Buzz's Cape Epic wrap up

I'm sitting on a plane heading back to Johannesburg from Cape Town. It has been 5 days since the end of the final stage of the epic and in those 5 short days I have squeezed in copious amounts of food, a fair chunk of alcohol, ice creams, interrupted sleep, had late nights, oh and slipped in to married life after having our wedding on Wednesday out in a quaint little place called Tulbagh.


Tulbagh hosted stages 1-3 in last years Epic of which I the second for my my then girlfriend and now wife Christelle and her brother Ben. The 2011 Epic afforded me the opportunity to sit back and watch the proceedings while having a close involvement with the competitors and the race village and logistics involved in running such a huge event, more on that later though. While in Tulbagh we kept driving past this beautiful little church on the hill at the Montpellier wine estate and with the back drop of the magnificent mountains that surround the region it grabbed me as place I really liked. It had a good feel about it especially after experiencing some of the undertones of Joburg and Capetown city. It seemed safe and peaceful out there and a time I really enjoyed. After Christelle broke her ribs on stage 2 and pulled out of the race we obviously got to spend more time together which was certainly great for us but a bummer as well for Christelle as she worked very hard in preparing for the race and to not be able to finish it is a very tough pill to swallow.

My first time in South Africa and then Zimbabwe where I proposed at Victoria Falls left questions of where to get married and given Christelle lives in Australia far away from her family we decided a South African wedding it was to be and funnily enough we both said "what about that great little Church in Tulbagh?". So it was set, Montpellier was to be our venue for the wedding. Wow, 12 months down the track and a lot has happened in my life. I've now entered the realm of MTB racing, I've got engaged and now married my Princess and completed the Cape Epic. There has been countless hours of training and race prep along with wedding preparations, even though Christelle has handled the major chunk of that and done a cracking job and now here we are about to embark on a small safari in the Kruger National Park before heading home and getting back to the organized chaos that is work life. What an awesome wedding we had and shared it with great people that travelled far. The Aussies were all overwhelmed with how much they liked the area and Cape town itself. So for us, what an amazing result

So, back to the race. My body is still dead, that's the best way I can think to describe it. My muscles are sore and tired and I'm in major need of a service, there is one coming up in the form of some serious deep tissue massage booked in for Saturday in Pretoria....can't wait for that and the rest I'm planning in the Kruger could be just the shot I need given there is a big road race season with the boys from KMD racing coming up, again I can't wait for that either. My feelings of overwhelming emotion as I crossed the finish line in the final stage of the Epic surprised me at the time. Given some reflection I can see why my throat choked up and the tears ran. I had seen our 2 mates Johnny and Mark moved to tears after 2 grueling stages of the race. One being stage 3 the 147km day with 2800m of climbing and mid 30 degrees temps and the other being the brutal 5th stage of 119km and 2350m climbing in horrendous conditions. There was serious wind chill, rain, copious amounts of mud, constant chain suck, no brakes by the end for most, mechanicals everywhere and just the challenge of mentally driving your body to the line after some massive days in the saddle already in the legs and body. These days were tough for everyone including Foz and myself but somewhere in there we both were able to lock all that in and stay focused on racing. In the end we just love racing, we love the challenge of it and seeing where we can take our bodies and mind. I loved the race and how it unfolds, the challenge for 2 roadies like us was pretty big but one we accepted with glee and determination and one I enjoyed doing together. it's not a race I would want to do on my own though and that was a major part of the attraction for me, to be able to share every km, every deep road rutt, every rocky tough ascent and speedy dangerous descent, every stack, food flat, mechanical, and you get my drift........!!

The Epic is a race within a race each day and needs to be attacked as such if you are in fact going to race it, plenty don't as we saw one day after a major mechanical forced us to be well back in the field. Although you need to consider the next day and the days ahead you really need to race the day and leave the tank pretty close to empty each day and work overtime on hydration, fuel and re fuel every day in preparation for the next race. This is one of the big challenges of the Epic. It's amazing to see and feel the body slowly deteriorating as each day goes by but in saying that it's also amazing to see how you can manage to push it to that point each day if you really want to and there in lies the beauty of the team. Let's be honest, when you're in that hole at times you wouldn't keep pushing to the same point if your partner wasn't giving you a nudge and if your a good team mate you rise to that nudge to drive a little bit harder even if you think you can't. Foz and I both experienced that at many points throughout the race and I thank him for both pushing me, dragging me and being pushed and dragged. What an amazing athlete Foz is at 50, brilliant mate and here's cheers to you for a memory that will hopefully be burnt into your brain and body for ever. I remember on the long 147km stage asking Foz as I was groveling behind him mid climb through the pine Forest as my tire was slowly going flat for about the 5th time during the stage. "How are you enjoying your birthday present mate?" I think I got a response somewhere along the lines of "GET STUFFED"

Let me travel back to what seems an eternity ago

The Prologue

We did a course recy two days prior to the race which stood us in good stead to cut a minute or two from our times if we hadn't have done it. It was a tough dry and hilly course with 900m of climbing in just 27km. Our aim was to finish outside the top 50 as we didn't want to be tempted to try and hang onto the pros and Elite riders in the race proper and blow our biscuits early in the race. We rode well throughout the race but I certainly had to pull the reigns on Foz constantly as he is a pure racer wanting to chew each competitor up that lay in front of us and trust me there was always another one to get. We had passed 4 teams by the first turn at about 500m and we were raising the heart rate to red zones that needed to be settled as the climbing started almost immediately. Ease was the call of the day for me and let's think long term here. The final climb was pretty brutal and trust me the race senses had been fully turned on and the dread of what lay ahead had certainly kicked in. With 800m left at about a 20% incline Foz snapped the crank, time to start running. I was glad as I was flagging. I grabbed his handlebars and said just run Foz, which is tough in itself in MTB shoes. I'm glad it didn't happen 5km early. A good result in the end as we ended up 66th and right where we wanted to be, in start shute B for stage 1

Stage 1

We were told is always set up to scare and shock the system. That it did in spades. The first real climb we hit ended up being a 2km walk instead of a ride as it was virtually impossible to ride and as soon as that first punter tips over it dominos back down the group. I think only 1 rider on the day managed to ride it and that one being Burry Stander who weighs in at 64kg. We reached the top with Foz saying he couldn't see through his fogged up glasses and had no contacts in. The trail was a blur to him as he couldn't see detail. A nervous time indeed as it was pretty sketchy and a narly descent before hitting feed station 1. The second climb was as brutal and silly in the fact we couldn't ride it. Bad luck, you just had to blow your calves up walking. It was a long and tough 119km push with us getting ahead of ourselves at the final feed point with 40km to go. It was like we are done so lets just smack it home. 2 hrs later we said lets not do that at the final feed again. I was busted but said the count is now at 1, I'll be very excited when I say the count is at 7

Stage 2

Was right up the roadies alley with 115km of solid dusty country roads, single track and not too tough climbing. The danger for us was hitting it too hard, so we tempered our exuberance and sucked wheels where we could. We were slow out of the first feed though and lost the fast bunch though, which in hindsight may have been a good thing. We rode well that day and it lifted the confidence with us really pushing hard in the final 10km and chewing up a lot of teams in the last 5km's as I tucked into Foz's slipstream as we hit the Tarmac for the charge to the line. That final assault was awesome and one that blew a lot of the groups around us apart. Foz had a massive smile on his face after that and said that's what I love about racing. We knew those road like opportunities would be minimal though in essence through the longevity of the race. Hence why we took the opportunity while it was there.

