after a low immune system after the Epic, I took the soft option and sat in the following cars for the first half of each day before a leisurely pedal to the end of the stage. I timed my riding perfectly each day, only getting out on the bike after the passes or when the wind was behind us.

Whilst the TOR allowed some downtime and socialising, everyone had to remain on their toes as the fines crew were hard at work, looking for any slip ups. Some of the fines got serious, a borat suit to be worn in the next stage being one of them…

All in all it was a fantastic 3 days and the Lights by Linea crew and support staff put on a superb, well organised event, which I think many will be eager to return to next year. It was also fantastic on my behalf, to be able to ride bikes in a more leisurely fashion without the pressure of racing and to enjoy a beer or two in the evenings with a double serving of dessert.

Regrouping on top of Franschoek pass.

Lights by Linea team come to the rescue of Borat AKA horns, note: suit being worn incorrectly, fine.

With our lap of the Cape coming to an end on Sunday, I’ve had some time to reflect one a magnificent week of mountain biking. Ultimately a race of such nature requires you to have support structures in place which can help you through it. The ABSA Cape Epic really is the pinnacle of the sport and we are privileged to have this race on our doorstep, more so than what some realise I think. Jose Hermida summed it up quite nicely I think, he described the 3 monuments of mountain biking to be the World Championships, Olympic Games and the Cape Epic, quite something.

Simon and I had a great week on and off the bikes. The Epic is not easy and we found ourselves sharing many moments, sometimes in the middle of what feels like nowhere. After Simon proclaimed to me towards the end of stage two, after slogging it out in the mud for 5 hours ‘that he was in a dark place’ I again realised that we would need to support each other through the race, help each other where we could and ride off each other. Conserving energy, boxing smartly and the odd push or two can mean a world of difference.

Image Credits: Ash Smit

Off the bike the week would not have been possible without some fantastic support. Friends, family and sponsors all make a week like this do able. Their support in so many different ways is invaluable and I am very grateful for it.

I was lucky to have my sister working on the race as a massage therapist so we could catch up each day and then had my parents join for the final 3 days of the race. It was great for them to get a taste of what the Epic is, as it is just so much bigger than the other races at the moment. Their support was awesome and it was great to share it with him, especially crossing the line and joining the Amabubesi Club (the finishers club for riders who have done 3 epics).

I also had Ash and her family supporting on the week and their encouragement and help too was invaluable. As you can see Ash was behind the lenses again capturing some great shots.

Bear with me here as I have some important people to thank.

My body and bike mechanics were awesome. To the boys at Trail & Tar: Kevin, Clint and Grant, your work and service was great, my Merida Big 99 ran flawlessly the whole week. Aided by Squirt Chain Lube and Continental Tyres with Sludge Sealant I had no chain issues and did not have a single flat the whole week… impressive if I may say so myself.

To get my body back in working order each day I must thank Meg’s at R.E.S.T therapists, while she may have induced further pain after each tough stage, it did help repair me for the next day. I was also fortunate enough to have a generous supply of Enervit nutrition to keep me fuelled on the bike and to refuel with as we finished each stage.

As you can imagine all these things cost $$$, to assist me on this front I was fortunate to receive backing from Glasshouse Consulting and DC76 who stepped in without hesitation 4 days before the start of the race. Again I am most grateful for this, thank you DuToit and Randy! Check out their awesome new team site: www.glasshouse-dc76.com

As you can see many support structures and pillars are required in order to get through something like this. While we may not have been racing at the real sharp end of the race, I feel that I have unfinished business with the Epic and I look forward to returning, hopefully next year to chase those elusive goals. I am fortunate to have built a base around me whom I trust and can rely on; their support to me is invaluable and will play an important role in my future in cycling.

Mucnhing some delicous Woolworths Christmas Cake.

