SA XCO #3 - UCI Cat1 - Arno du Toit

With an unplanned for, but rather successful Sani2c experience behind me, it was once again time to prepare for another little 90 minute showdown. Round three of the SA XCO Cup Series, this time held at Mankele MTB Park just up the road from Nelspruit.

I realised my team mate and friend Gert Heyns must have been bored with riding in George or very excited after he booked accommodation for us at Sudwala from last week Tuesday already. Even though I had the opportunity to practice the course like a mad man, I knew that Sani was still in my legs and tried my best to take it easy for most of the week.

Friday morning Gert and I followed Matthys Beukes (Scott) around the technical and rather old school 6.9km lap. Confidence was running high with a couple of guys racing World Cups in Europe, we all knew this was a chance to gain points and crawl up the UCI ranking list. With this in mind I decided to use the bullet proof Continental X-King tyres front and back.
Also the endless amount of grip wouldn’t do any harm on the kind of terrain we had to conquer.

The pro elite field was quite small, but I’m sure the racing didn’t disappoint. Between Gert and Brendon Davids (Trek) throwing punches at one another I just kept my head down and tried to stay in contact. Half way through the first lap Brendon had opened up a slight a gap over Gert and I, but we managed to bring him back on the downhill.

From here on things were slightly tactical. I didn’t really play any cards early on, but with Travis Walker (Kargo) yo-yoing behind us and Matthys not far off, I knew we couldn’t sit and look at each other.

On lap 4 I started the climb in front hoping to set a steady pace, but Gert had a different idea. He sprinted past and as we went into a tricky section about half way up the climb in 1st and 2nd, we noticed whoever was following me had made a mistake.  Towards the top I looked back and saw that we had the other 2 under pressure with a slight gap. Gert let me through and I somehow managed to open a gap on the downhill.

Rolling through the start/finish for the last time, I gulped down another High5 gel and after a quick look over my shoulder, I gave it all I had. After 5 grueling laps crossing the finish line of a UCI Cat1 XCO in 1st place was a very special moment for me. Seeing ASG MTB Academy team mate Gert right behind me in 2nd, made it even better.

 Big thank you to everyone who made it possible and for all the support.

Till next time
Adt

MTN Rooiberg - Jacques Pretorius

The 4th leg of the National XCM Series was held at Rooiberg close to Bela Bela. The sandy terrain made it the most difficult race in the series this far. 

Friday night teammate Edwill O'Neil and I spent the night on our friend Ben's farm in Bela Bela, it was great to relax in nature the day before the race. We were the first to arrive at the race venue because Ben was sure that Rooiberg is further away from Bella Bella and we trusted his knowledge of the Limpopo.

After two hours of sitting in the car I got myself a coffee and watched the start of the marathon race and then I started my warm up, after a few tempo's we started lining up at the start.

On the start line I took my High 5 EnergyGel to help me with the high pace in the start. From the start I went straight to the front to stay out of the dust and to avoid the yo yo effect. After a few km's of racing I was in the leading group consisting of 8 riders. I kept pushing hard on the pedals trying to split the group even more with little success.  About 20 km's in we hit a steep loose climb. This is where we all split up After running up the hill. I after the climb I was 5th and kept chasing till the end . 

I finished 5th I am happy with how I felt on race day and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season! 

Well done to Arno and Gert for coming first and second respectively at the national XCO at Mankele! 

Sani2C, Sondela and Gauteng Provincials

Last week was the 10th edition of the Sani2c race and much like the previous 9 still remains a huge hit scattered with compliments and praise from all that have been fortunate enough to take part in this event.

Our team didn’t have a specific team entry for the event but with a few last minute scrambles two of our gang, Yolande and Arno joined forces with other teams and headed for Underburg. Arno paired up with the talented Brandon Davids from Trek SA and although having a bumpy ride the first 2 days they pulled it together for the final stage into Scotborough and after a good battle with the Kargo pro team they managed to win the day and finish an impressive 5th overall.  Then in the women Yolande paired with Garmin's Yolandi Dutoit where they rode a consistent race and despite a big crash on day 2 which sent Yolande and her chin for 2 rows of stitches they finished in 2nd place overall!

Then in other parts of the country new academy rider Allan Britnell headed down to Sondela where he raced in both the road and mtb marathon events. In the Saturday road race he got caught up in a crash where his bike and wheels were written off but thankfully he was alright despite some grazes and bruises. However he turned things around on the Sunday and finished a fantastic 2nd overall in the marathon.