Stage 3

Brought some serious nerves and pain right smack bang into the face. It was hot and it was really fast early. The first 40km consisted of Tarmac and open dusty roads that had the heart rate high and the reality that fatigue was in the house and sitting comfortably in the rocking chair in the corner of the room. Foz was in the box early as we sat in the bunch right up the front and a continual slow rise to the first major climb. There was a crash once we hit the dirt and that enabled a split which we managed to get into. The pace opened that gap right up and we hit the climb with fresh air behind us. Again it was to be a couple km walk. Foz had blisters from that prologue sprint so his pain was high whenever we walked. I think it was good for his technical climbing as he did everything in his power to ride the climbs and not be walking where possible. I got a massive thorn in the front tire which almost leaked all my stans sealant out. It did seal mostly but a slow leak would be the Bain of our existence for the next 100km. I literally just made it into the second feed station before rolling the tyre off the rim with the last few corners being super dodgy trying to get around them and not losing the bike under me. Both Foz and I were in the hurt locker proper on the long climb of about 15km out in the beating sun that day and were very happy to see the downhill after it. I let loose down that with Foz a little more cautious. This stage was brutal to say the least and my Garmin was off it's game as I had us with 30km to go when someone mentioned we had 10km left. I couldn't afford to believe them until I saw the 5km to go sign and even then the going was tough with Dr Evil finishing us right off with some very tough pinches to finish. We were glad when that was over I must say. We felt we were on the run home.

Stage 4

Saw our worst mechanical with Foz snapping the chain clean through while pedaling, he wasn't even changing gears. We had passed through a feed station about 6km back and after a few fouled attempts by Foz to fix a link and a Spare one supplied by our Manly teammates on their way past. We had to return to the tech station at the feed zone. I again rode with Foz's bike while he ran with screaming blisters. In the confusion I got the bike sorted almost died on a descent coming through a fruit orchard with only one hand on the brakes and the other controlling Foz's bike. Foz had taken a short cut into the feed zone to find me and we had missed each other. I then had to chase him down, we were going in circles and losing valuable time and places, I certainly wasn't happy at that point as we had been passed by about 200 teams at least. Back on track and we started chewing through the km's and teams that were dawdling through the race. I said "so this is what it is like to not race the Epic" mark my words it is a different caper after about 130th. The urgency at every turn is dialed RIGHT back. Foz was in the hurt box after the midway point this day, his legs had turned off after the cool down of the walk/run and it was my turn to sit in the wind and do my bit. Man did the wind blow that day. We were almost at a stand still at some points or leaning at a 45degree angle to compensate for the brutal wind. We had to break free of a final bunch about 10km from home as we were amongst a bunch of broken men and didn't want the remaining life sucked out of us as well. Foz had a big superman stack in the final 3km down a steep hill but managed to stay in one piece. We got home and salvaged what we could out of a tough day but had been pushed out to 122nd spot. The crash stats were Buzz 2, Foz 1

Stage 5

We wanted retribution and a day free from mechanicals. When we woke though it was pouring and had been all night. It was going to be a tough day in the saddle and we had 119km of tough terrain and 2350m of climbing. My glasses got me through the fast wet and muddy first 20km then it was mud in the face time. The chain suck started from there and Foz was complaining of shifting problems again. My hope was that it was just the shitty mud and grit which we were all suffering from. He did mention early a feel of minimal brakes as well which wasn't a good start. We did get a cracking start though and I knew we were well up on GC early. I looked to Foz in the rain and said "mate this is our day in this shit". He said "yep I love it". We trudged through the day with a no fuss attitude just praying for no bad mechanicals. After feed 2 it was bloody cold with rain and high altitude wind chill. I said we have to stop and put our spray jackets on or we'll freeze, Foz wanted to keep going which lasted about another 10mins before I pulled rank. We both agreed it was the right call about 15mins later as the shivering had stopped. That could've been ugly if we hadn't and our poor Manly teammates John and Mark felt the full brunt of it and ended up with hypothermia and in a 4WD heating up. They did finish but were in bad shape and close to break point. Credit to them both to stick it out and get back on their steeds the next day. The last 30km saw Foz with absolutely no brakes and a lot of single track to get through. He was clipping out to use his foot for a brake on every downhill and ended up in the bush after overshooting the odd corner and we lost a good 30 places in the end. We were bitter sweet to be honest. After seeing our poor mates come in 2.5hrs after us and in a bad way we sucked up the brake issue and thanked our lucky stars. While they were suffering we had been handed hot chips and a dirty big beef burger at the finish line by my wonderful fiancé, cleaned ourselves, got warm, sipped on cups of tea and smashed copious amounts of food and CHOCOLATE. We felt if we can get through that we only need to stay upright now and we are home.

Stage 6

Was 89km of solid climbing and one on paper that looked to be one of the toughest. The start was frenetic and these guys certainly don't know how to organize a neutral start for the life of them. We climbed well early on some seriously steep ascents and found ourselves in a great position on GC early. It was time again to help drag my mate Foz home. I bet he never thought nor did I that he would sit on my wheel for about 70km of the day. His mind was playing games with him like mine usually does when behind his wheel or in fact my team mates back home when on the road. Maybe I can drift back a little and it will be ok maybe I can slow down etc, but his tougher than that and the real mind kicked in. He said the tempo is good I must stay here and he did. I was on a flyer and in the beautiful weather and what I felt was the best track we rode in the most scenic area of Oak Valley. Just magnificent up high where we were. We got told we were in 70th overall and made a decision to fly through the last feed only for lube and a coke and bang we were back at it for the last 20. Some amazing single track of which Foz got up close and personal to a tree for a few seconds, crash count Buzz 2, Foz 2. Then there were some cool burms to take at full tilt and some driving flowing dual track. We smacked it home and finished low 60's that day and had a ball. On the finish line is where my Modelling career took to a new high though. First National Geographic wanted my lived in face on camera and the lovely girl asked me to keep my shirt off. Christelle said I was in my element :-) then I got asked if I wanted a Red Bull by the Red Bull models, I replied yes please, to then be asked if I could have my photo taken with the Red Bull, why not. Poor Foz was looking around to get someone to take his photo to no avail, he just had to sit back and watch the pro do his work.. Ha ha :-) life was good for all of us with only stage 7 and 67km to go