Image Credit: Ash Smit

Image credit: Oakpics

The title is pretty self-explanatory. Pissing on the bike and losing my tenting virginity, one obviously a first for me and the second, a skill I’m trying to perfect.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that pissing on the bike is an art but it is a skill which can save you a lot of energy and time in a bike race. In order for it to be done successfully its best to do it on a downhill, obviously not too steep and in a mountain bike race a good surface helps. You need to put the foot which side you want to ‘go’ on at the bottom of your pedal stroke, whip your member out and then aim as far away as possible and concentrate. Trust me it requires a good deal of concentration. Try being as quick as possible and getting as much out as possible. Hope this little ‘how to’guide helps some of you! Ladies, you’ll have to stop I guess…
Today I successfully managed to do it twice! It can be made further tricky with wind which was pumping today, make sure you’re going with the wind and not against it for obvious reasons or you may have a golden shower. I also succeeded in doing it both times as I was going past a photographers, I did apologise to both, the first a tannie watching from her stoep out in the middle of the Karoo… What are the chances?

A helping hand always helps, here Evans shows how it’s done like a pro.

Image credit: cyclingtips.com.au

I don’t know how, but over the years of doing mountain bike stage races which are usually in the sticks, I have always managed to avoid ‘tenting it’. Through landing my bum in the butter I’ve managed to stay in various forms of brick and mortar accommodation and camper vans and in doing so avoiding the dreaded tents.

This week however I am tenting it, at the hardest race on the calendar nogal. I will admit that I do have the luxury of having my girlfriend’s dad, Shaughn, staying in a camper nearby so I do still have some luxuries like a little Nespresso coffee in the morning.

After some proper rain which succeeded in making my tent almost as wet inside as outside, a spot of wind and just in general roughing it out I think I am qualified enough in this tenting business to not need to do it again in the near future.

If mojo and connection allows I’ll try blog again this week.

Epic tent village at first light.

I rode my first Cape Epic in 2010 with less than 12 hours’ notice and a man I met on the morning of the race (I’m pleased to say we’re still good friends). I’ll be riding my 3^rd Cape Epic this year, with a bit more notice, 5 days to be exact. You can organise a lot more in 5 days than 12 hours…

As I said I’ve received a last minute invite to ride the ABSA Cape Epic with a good friend of mine, Simon Swemmer under the Swift Carbon Racing banner. Simon’s original partner Mark was forced to pull out of the race and Simon had me on standby, and just like that I was super subbed in.

Simon is at first noticeable for his giant calves, he could kick start a small plane with them. I use it as the reference point when explaining to people who my partner is: “Ya Simon, the guy with the huge calves” to a reply of “Oh ya him”. Although we have not ridden much together before, I am sure we are in for a fantastic week of racing. Simon will be held accountable for the rescheduling of my planned coffee rides next week, coffee shops are not frequent in the Klein Karoo you know.

Simon and I had a serious team meeting at Giovanni’s, it didn’t last long…

I have also been very fortunate to receive some added support from:  Glasshouse Consulting and DC76 who have stepped in to help take care of the extra costs, of which there can be many at the Epic… I must also thank my personal sponsors here as they have also all contributed in their own way and have made my job easier next week allowing using some of the best equipment and nutrition out there. So a big thank you to: Merida Bikes, Continental Tyres, Enervit Nutrition, Nike Vision Eyewear, Squirt Chain Lube and Sludge Tyre sealant.

We kick our foray off tomorrow at Meerendal Wine Farm just outside Cape Town with a 23km prologue. A prologue is a short time trial which separates the teams into the different start batches for the first proper stage on Monday. An 11.31am start time gives you enough time to sleep off your hangover and still come cheer us on. We are the first of the UCI teams to start and thus according to the lady at registration are professionals, confirming what I have liked to believe all along. If you’re not in the vicinity I expect you to be glued to your television sets, SS6 is where all the action can be from 9.30am. You can also follow us via the Tracker app, our team number is 325, the links to this are on www.cape-epic.com

I’ll keep the blog updated, as and when I can summon the energy and internet connection next week.

The mood is light and jovial now, it may not be on Monday afternoon after the traditional b!tch that stage one of the Epic can be.

*Note this post is overdue; I wrote it just after the Argus but have only just got around to editing and posting it.

The lap around the peninsula marked the end of a busy week of racing for the Lights by Linea team and I. The Argus as the race is more affectionately known is the biggest one day participation race in the world with 35 000 entrants. We would be spear heading that field.