Voortrekker Monument was again the venue for the fourth round of the xco Provincial series. The organizers changed up the course from the previous event and offered more climbing and technical sections. After some delay at the start it was racing as usual and our guys were there in force. Our KZN rider Alan Hatherly was up for the weekend and showed why he rides in the SA champ shirt winning the junior men’s cat in style. Genevieve and Azulde won the junior and youth women, Christine took a hard raced 3rd spot while our sprogs from Fiksberg both made the podium as well! The u23’s did nicely, not making the podium but put up some close racing none the less. Then last but not least vet Alan Van Coller from Limpopo won his cat making sure his daughter (Genevieve) doesn’t outshine him too badly :p

Next up is the MTN Rooiberg marathon and half marathons as well as Mankele National xco both this weekend. Alan Hatherly has left for the African Youth Games taking place in Botswana next week and supported by Sascoc which looks to be an amazing experience.

We wish everyone good luck this coming weekend and hold thumbs they can put in some good results.

Until next time, happy trails!
Paul

Sani2C 2014 - Yolande Speedy

Wow it's been a long time since I sat down to write a race report!

Not having done much racing this year and with no majorly exciting results (my best so far being a win at the 2nd USN Cup & a few provincial XCO wins where I came 1st and last; where are all the Elite ladies!!!) it's been hard to find the motivation. Not a valid excuse I know so my apologies!!

Yolandi du Toit and I have been plotting to team up for a stage race for some time now and I owe her and her sponsors a great deal of thanks for organising us our Sani2C entry.
Battling with an injury that limits my ability to train and race at high intensity I was quite nervous going into the race especially as my team mate is in great form at the moment. Despite this and With it being 3 years since my last Sani2C I was really looking forward to lining up for the start in Underberg!

Stage 1 - Underberg to MacKenzie Country Club; Distance : 87km, Total Ascent : 1450m

Armed with my Pinarello Dogma XC, Ritchey carbon race wheels sporting Conti tires and pockets full of High5 gels I headed to the start with Yolandi ready for some racing action.

The start was quite intense, the bunch setting a fast pace with teams wanting to reach the single track first. We stuck with them for the first few kilometers until I had to make the call to drop back and settle into a pace I could maintain (Thank goodness for a super, understanding partner!)

We continued at a hard tempo not losing too much ground on the race leaders. Reaching the oaks single track in 3rd in the ladies we passed Theresa Ralph and Jeannie Dreyer walking; Theresa sadly having crashed and broken her wrist. Checking they were 'okay' we continued on perhaps a bit more cautious over the rough rooty and rutted singletrack.

Settling back into our hard tempo pace Yolandi letting me set the pace on the climbs we reached the second water point feeling strong. We quickly stopped and Yolandi applied Squirt lube to our chains whilst I re-filled our bottles. The last 15kms went by smoothly and it was only when we reached the last couple of kickers with the infamous 'Tinys climb' to the finish that I realised how tired my legs were feeling! We crossed the line in second very happy with our effort and having enjoyed our new partnership.

Stage 2 - MacKenzie Country Club to Jolivet; Distance : 99km, Total Ascent  2 288m

With the renowned single track descent into the Umkomass valley this has to be one of the best MTB routes ever laid out and we were excited for the racing to get under way. An early morning start had us setting off just before daylight, the fast pace splitting the A bunch up nicely going into the technical single track. A technical and a crash for me on a wooden bridge had us playing leap frog with @NataliFifi and her partner Tammy Visagie. Getting back into 2nd place after the 2nd water point We kept a good steady pace and held our position for the day.

Stage 3 - Jolivet to Scottburgh; Distance : 80km, Total Ascent : 902m

With a number of changes in the route since my last Sani2C in 2010 I was not too sure what to expect except that it would be a fast day and to save something for the last 30km.

The reverse start order meant that we only set off at 11am so after 2 breakfasts, some socializing and a good warm up it was finally time for the off. A fast start on open gravel rolling roads meant that I soon had to back off and we again settled into our hard tempo pace taking turns in front against a fairly strong head wind. We passed the 3rd ladies team who had a better start about 10kms in and paced as hard as we could over the ups and downs that followed through the sugar cane fields. For most of the day we were on our own and I must admit it was an eerie feeling reaching the rugged climbs leading into Vernon Crooks reserve without a sole in sight!

A few kilometers before the last water point 4 riders caught us and we sat in with them pushing hard into the head wind, taking a turn in front I could feel my legs had done some work and hoped they would hold out to the end. Our new found company stopped to re-fill but with less than 20kms we pushed through. From there we hit the new single track sections and kept a good pace on the final uphill climbs. Yolandi stopped to get me some water at the last stop having noticed my bottle was empty (thoughtful team mate!!!) and before we new it we were onto the final 600m floating bridge across the lagoon and into the finish. We again finished in 2nd a strong day of racing behind us and very happy with our overall 2nd place!!