Stage 7

The body was just about spent at this stage but there was a final push to be done. The pace as usual was hot at the start and my legs wanted no part of it. It was a gradual up hill for a few km's and my legs were on a go slow warm up. Foz had to do his best to hold himself back and was a good few hundred meters up the road, which was enough to keep me pushing as hard as I could. Eventually on a downhill I was able to reel him in and sit in. From that point on we gradually wound it up, just picking the dead and broken off. You could see no one wanted to race anymore and that the race was done for many. Not for us. We wanted to push it all the way home and when we saw a couple riders who we knew from South Africa through Christelle we stepped it up and grabbed their draft where we could. One of them was struggling on the climbs and when Foz saw the opportunity he hit the gas and said lets go, we broke clear of a bunch we were all in and set a solid tempo. There was lots of single track to navigate some punchy climbs through the vineyards of Lourensford and some fast long downhills. We were picking more and more teams off after my slow start and my legs had kicked back in and we could both smell the finish line. Team KMD were on full throttle in the last 10km and we swallowed up plenty to finish in a time that would've been on the Masters Podium if not a win. We had our best finish for the race in the 50's and topped off an amazing race. The ups and downs can come and go very quickly in this race and it can test the mind and body in all sorts of ways. The build up of all of that was ready to come out when we crossed the line. My throat choked right up coming down that final Shute and the tears weren't something I could hold back. Don't get me wrong I wasn't a blubbering mess on the ground, I was on a massive high and felt a great sense of achievement.

This race delivered all I thought it would and some. It was a privilege to traverse some of the great natural landscape of South Africa with a great mate and push the envelope and race ourselves over 800km. Prior to this race I had completed a grand total of 1 x 50km and 1 x 115km MTB races, my riding preparations had been mostly road based due to our poor summer in Australia. It is certainly different to road riding in many ways, some parts are easier and some are harder than road riding. I love them both and look forward to more MTB races in the future. But for now someone please hand me my new Canyon road bike and get me back on the road......

Buzz

Team KMD straight after we finish (taken from my Go Pro)

We awake to a beautiful crisp sunny morning with no breeze. 

Today is the last stage. After a prologue, and 7 stages of racing over 800km of rocky trails, up mountains, down mountains, across ridge lines, semi arid deserts, winery's, apple orchards, we "only" have a 65km stage from Oak Valley Winery in Elgin to Lourensford in the next valley.  Nearly 85% of the field is still in the race, so out of 1200 riders at the start, there are just over 1000 left to ride this last stage. I must admit, I seem to have noticed  a lot of fresh arms and collarbones in slings over the past week, as falls are the main reason teams have to pull out.

Mark shows the strain of the week!

On the start line there is a feeling of light heartedness and almost relief as riders sense that barring one final mishap, they will see the finish of the largest and toughest mountain bike stage race in the world.  Jarrod and I get into our "usual" spot of just behind the pro's to take advantage of the fast start. We seem to be getting stronger as the week has progressed and our bodies have held up reasonably well. I have a very sore back, saddle sores that I cant describe!, and my hands cant pick anything up as they are so tired from holding the handlebars and brakes for 35 odd hours, and double blisters on the back of each heel that are as deep as a golf bunker!  But we are looking for a good last stage.

Part of the Field watching the Aerobatics

The music is blaring just before the start and the South African Red Bull areobatic Champion comes spinning over the top of us at 100m in height 3mins before the start. The adrenilin is pumping as the starter fires the gun.  The start doesnt seem as fast or as hectic  as previous days and Buzz and I hold  our position

reasonably well. I am feeling much better than yesterday and are keen to get the gas on, especially over the 3 main climbs that come in the first 25k today. Buzz is a little flat and is looking to find his legs, so he tucks in behind me.  We ride our own pace, and at this stage of the race, know what teams we can pull back over the stage and those we wont. As we hit the only drink station for the day at the 35k mark, most of the climbing is over and it is a 30k blast to the finish. Buzz's legs come good and we take it in turns "swapping off",

Buzz showing his adept bike handling skills
on one of the climbs

We start moving through the field, catching teams that have gone out to hard early and are now paying the price. We see the 10k to go sign, then the 5k, then the 1k to go. Both of us are yelling with excitement as we are going to not only finish the race, but also have our best stage result. We come into the finishing chute at full throttle, with thousands of people lining the chute, cheering. The announcer is saying over the top of all the music and noise, “ here comes Team KMD Racing from Australia, who have been strong all week….go Aussies !!”. We roll over the line, jubilant, excited, happy and relieved. It is quite an emotional moment, and one made better as you do it with a team mate that you have spent every moment with over the last 8 days, and you respect him more at the end than the start! Jarrod and I teamed extremely well together, similarly matched in style, fitness, riding ability and temperament. This race is a great lesson in what being a team really means.

We pose for photos and get our finishing medals. Christelle (Jarrod’s fiancée), her family and Jarrods Parents are all there , as I have done my bit, getting Jarrod to the finish in one piece, ready for his wedding this Wednesday!!

We are 58th on the stage, our best result for the week and finish the race in 92nd place on the GC overall. The time lost with my broken chain on stage 3 has cost us dearly in the GC, and if we had of not had it and got the 80mins back that it took us to fix it, we would have finished around 65th-70th overall. Not a bad result!!

We spend the afternoon in the sun, eating and having a few beers. Johnny and Mark also have a good result on the stage and come in around 110th place and around 150th overall in the GC.

For some it’s off to a wedding, but unfortunately for me, it’s back to work. I am now in JoBurg at the airport in transit back to Oz.

So that’s it from the Cape Epic. It was an epic week with a tough race. I loved every second of it.

Thanks to our sponsors, Champion Systems, (who make bullet proof kit!), Cisco, Symantec, The Fixed Wheel, Hampton Cycles, Specialized, Spectum Natural, and ZeBosch Wheels.

We have a heap of Go Pro Video footage that I will be posting on You Tube once I edit it, so watch out for it on channel Fozzyaabb

So only one question remains to be answere, because know I am going to be asked……..Would I do it again?

My Answer: There are somethings in life that should only be experienced ONCE!!!

Stage 6 and we have a good day out

Those chips taste great after another big day on the bike

We awoke to a bright cool crisp morning, much better than yesterday’s downpour and cold weather. The stage today was shorter than previous stages, but with all the climbing, no less a challenge. Buzz and I were looking for a good stage, one without mechanicals.