But first we had the small matter of the Bestmed Tour de Boland to finish. The final stage was a shorter at 115km but would be a tough one. Starting in Riebeck Kasteel we would do a lap around town, some 2km before coming back through the start line, doubling as the first hotspot of the day. As you can imagine the pace was high, to keep it interesting within anther 2km we were heading up the Botmanskop pass.

The attacks came thick and fast and I tried to get myself into the break for the day. Although some of the moves hovered 10-15 seconds off the front the MTN Feeder Team shut them all down.

This meant that the race would now be decided on Franschoek pass. Our job was to get Stefan to the front of the group at the base of the climb and escort him for as long as possible. He started the day in 10^th place in GC and hoped to move up. With the pace hot in the first kilometre of the climb I was off and rode my own pace to the finish. Stefan ultimately managed to move up one spot on the GC to 9^th.

A day off racing naturally resulted in us doing a coffee ride. It was great to be back in Cape Town sipping on good coffee and sneaking in a crossiant. The Expo too was on the cards and I got to catch up with some of my great sponsors: Continental, Nike Vision and Enervit.

Finally the Argus was here. Many joke that it is the ‘funriders world champs’ but in all seriousness, winning the Argus carries some serious weight in South African cycling. I would go as far to say that in terms of the exposure one would get out of it, it is probably worth more than winning the national championships.

The peloton, some 180 riders strong was a nervous one. I’m happy to say I didn’t see any serious crashes and instead of fighting for position at the head of affairs I ‘chilled out’ at the back for the first half of the race. I think this saved a significant amount of energy and it paid dividends when sh!t got real in the later stages.

The peloton still largely intact due to a strong headwind for the first 30km.

Image Credit: Capcha Photography

First up, the customary gutter wind along Ocean View, there was a small split but it came back together. Every time a split like this occurs though, it does result in guys going off the back off the race too. This was followed by the first of two climbs in the last quarter of the race, Chapmans peak. I felt good up here, followed the right wheels and was happy to go over the top near the front end. The quick decent into Hout Bay allowed the race to regroup slightly before the decisive climb, Suikerbossie.

The pace was hot up Suikerbossie! I was pleased to make it in the group of about 30 riders which would ultimately stay away to the finish. With just over 10km of flat roads to the finish the attacks came thick and fast. After a small split in the group I needed to get Stefan across to the front, riding at over 65km/h for a kilometer through Clifton saw me getting him back on but with just under 3km to go I was popped out the back to finish a couple of seconds down on the Hoff.

Hanco took care of Stefan into the final, but ultimately their chances were ruined with a television motorbike stopping on the right hand side of the road in their line. This was a sad outcome, with no real repercussions for anyone other than our team, potentially losing out on a good result. Luckily they came out safely thought and there were no crashes.

With a good couple of days of racing with the Lights by Linea team in the legs, I will mount my knobblied stead this weekend, to race in the next round of the MTN national marathon series race in Tulbagh. Being a UCI race and a week out from the Cape Epic the hotshots will be there and it will undoubtedly be a hard race once again.

The Hoff wins convincingly.

Image Credit: Capcha Photography

I wanted to write about preparation today. With the Argus just days away, it’s an important topic to consider. If you have certain goals for the race I hope you’ve done your training and in that sense are prepared for what is to come on Sunday, but there is still much to prepare in order to be fully ready on the start line.

But first, let me stray for a second. This morning we took on the 3^rd stage of the Bestmed Tour de Boland. The 140km stage would see us start in Tulbagh, head north through Porterville, turn in a westerly direction towards the N7 and Moreesburg and then South down to the finish in Riebeeck Kasteel. The gutter wind after Porterville is where the day’s selection was made. I had attacked just after the first sprint hotspot and tried to force a move but it was not to be. Shortly thereafter with a 15man split went away with the Lights by Linea team represented by Stefan.

With some of the GC guys missing the split the chase was on for a while but eventually it felt as if we were freewheeling most of the way to the finish, eventually 7 minutes down. The good news though was that Stefan had taken second on the stage! A great result for our small team.