Congrats to @robyndegroot and @jenniestenerhag winning the event and our master XCO World Champ @NataliFifi and her partner Tammy Visagie on 3rd!!

Thanks to @Sani2C_scoop, @Farmer_glen and Mandy for another unforgettable #SaniRace experience!!

Thank you to @GarminSA for the entry and memorable experience, I thoroughly enjoyed teaming up with @Yolandi_duToit and feel we had a solid race together!

Thanks to all my sponsors @asg_PYCycling, @asgsport, @EpicCycleShop, @Conti_SA, @Squirtlube_SA, @RitcheyLogic, @BICICLETTA_ZA for all your support and making it possible for me to do what I love!!

Till next time,
Yolande

First proper Ultra Marathon – Clarens - Arno du Toit

With the Marathon World Championships being hosted in SA a bit later on this year, I realized it will definitely be a good experience to take part. However you need to qualify which meant I had to finish inside the top 20 at a UCI Marathon series event. Basically the MTN National Marathon at Clarens was my last chance. As a XCO focused rider I would normally not even consider racing these ultra-marathons, so I was a bit worried about the time in the saddle and my ability to “vasbyt” for that long.

Last week Jacques Pretorius joined me in Ficksburg during his school holidays for a bit of a training camp. He also learnt how to work a spade. We fixed up some sections on my XCO course for the rest of the a[s]g PYcycling crew to look at on our pre-race ride on Friday.

Saturday morning. 07:15 start. 120km with 2700m ascent.

After a few nervous moments in the big eager peloton things started to stretch out as we hit the first climb of the day at around 20km or so. Unfortunately for me I got stuck in the single track behind some riders that couldn’t quite match the pace being set up front. As the group split I realized that I had to get myself back up there, but also knew in the back of my head that there was still a long way to go.

The XCO mentality took over and for the next 5 or 10 minutes I gave it all I had to get back up there. Just after settling in at the back of the lead bunch I was ridden of almost straight away. I went to deep. With many negative thoughts running through my mind I lost ground with every pedal stroke. Soon though the next little group caught me and with some teamwork we got back to the sharp end once again.

From the 55km tech zone things got real. Nowhere to hide. The group split up properly and according to my calculations after watching my Joule, I went over the summit roughly 4 minutes behind the leading trio of Karl, Nico and Erik. Descending back in to Clarens I was in my element. The Conti rubber gave me the confidence to really push on over the rough terrain and soon I caught and passed Timo and Brad.

All on my own I rolled in to town, topped up the High5 and back out on the half marathon route. Back on the gravel roads with nowhere to tuck in I battled through another bad patch.

Eventually Timo passed me again, Rourke caught me and we then rode back to Timo. By this stage I was really feeling the effects. The Epic Sports neutral tech zone at 20kms to go was a blessing. Mechanic Mike Squirt'ed my chain and after a quick picnic the three of us continued working together.  Just before the finish we noticed Adriaan and Andrew not very far ahead. As we hit the final single track I gave it my all to close the gap and maybe open a gap between myself and the other 2.

In the end it wasn’t enough, but I managed to cross the line in 6^th place. With this being my first proper Ultra marathon, I was rather happy with the result.

Big thank you to Paul and the PYcycling team for all the support. Was nice having a couple of you in my valley for the weekend!

Till next time

Adt

Lesotho National - Afriski - Alan Hatherly

Packing and heading up to Lesotho, I was filled with excitement purely because I had never ridden in Lesotho on a bicycle before and I had no idea of what we were getting in to. The drive didn't feel like long, but the altitude slowly got more and more with every km that went by. Through Clarens and to the Lesotho border. At around 2000m there, it rose very quickly as we headed up a massive pass to get to Afriski, the venue of the 2nd National of the year as well as a UCI Junior World Cup. Just over 3000m, the air felt thin but okay, which was an illusion to me until I got on the bike and realized it was more than thin.

We had arrived on the Thursday and I was super excited to see what the course was about so I kitted up and put in 3 laps on the course. It seemed simple with little climbing, and few technical sections which in KZN would be a super fast race but in the conditions up there it was a totally different story.

Keeping the heart rate down was mission impossible even on the easiest gear, but riding at a tempo pace, the air didn't feel terrible so I saved what energy and oxygen I had left for Saturday, race day.
The downhill track was awesome with a massive bonus factor of there being a ski lift to get to the top. I HAD to try it out. You hook the T bar behind your seat and off you go, it was awesome!