The gun went off and the pace at the start was the hottest we have had yet. Buzz and I got a good start and our roadie background has allowed us to get a good position early in each stage. We hit the first of 3 big climbs and I knew I was going to hurt today. Buzz was riding strongly, however my legs were not with me. There is nothing worse than being in a race and you know you are going to suffer from the get-go! I was feeling ok, however I know the week has caught up with me. This was going to be one tough stage for me.

We were climbing for the first hour and a half. I was just focused on the wheel in front of me with tunnel vision. Every muscle in my body was screaming at me to stop. There is no choice but to suck it up and keep going.

Look for the profile in your next magazine!

The Shopping Centre at one end of Grabouw

The ride was in the mountains surrounding Grabouw, a strange town of contrasts. At one end of town are the blacks where you wouldn’t want to stop too long at a stop sign. Up on the hill is the whites end of town where there is a new shopping centre. It shows the different spectrums of lifestyle in South Africa.

And another at the other end of Grabouw

Even though I was in the hurt locker, Buzz and I were making good time. We hit the last foodstation in 72nd position on the stage. Buzz and I had a quick team meeting on the bikes, while we were screaming down the hill towards the feedstation and decided not to stop. There was only 25k to go after the last foodstop and it was predominately downhill. We hit the last 25k flat out with Buzz pulling some huge turns and me hanging in behind for grim death! We had about 10k of single trail and we were moving along quickly and picked up some other teams. The end result was we came in at 67th position for the stage and it was our best finish so far in the race. We were pretty pleased with the result and we have moved back into the top 100 on the GC.

Team KMD male model "Buzzolini" getting set up for
his shoot with Oakley

Where we have stayed the last 2 nights....very comfortable

When we finished, Buzz and I were hooking into some chips, when Buzz first of all got asked by the Oakley (sunglasses) photographer to pose for some photos….without his shirt on. He didn’t need to be asked twice. As soon as that was over, the RedBull team asked him if they could take some photos as well!! It must be that strong chin that apealled to them!!!!

My teammate getting some local souvenir

Tough in the tent village, and those mountans are
what we climbed up, along and back down again today

Tomorrow is the last stage. A 64k last stage, the shortest stage, but one we have been warned not to take too lightly. It will be great to finish this great event. I am exhausted and every part of my body hurts.

This is why we didnt stay in the tent village. Not the contrast
with our digs!

Stage 5 - Horrendous!!



Team KMD and Weatherzone on the startline....little did we know what was
in store!

 We awoke to the sound of pouring rain at 4.45am. It had been raining heavily all night, so it was going to be a very wet, muddy and cold stage 5 from Caledon to Oak Valley. Like all the stages, today was no simple ride. 119k, with 2350m of vertical climbing.


Our B&B was about 20k from the start and Christelle (Jarrod’s fiancée) was driving as she had joined us for the last few days of the race, before she and Buzz get married in Tulbagh next Wednesday. We grabbed our bikes and our rain jackets as the temperature along the ridge lines would be on 4 or 5 degrees.

The gun went at 7am sharp and we took off at pace in a big peleton in the driving rain. After a kilometre or so, we hit the unmade road. Quick as a flash, we were covered in what yesterday was crimson dust, was today crimson mud. It caked onto the our faces, ran down our necks under our ride tops, and shorts. My (already painful) saddle sores were going to love this!! You couldn’t tell what rider was in what team, as we raced along the road, both of us focusing on keeping our position at the front. Johnny and Mark were with us early, but dropped back as we hit the first of 4-5 rolling hills. I could only tell Buzz was near me by him saying “yep” in his broad aussie accent every few minutes.

This was average conditions for todays
stage

After 41k we got to the first feed station. Buzz and I were going well. We were around 55th position. After the usual frenzy of the feed station, we settled into a little group as we punched out way over rolling farms. We had the leading womens team with us. They are an English and South African, both who will be riding at the London Olympics. They are both unbelievably strong and can mix it with the strong men’s teams very well. Due to all the mud, bikes were playing up and after about 6km after the feed station, one of the girls rear derailleur got the chain wrapped around it, and before they even had stopped, she was crying in frustration, their chance of winning the largest Mountain Bike race in the world…..gone.

Muddy boys...but the Champion Systems kit
stood up a treat to the harsh condition

We pushed on and saw Mike Blewett from Marathon MTB fame by the side of the road, retired due to a knee injury (Hi Rowena!!). There were teams by the side of the trail everywhere, with busted bikes, or busted bodies. If yesterday was the longest stage, today was the hardest. We pushed on determined to get a good result. My bike was still playing up and I had to stop everytime I had to change into the “granny gear” for climbing. We passed a few teams, and a few passed us. The main climb of the day was a 15k meandering climb with 2 false peaks to get riders hopes up.

The boys refuelling after the stage

Buzz was in the hurt locker a little today, but he was hanging in there well. I felt a lot better than yesterday and was determined to put in a good day. We crested the peak and hit the downhill. This was a 4k descent, over rutted out, loose rock, 4 wheel drive tracks, and a sheer drop on one side and a mistake would be very nasty. Buzz descends like a stone. He hammered it. I wasn’t too far behind him. Back home in Manly, on descents on the MTB, I cant get near, Wazza, Duncan, Stu and the like. Here I am one of the better descenders! Many of these guys can’t (or wont) descend quickly, so we often pick up time.

good head. I still have dirt coming out of all areas

We got through the mud and the rain. It was tough going. We had 30k to go, most of which was downhill single track. All the mud and slush had completely worn away my brake pads. I had no brakes!! We had to slowly come down the hill, costing us valuable time and places. The mud was so thick, it made riding impossible in some areas. Buzz and I finally got to the finish in 7hrs 13 mins. That put us in 79th position on a unbelievably tough stage, and moved us from 123rd overall to 105th.

Johnny didnt get the eye from Buzz!

Johnny and Mark had a tough day with severe bike mechanicals, including a broken chain and jockey wheel, which cost them time as well as both ending up in the medical tent with exposure and Johnny also had dust in his eye and scratched his retina. They looked shattered when they came in. They are tough units though and they will be back out there again tomorrow.

Only 2 stages to go. Tomorrow is shorter in distance at 85k, but very tough. It will still be wet out there. Hopefully we will get to the finish!!

Stage 5 - A Day from Hell!

From Mark Hardy from Team Weatherzone.

Short report today. Might do a longer update tomorrow.



The Weatherzone boys at the start of an Epic stage today

 Heavy rain all last night and still showery as we drove to the start line. We had 116km and something like 2300m of climbing on the agenda today. All the trails were super muddy - or should that be souper muddy. Slippery, slimy and bike caking.