Another image from the Lights By Linea Hero Challenge criterium on the weekend, had to post this one because my Mom said “I look so pro”…

Image Credit: Chris Hitchcock

#throwbackthursday Tour de Boland 2009. I had owned a TT helmet for a year and still had  not had a chance to ‘test it out’, using it in a hill climb TT was not the best idea. 40C up Tall Monument.

Image Credit: Ronelle Rust

Back to the topic of preparation, in cycling and in life (how profound), I’ve learnt to control what you can and don’t stress too much about what you can’t, easier said than done. Nonetheless, as the team arrived on Wednesday morning I again landed up bringing the biggest bag. Whilst temperatures were forecast for the high thirties this week, you never know if the weather can change and hence if you go scratching through my bag you’ll find undervests, knee and arm warmers and rain jackets! Additionally I have certain things that I like eating, for example homemade muesli that Ash makes for me that I bring along. So whilst it may seem that I bring a lot of sh!t along, and I know I do, I’ve got most of my bases covered. This extends to certain medication you may need (legal of course!), race nutrition, equipment, spare parts or even your teddy bear to help you fall asleep at night.

Take these principles and apply them to your Argus come Sunday. Bring anything you may realistically need. Have your bike serviced ahead of time, test it after the service. If there’s a problem sort it out today! Not on Saturday night at 10pm.

The night before the race get your kit laid out, pin your number on, put your gels and bars in your pockets. Get your breakfast out and ready to eat in the morning. Essentially it’s all the little things that make a difference, do them right and don’t waste the hard training you’ve done over the past few months because of a silly, avoidable mistake. It may help to write down a list of anything that you can think you may need to do, then tick it off as you go to ensure you’ve got it all down.

Anyway, last stage of Bestmed Tour de Boland for us tomorrow, the shorter 115km stage will have a nasty sting in the tail as we have mountain top finish on Franschoek Pass.

Till next time, ciao!

                                                                              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!

It’s not often that a plan comes together, and when it does, it’s awesome! The Dutoit Tankwa Trek and the MTN Sabie UCI World Marathon Series races, a week apart, were my first goal races for the year and I am pleased that both went according to plan.

(Check out the reports on Tankwa below if you have not yet seen them)

I haven’t raced in Sabie for a number of years, as an elite athlete not once actually! Quite a scary thought considering the number of years I have raced mountain bikes in South Africa. My last visit to the Louwveld town was at the age of 17, where I was racing the National XCO Cup race and finished 7^th in the junior men. On this trip I was fortunate enough to join Tess and Rodney from Enervit for the weekend.

Now I would be lining up with the big boys, all guns blazing. As the race was part of the UCI World Marathon series and afforded opportunities to qualify for the UCI World Marathon Championships to be held in June this year, a stacked local and international field lined up. Just about anyone who’s anything in South African mountain biking was there, along with once again, a strong German presence from the Bulls and the Ultrasport Rose teams.

Platt on the move.

Image Credit: Zoon Cronje

Rodney from Enervit affectionately described Sabie as being on the bottom of a fish bowl, hence the only way out, is up. And yes we went up, soon after the gun, tackling the sh!t show of a mud bath that had brewed overnight. The mud, as I’m sure you have seen, heard or experienced was a dog show. I myself didn’t mind it, but I did feel sorry for my bike, which held up very well through tough conditions, but will need some serious TLC this week. With conditions as they were, managing your equipment became as important as managing your efforts. I think I did both well and it paid dividends in the last hour of 6 hour race when I think most had budgeted for a 5 hour day.

This is not to say I didn’t have a good few what the f&ck am I doing here moments, but as I felt strong towards the end, I picked up shrapnel from guns blazing early on and finished in a strong 12^th position. The job on the day was to qualify for World Marathon Champs (a top 20 was needed) and I am glad to say it was done. To be honest I was always aiming higher than this and am content with the result on the day, steadily moving up.

With the first part of my 2014 campaign done, it’s back to the drawing board to refine the rough sketch of my next plan into a work of art. This translates to hours in the pain cave, but when a plan comes together; it’s just worth it…

Mud and bicycles, the bike shops will be doing well this week.

Image credit: Zoon Cronje

I think she may have had more fun than I did.

Image Credit: Zoon Cronje