Race day approached fast and luckily on the day the weather decided to treat us to at least around 16 degrees. Jackets were on as we all warmed up on the roads of Afriski, and after an easier warm up than normal for me due to the air, we lined up after the Elites had pulled away. The start was at the bottom of one of the 2 climbs of the route, so it was going to be a tough start.

We were off and I bolted for the front like I normally do in my starts and gave it full gas up the first climb and then onto the road that wound up to the first single track of the route. I had pulled a decent size gap but my arms felt very weak and once we hit the bottom of the single track I had realized that I over did it. I was in oxygen debt and it was a fight against oxygen for the rest of the race for me. As the race went by lap by lap I slowly picked up my lap times, but the gap I had lost was too much to close and I had to settle for 6th at the end. It was such a hard race, and I definitely learnt a hard lesson with altitude.

Well done to Marc and Julian on 1st and 2nd separated by a mere few cm's.

Next up for me is KZN Champs followed by Tour Durban, hope to see you there!

Lowveld Quest - Marcel Marais

Lowveld Quest, one of my main focuses this season and also my favourite stage stage on the calender. The Lowveld Quest consisted of 4 beautiful days of riding in the lowveld, although you had to get to the top to appreciate the view. With a lot of big names such as Nico Bell, Gawie Combrinck, Ben-Melt Swanepoel, Hennie Kriek etc. I knew it wasn't going to be  walk in the park just to get a decent result.

Stage 1 Lydenburg-Mankele

Day 1 consisted of 80km with 1800m of climbing which is in no ones book an easy day out. With the pro's in the front the start was fast and furious until 10km in where things started splitting up. 20km into day 1 is where the real climbing started with a very loose, wet and steep climb. From there on I kept on pushing hard at my own pace just to ensure I save a little in the tank for the days to come. The climbing also didn't stop shortly after 20km, the couple of rollers after the big climb definitely tested your endurance and also with the extremely cold weather, it didn't make it any easier.  None the less, there was nothing better than ending off a long day of racing with the last 5km of the race being awesome singletrack into Mankele. After day 1 I had a reasonable gap of 4min over the 2nd solo rider.

Stage 2 Mankele - Sabie

Day 2 was only 70km long but with 1700m of climbing, it was said to be one of the toughest days of the race. With the race starting up the old Sabie road, the start was yet again very fast with no time at all to get diesel warmed up. A High5 gel after the so called "Sting", the next 10km of climbing flew by but the climbing still was over. Halfway up the climb the engine was properly warmed up and I then slowly but surely surged a couple of times and soon realised that I was on the wheel of Hennie Kriek and Brand du Plessis. With some company the last 30km flew by and I was also very fortunate not to hit the wall on such an extremely tough day, thanks to High5 2:1. Just to spice up my day, I had to go and lose my front wheel twice in the last 5km of a snotty singletrack. Needless to say, it was a beautiful day of riding in the lowveld!

On day 2 I opened up another reasonable gap of 5min on the rider in 2nd on GC, which meant I was in the lead by 9min with another 2 days of riding ahead.

Stage 3 Sabie - Graskop

Day 3, the day I underestimated the most. Being only 60km long with 1500m of climbing, the "rollers" closer to the end were no rollers... With the winning time being just under 3hrs, it was no 'easy day' at all. The start yet again was fast, which had the whole group split into pieces up the first ling climb of the day. I had realised the previous 2 days that I could make up a little bit of time on the descents which meant I could save some strength for later in the stage. So my plan for the day was to ride conservatively on the climbs and catch up on the downs and it worked out perfectly. Day 3, also the rainiest day of the 4, it was wet, muddy and very slippery! Thank goodness for Ftech clothing which really kept me dry and warm at stages. With a couple of changes from last years route, I didn't know how hard the last 30km's was but all n all, all that climbing was worth the view! The last 20km's went by slower than I thought it would, but I was still determined to open up a gap that would put me in the hot seat with 1 day to go. I kept on pushing towards the end and i was rewarded with my gap opening up with 30min on GC with 1 day left.

 Stage 4 Graskop - Hazyview

The last day, and definitely the most fun day of them all. Day 4 was mostly downhill with a couple of rollers towards the end. With a slight misunderstanding in the start, to front half of the group missed a turn off which put me in the middle of the bunch. 5km later I was back into the front group and thereafter I just maintained my own pace and rode very conservatively by not taking any chances. It was fast and very flowing to the finish line and only after I had finished I realised that I had won the solo category by just under half an hour.

It was truly an experience with a couple of beautiful views and some really tough riding, but it was great fun! Hats off to the organizers; Mark, Geoff, Brett and Jaco for putting on a great event! Last but not least, big thanks to the parents for the opportunity and the support throughout the whole race!

Till next time!