I had no legs today. Absolutely nothing. I was in granny gear on even the slightest hill. Could barely get my HR over 130. So we raced very slowly for the first 3hrs. Then Johnny broke his chain and a jockey wheel. I rode the 20km to the next feed station to get the spare parts he needed. I'd been riding nearly 5hrs by the time I got there and it was freezing cold and pouring rain. As I was about to ride back to Johnny with his parts, a medic spotted me and thought a had hypothermic symptoms and grabbed me. Before I knew it I had most of my wet gear off and was bundled in blankets. Johnny arrived some time later. He tried to get his bike fixed but the queue was 15 people long. Soon he was in hyperthermia as well. Pretty soon there was a bunch of us bundled into a 4WD trying to get warmed up.

After a while - no idea how long, the medic told me the sweep was ten minutes away and we needed to decide whether were we going to pull out or not. The grim reaper was coming down the hill so we got going. We were not going to get kicked out of this event without a fight.

Crossed the finish line in 9hrs 31mins. Most of it I can barely remember as I was off in la la land. All I can say is I rode as hard as I could for at least 8hrs of that time. I thought Wednesday was my worst ever experience on a bike. Well, this certainly beat it. Went from heat exhaustion/dehydration to hyperthermia in two days.

Many people were eliminated from the event today. It was extremely difficult riding.

For tomorrow, our aim is to just get around the course. Any thoughts of racing are just not feasible. Our bodies have been driven too hard and are now right at breaking point. I'll be very happy to finish this event. If I ever mention that I might do it again, then please just shoot me

Day 5, Stage 4...more mechanicals cost us!!

KMD after a hard day in the wind and dust

all the boys refuelling up after stage 4

Well, it had to happen…..the day I had been dreading didn’t play out well for KMD Racing. It started well enough. Once again the race had 14k of good gravel roads as a start, before we hit the first of 2 very serious climbs of the day. We made the selection with the big guns as we went over the undulating gravel roads towards the very serious mountains that surrounded the town of Caledon. Today was a 105k loop, very steep with 2700m of vertical climbing. I was feeling good at the start and as we took off, told Buzz to tuck in.

For the first feed station at 41k, we were well inside the top 50 teams. We had a quick stop as we didn’t want to lose the group as there was 20k of undulating tracks before we hit the second climb of the day, a very steep climb called Charlie’s Heaven. I thought if we could get the second climb in good shape, we would be in a good position for a good stage result.

About 6k through the first feed zone, we were on an open country dirt road, when disaster struck Team KMD. My chain snapped! We stopped to fix it as I was carrying a chain break and link pin, when in my haste, I didn’t have it through the rear derailleur wheel properly. I had to rebreak the chain. Now we were stuffed! Teams came streaming past up. Johnny and Mark came past and gave us another link, which didn’t fit. So Buzz and I had to walk my bike back against the race for 6km to the first feedzone and see the neutral mechanic who fitted a new chain. The walk back in my Mountain bike shoes nearly put an end to my heavily blistered feet. We went from top 50 to 400th on the stage, when we eventually rejoined the race 80 mins later.

the ride captain did all the work today
and it shows!!

Chain repaired, we then took off at a steady pace to ensure at the end of the day we didn’t fall outside the top 150, as we would have to move to group C and not be able to start in the first group of the day in future stages. It would be a big advantage lost. I didn’t feel so good when we took off after an hour and a half break and after 20k was what is known as “cooked”. I was having a bad day. Buzz was unbelievably strong and pulled me home for 50k, while I sat on his wheel with tunnel vision. I knew I had eaten and drunk enough, but the body plays some strange tricks when you put it to so much physical pressure over 8 days like this event.. We pushed our way through the field and ended the day in 230th position. The other thing to beat today was the wind. It was 50kph and blowing a gale. I don’t think I have ridden in such strong wind. Buz took the brunt of it as he did all the work in our team. We came in 43 mins behind the Weatherzone boys who “claimed” the win in the “Manly Showdown”!

The chain break had cost us dearly. We have slipped to 121st overall. Johnny and Mark had a good day and are now only 14 mins and 10 spots behind us in the GC.

We are now back at the hotel eating and drinking for tomorrow. Tomorrow, another horror stage asnd as I type this it is pouring with rain and wind as a big change has it.. I hope I recover or else it is going to be a long day!!

Not many photos today as we are in a patchy internet area.

Stage 4...A Stage Win!!!!

Entry by Mark Hardy from Team Weatherzone

Slept well last night but still woke feeling terrible - dehydrated and weak. So Johnny and I decided the team plan today would be to nurse our sorry arses around the course and try and recover from yesterday. Our stay last night was at a nice B&B about 20km from the race centre at Caledon. We had a quick breakfast in the room then took off to the race. We decided on no warm up today and just jumped into the start chute.


Pretty soon we were racing around the streets of Caledon. Nice little town. Like many of these South African towns in the farming areas, the main street was lined with very nice historic buildings. But this went by in a flash and soon we were racing along dirt roads and heading towards the mountain range south of Caledon. Johnny and I soon found ourselves in the "bus" of the A/B 1st start group.

The first climb of the day was technical, rocky and not super steep. Certainly rideable but we were on and off the bike a lot as most of the other ridders struggled to ride it. We passed loads of riders on the descent down the other side. Certainly back this far in the field most of the riders do not really have genuine mountain bike skills. In fact, we are 5 from 5 on descending so far this event in that no one has ever overtaken us going downhill. Gotta look for something to brag about.

The first feed station was at the bottom of the descent and we filled and ate well. We decided that from now on we will not skip any feed stations and the repercussions of getting it wrong are pretty dire.

We were about 10 minutes past the feed station when we saw some poor bloke riding back towards us along the road. Then he rode over to us, it was Buzz. Fozz had broken his chain up the road. So we stopped with them to see if we could help out. I had a Shimano 10 speed chain link so we donated that. Then they needed a lesson in how to thread the chain through the rear mech. Finally after about 20 minutes of faffing about they were ready to go. So Johnny and I rolled off with the KMD Racing duo leaving just behind us. We expected them to catch and pass us any minute. This could be the first time we would ride with team KMD Racing all week.

We headed into very sandy 4WD trails and my Alice Springs sand experience certainly paid dividends. Not only can most of the riders here not descend or turn corners, most of them are clueless on how to ride sand. So we picked up lots of places here as riders would get their wheels caught in the sand then going spearing off the trail. Still no Buzz and Foz.

Then the 2nd major climb. This one was a monster, very exposed and barren. I think the worst part about it was you could see the trail winding up and up into the distance as far as you see. It was very steep and varied between rideable and walking. The view from the top was superb. We could see the crystal blue Atlantic Ocean in the distance to the south. Still no team KMD Racing. The wind up on these barren slopes was extremely strong. Fortunately it was mostly at our backs and it felt nice having it trying to push you up the hill.

We were about 700m above the sea and soon started the descent to the valley 500m below. We were with a group of about 5 riders and left them behind very quickly. About half way down Johnny got a puncture. It was a steep rocky descent so we moved our bikes well off the track as we were expecting a bunch of riders to come by any second. Johnny managed to fix the flat with sealant and I prepared CO2 canister to inflate it. Then two riders went past. We got our stuff reorganised, back packs on and as we were about to get going again we could see the rest of the group coming so slowly down the hill. We took off ahead of them and passed the other two before we got to the bottom. Johnny's tyre held up the rest of the way down the hill. We were amazed we managed to get a flat tyre and fix it and still get down the hill faster than the other guys who were riding around us! Our descending skills are not great, certainly not by local Sydney standards anyway. But the skill level of most of the high to mid field riders in this race (pros not included of course) is mostly woeful.

So at the bottom of the hill we rode into feed station number 2. Went through the routine, plenty of food, refill water and headed off again. Still no KMD Racing.

We now had one more range to cross to get back to Caledon. As we started to get into the climb we could see a bushfire burning out of control just over the ridge. We crossed the ridge and the course seemed to continue to head to the bushfire smoke. We were in sight of the flames and a course marshall continued to wave us along the course. We both agreed - this is not looking good. The wind was howling - gusts well over 40kts and the smoke was streaming parallel to the ground. The course then turned left and ran along side the fire. We could feel the heat and hear the crackling of the flames as it burned the grassy stubble, hay bails and fences. The organisers had a couple of 4WD vehicles following behind riders as they rode the closest points to the fire. Pretty soon we were upwind of it and winding through a nice little forest (a rarity around here).

We had about 20km to go and it was all upwind. This was very tough work. Definitely the strongest winds I have ever ridden in. At times we were doing 5 to 10 km/h on the flat heading into the wind. 2 or 3 times I was blown completely off the track. Johnny did not have this problem for obvious reasons. Instead of the last 20km taking a little under an hour, this was going to be much longer. After battling this wind for 90minutes we finally got into the last 5km - still no Buzz and Fozz. Now Johnny got a sniff…. We might actually beat them. He started putting on the pace and I struggled to keep up. After dodging a tortoise in the botanical gardens (the only wildlife we have seen in Africa so far), we crossed the finish line in 6hr 59 minutes. Again another long day on the bike. KMD Racing rolled in 45 minutes later giving us our 1st stage win of the Tour. We are now only 11minutes behind them, a margin that we have no chance of making up (barring mechanical issues of course).

Fozz described it as his worst day on a bike as they battled mechanical problems and worked extremely hard to try and overcome their deficit. It turned out that when we left them with chain supposedly fixed, it broke again instantly forcing them to walk back to the 1st feed station and getting a new chain.

Johnny and I both felt a lot better at the end of this stage than yesterday. I think if we ride to a similar plan to today then we should be able to finish the event and maybe improve slightly on where we are now.

But as I sit here now typing this up it is raining heavily outside. And the forecast for overnight and tomorrow morning is for a lot of rain. This will change things a lot for the race tomorrow. The stage is from Caledon to Elgin, 119km and 2300m of climbing. In the wet it will be very tough indeed.

We now over half way in this event. Surely the worst is behind us.

Stage 3...An Epic Day!!

Before todays marathon stage

Buzz after!!

me after!!

The usual routine took place this morning. Up at 4.45am. Stuff as much breakfast into us as possible and be on the start line ready for a 7am gun. It is the longest hardest stage ever in Cape Epic history. 149k and 3000m of vertical climbing. None of us had ever done a stage like this and I was very quiet and apprehensive during breakfast. Would my body hold up? We estimated The stage would take us around 7 and a half hours of full on riding.

The gun went and the pace was on. Buzz and I got a good start and our plan was to stick with the lead pack for the first 18k as it was pretty flat and good for roadies who know how to ride in a big pack. 1200 riders took off all at once. Once the race settled, we were in the top 70-80 riders tucked in and rolling along with Olympic champions, Tour de France riders and a couple of hacks from Manly. The level of riders in the top few hundred riders is incredible. All around us we these tall lean strong Germans, Dutchmen, French, Polish, Danish and South African riders. They can pull your legs off with their strength along the flat trails. It was very exciting with choppers hovering 100m above the peloton  filming as we rolled along at 50kph on a spectacular morning in the Winery's area of the Western Cape.

The finish at Caledon. Boy were we happy to see it.

After about 18k into the race, there was the first hill. Buzz and I dug deep and got over it with the lead group. It is incredibly difficult riding at 50k an hour with 100 guys around you, 1 inch space handlebar to handlebar and making sure you are keeping position in the peloton as well as ensuring your team mate is right with you. It is no point riding by yourself at the front as this is a 2 man team event. It requires very close communication and teamwork. Buzz and I have done a lot of km's together in training and we know each other's riding pretty well.  A lot of the time we can tell how each other is feeling just by looking at each other!  You know things are going well when one of us loses the wheel of the other and without turning around you just hear an Aussie accented "yep" behind you and you know he is tucked in behind you or it is me doing the tucking in. No need to waste energy by turning around.

Leigh and Damo, we took this shot for you guys.
Loving the Epic to ride on. 25% of the field must be
on Specialized 29er's

After about 25k there was a sharp turn onto a narrow trail. The peleton breathed in, but not enough. Bang! A crash just in front of us at 40kph in the  blinding dust. Rider and bikes are sprawled across the sandy road. Buzz and I miss it narrowly. The riders at the front heard the sound of carbon and bodies hitting the deck and instinctively accelerated. We went with them and next thing you know there was a split in the peloton. We made the split and got pulled along by the strong boys up the front.


Into the showers after the stage



We were in a great spot, positoned  in the top 50 teams coming into the first feed zone at the 59km point. We had strong teams around us and we felt good tucked in and taking advantage of the draft. Just after the first feed, we had our first mishap. I lost my chain between the frame and lowest gear as I changed into the big ring. We had to stop so I could untangle it. We lost the group. We took off again, chasing and got into another group. Still well up the front of the race. We were climbing well and felt good. Then Buzz got a puncture. Here at the Epic we have tubeless tyres with a special sealant in it that "seals" the tyre if it gets a puncture. It didn't work correctly and we had to stop to fix it. Group after group past us as we stood by the trail. We got going again, but the damage was done! We had lost 30-40 positions. W had to stop another 5 or 6 times to keep putting more air in the tyre as it was losing air as we rode. We kept at it however and managed to limit the damage and still finished within the top 100 teams for the stage and only dropped from 82nd to 84th overall.

Buzz collecting has raffle winnings

It was an unbelievably hard stage.  I know know what the tour riders feel like when they see the 1km to go  banner.  Buzz's garmin was playing up and we thought we had 30k to go when we saw the 10k to go banner. I asked a spectator as we came tearing past to make sure it was real.  He confirmed it. It was like winning the lottery!! Once I had my nose pointed to home, I cranked up the Specialized Epic and told Buzz to tuck in.  We came over the line in around 7hrs and 10mins of racing.  Johnny and Mark had a tough day in the saddle and came in around 50 mins after us. Mark had a tough day in the saddle.

After the race in the recovery tent, they had a little raffle and Buzz and I managed to win a waterbottle each!  Much mirth by all with the  Aussies winning!!

 

our new digs

We moved tonight from our Orphanage in Robertson to a nice B&B called the Hoew Hoek Inn near Grabouw.  It is like luxury compared to our little room at Robertson. No problems sleeping tonight.
 

We are now half way in time and distance through the race. It feels like hump day is over.  We know know we can finish this race!!

 

Tomorrow is another 110k and 2300m of climbing.  Another tough day!!!

 

Stage 2 A good ride by all!



Buzz, Johnny, Mark and me about to have dinner last night

 We were up early….this is starting to be like ground hog day. 4.45am, up, walk over to breakfast, eat as much as we possibly can and then back to the room to kit up. The body is holding up reasonably well, but with 6 stages to go, preservation is the key.

Buzz and I got to the start chute early, ready to go at 6.30. Looking around we are one of the few leading teams using camelbacks. We decided that we should use them as I am the type of rider that if I am out of water, then I am out of gas!. Our Camelbacks were full of various bits and pieces that we may need……spare tubes, pump, gas canisters, food, gels, chain break and multi tools. The extra weight is a small tradeoff, as if we have any issues out on the course, we have to be able to fix it ourselves.



Plenty of scenery like this to ride through



The race started at 7am with 6k on the tarred roads out of Robertson, before we hit the trails. The pace was full on as it was a mass start and we were probably about in the first 70-80 teams. The peleton was spread out right across the road. After 150m, my chain jumped off the derailleur. Lucky Buzz saw me as the pack was screaming along. I had to stop and put my chain back on by hand. The trick with this is not to panic and I fixed the bike and Buzz paced me back up to near front. After a 2k chase we were back into position.

Once we hit the trails, the first thing we did was have to cross a rather deep creek. It was ridable (just), but our feet and shoes got a drenching. It also has the effect of washing all the lube off our chain, so the risk with a dry chain is snapping it.

Nice Countryside!

Today’s stage was a little flatter and faster than yesterday. There was more “pack” riding as there was more open firetrail. This suits Buzz’s and my road riding background and we found some nice packs to roll along in. My bike was performing much better after a complete rebuild overnight by our mechanics. It is interesting rolling along in the packs. In some of the groups today were riders from Germany, France, South Africa, New Zealand, Denmark, Portugal. You don’t hear much English being spoken, except for the odd Aussie telling someone to “pull a turn mate!”. 

We hit the first feed station at the 38k mark. As what is now becoming the norm, the feed stations are bedlam. No one wants to stop any more than required. Riders grab water, stuff bananas, coke, muffins, lollies, and these very nice small boiled potatoes dipped in salt(my favourite), as well as getting lube on their bikes usually all at the one time. I have never heard so many swear words in so many languages happening all at once. Buzz and I more than hold our own, and we elbow in and grab a feed.



Another hill. Some trees would be nice!



Besides the rocks, the other memory of the ride is the dust. As you know, Africa has this very fine red dust. We get to ride through it all, and it gets in everywhere. It is unbelievable. Washing it out of clothes and bodies is a real challenge.

Results wise, we continue to climb up the leaderboard as do Johnny and Mark, from Team Weatherzone. We were 72nd today out of 601 teams and we are now 84th overall.  Mark and Johnny are 108th overall and 18th in masters, so both teams are doing well.

The rider zone with food and drink at the finish

The last 4k was back on the tarmac today and as soon as we hit it, Buzz and I showed these mountain bikers how to ride a time trial. Buzz took off as we swung onto the asphalt and I was right on his tail. I came around him with about 2 and a half k to go, in the big ring (tks Fixed Wheel!). Buzz swung in behind me and we tore past 4 teams, a couple that jumped onto our wheel. With about 1k to go, we hit a few tight turns and as we came into town the crowds were out and cheering. There was no way anyone was coming past me. With 500 to go, Buzz yelled from behind me ‘come on Foz, keep the juice on, we don’t want these bastards coming over the top of us!. We had a few 90 degree turns and we hooked through them at full speed, and managed to win our little race within a race.

Buzz recovering!

As you finish the organization of the race takes over. You are handed drinks, food, a wet towel and they take your bike and clean them. We headed into the rider recovery tent and started to get ready for the monster stage of tomorrow. As we sat there, Buzz showed me his scratches from a fall he had today. I was ahead of him and didn’t know. He washed out his front wheel coming around a sandy corner and put it into the sand. So falls at the moment is Buzz 2, Foz 0. Let’s hope there are no more falls from KMD Racing.



Team KMD after the finish of Stage 2- 72nd on the stage

We came back to the orphanage this afternoon and in the room next to up is 2 teams (4 Guys) from Sth Africa and the Middle East. Yesterday 2 of the guys ended up in hospital on drips due to dehydration and today one of those guys had an epileptic fit 20k into the race. To come to this race unprepared is to court disaster.

Johnny at the finish

Mark at the finish

Injuries and aches and pains have to be managed every day. Besides general tiredness and sore muscles, I have a few ailments that I am looking after. The left side of my lower back is very tight and sore, however the physio said that stretching and some Volatrin will fix that. My hands are also incredibly tired and it feels as if I have been squeezing a tennis ball in both hands for 12 hours. I can hardly type. This is as you are constantly on the brakes and gears and it makes for some sore hands! I also have a saddle sore forming. For those you who aren’t into cycling, I am not going to explain it here. I would suggest you look on Wikipedia. Needless to say it is very sore and if not looked after can be a big issue. I bought a big tube of Bepathen crème and I plan to use it all!!

All in all a good day. Tomorrow is a monster with 147k and 3000m of vertical climbing. I am a bit nervous about it. We will see how it pans out……

 

Bikes cleaned and lubed, ready to go tommorrow



Mark Hardy (WeatherZone) entry - The Prologue

  Here is an entry from Mark Hardy.  I couldnt upload his photos, but it gives a different perspective.
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Up early today for the opening stage of the Cape Epic, the Prologue time trial. Packed all the bikes in the car and headed back out to Meerandal in the pre-dawn light. Arrived to see the winery a hive of activity. The actual Prologue started about 15 minutes before we got there and there were TV vans and helicopters buzzing around. Awesome site. Our start time was 8:27am and Fozz/Buzz started at 9:10am.
I hardly slept last night. Combination of nerves and a few other things on my mind. So felt pretty terrible preparing for our race - bad headache and nausea. The other guys were all pretty pumped and pretty soon I found myself in the starting chute.

I realised then just how big this event is. I really felt as if I'd been teleported from my couch in front of my TV into a Tour De France time trial. It was a surreal feeling. Soon we got the countdown and were on our way. Probably due to nerves I guess, but my heart rate jumped pretty much right out of the gate and soon I was getting heart alarm beep from my bike computer every 20 seconds or so. We tried to keep a settled pace but the TT started off with a long climb that really had to be ridden pretty solidly. Teams were sent off at 25 seconds intervals and pretty soon we had caught 3 teams ahead of us just before the top of the hill. This was very good as the following descent was narrow and twisty and we had clear traffic most of the way down. This pattern was repeated several more times with some of the climbs being very steep - the roller coaster like descents made the effort worthwhile. We were plowing our way through the field and were only passed by one other team while we ended up passing at least 20 I expect.

The TT had a hill top finish which was pretty cruel. All up 27km and 900m of climbing. Our time was 1:44:38 which was good for 25th place in masters. We were extremely happy with that. Buzz and Fozz were 4 minutes better and were in 92nd position. All up great results to start the event.

Then we packed it all up for the 130km drive to Robertson where we will spend the next 3 days.

The countryside on the drive was spectacular. Very similar to the Mac Donnell ranges around Alice Springs only grey instead of red. A similar metamorphic sandstone. Very dry climate with just low saltbush for vegetation.

Robertson is a nice little town lying in a valley surrounded by spectacular rocky ranges. A town transformed by this event. The tent city was set up when we arrived which houses most of the riders, mechanics, media and other supporter for the duration. It's a site to behold.
This photo shows about half of it. In the background in the dining hall which 160m by 50m. The organisation is amazing.Soon after arriving we settled into our dormitory style accommodation at the school very close by the event centre. Then headed over for dinner and the nightly briefing.
It had a been a massive day and we were all very tired. Tomorrow is Stage 1, 112km up and down the ranges to the north of town. So we got our stuff prepared and were in bed by 830pm. Most of us were asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows.

Mark

Stage 1...What have we got ourselves into???

Riders head out in some spectacular scenery.......We went half way up that damn mountain!!

Everything up until this point has been preparation for the challenge. Even the prologue wasnt anything out of the ordinary.  The next 7 days are full on racing in harsh terrain, with over 100k of mountainbike riding each day.  The alarm went off at 4.45 in the little room in the Childrens Orphanage we are staying in (dont worry, the kids arent here!).

Here is Johnny, Buzz and Mark
in our tidy room at the orphanage

Four full grown men staying in a little room with bags and bike kit is pretty tight.  We headed over at 5am to the ride village which is over the road from where we are staying for breakfast. As we walked through the rider village, we could hear the piper playing his bagpipes and the sound drifted across the valley. He plays in the village at 5am sharp every morning as the alarm for the riders.

To give you some idea of the scale of this event, the dining tent is 160m long by 50m wide. It seats 600 people comfortably.  Breakfast is anything you want.  Porridge, Bacon, Eggs, Cereal, Toast, Juice, Coffee Tea etc. 

The Dining Hall


It all went down well, washed down with tea. Breakfast done, we headed back to the rooms to kit up. We then collected our bikes from our mechanics ( I must admit it is cool having our own mechanic who does anything we need on our rigs!) and went to the start chute.

The atmosphere is full on. 1200 riders all in groups, music blaring, people taking photos, last minute trips to the toilet....and it was still dark. Facing us was 112k of hurt on narrow rocky trails with huge hills, thorns, and drops to catch the unwary rider. It was overcast as the gun went off and the pace was on. Buzz and I being predominately road riders had no problems taking off as the peleton weaved its way out of the streets of Robertson. All the roads are closed while the race whizzes through, and the locals are out in force while we go by. It is actually one of the highlights of the race. As we race through winerys and workers villages, all the locals are out by the road(track)side yelling and beating bits of tin as drums and screaming out to the riders. It must be quite surreal to these poor farmhands as people from 50 countries from around the world come tearing past their front door.

My b ike at the Mechanics

After 10k or so, we went off the unmade roads onto rocky single trail.  It was bedlam as teams fought for position, and many were taking risks. To both sides of the trail was thick thorny bushes that would tear your skin or your tyre if you went off course.  Teams were puncturing everywhere.  Buzz and I were riding reasonably conservatively as we knew this was only day 1.  After 20k the race settled down and the field stretched out.  I felt pretty strong and Buzz was riding well, the bikes were performing as per spec, so we settled in for the long haul.  We knew some teams had started too fast and would come back to us.

Then we hit the first hill of the day. By hill, I mean over 300m of vertical climbing.  You couldnt ride up it, so you had to push or carry your bike up 1000ft of rock, sand and foliage.  My feet in my riding shoes were killing me and I could feel the blisters forming on the back of each heel.  It was unbelievably difficult and our heartrate went off the scale. Riders heartrate monitors were beeping as riders went over their threshold.

 After we hit the top, I realized I had made a big error in not using contacts. My sunnys that have a script in them were fogged up. I had sweat pouring off me and couldnt see through them. We had a dangerous technical descent and I couldnt see!!  Shortly after we got to the first food station and I got a tissue and managed to clean them, but from now on it is contacts!!!

The food stations are crazy! Teams come tearing in to the allocated area, grabbing muffins, bananas, coke, water, gatorade in a frenzy as no one want to loose time by stopping.  We fuelled up and headed up the second climb of the day. It was steeper and longer than the first. It was also unrideable. The rear of my feet are now raw blisters and I will have to be careful over the next few days. Finally we reached the top and we thought most of the climbing was over. We were wrong.  We zig-zagged our way around farms, winery's fields, little villages. It all went past in a flash. 

Buzz after the finish

Me at the finish looking fresh as a daisy!!!

After the 3rd feed station at 70k, the terrain flattened out. Buzz and I were pretty much on our own. I had my nose pointed for home and wanted to get there. We latched onto a little group of a Danish team and a team from South Africa, and for 25k or so we went tearing along as a little group. Not a word was said between the teams the whole time, riders working silently as the collective group  moves. We made good time and the k's flew by. After 112 dusty, hot and hilly k's we came back into town. Buzz and I didnt have any other teams with us and we flew along the streets of Robertson cutting corners as the officals had closed all the roads. After 6hrs and 6 minutes of riding, we entered the finish shute, hands off the handlebars arms linked in what we hope will be our finish salute for another 6 times this week.

We finished in 90th place out of 601 teams, and are in 89th place overall when you add yesterdays and todays time together. Considering the size and quality of this field, with world and Olympic champs as well as National Champs, we think it is a pretty respectable result. I take a little pride in also being the oldest rider out of the top 100 teams - looking down the list all you  see are Date of births like 1985, 1987 etc.

Team Weatherzone are also doing well at 122nd place and they had a good day today. They will get stronger as the week goes on.

As soon as we crossed the line, we began to get ready for stage 2. 119k of the same. The alarm goes off at 4.45 tomorrow morning.......