A very early morning, had us leaving for the 2008 Hill 2 Hill. We arrived the start of the half marathon just after 5:00 a.m. with the race starting at 6:00 a.m. the weather was completely miserable, which I was very happy about. It rained continuously until about 5 minute before the start of our race.
I went hard from the start and managed to get a good gap on the guys. Travis Walker then rode across to me and we began to work together. About 5km in a marshal sent us in the wrong direction and we rode 2km in the wrong direction. I noticed this and shouted it to the bunch I was in. some of them did not hear me and continued riding. I turned around with Travis, and we faught our way back up the field. At the crossing over the Free Way Travis and I were back in the lead and had a very comfortable gap. We continued working together. We approached the first KOM (king of the mountains) and Travis put the hammer down. I later on caught him again, and resumed our “team work.” As we approached the 2nd KOM I broke away and managed to win it. In doing so in doing so I had also managed to get a gap over Travis. But then more disaster was to come. I again came to a marshal who sent me in the wrong direction, down a very long hill, I got to the bottom to notice that there were no more markings. I turned around to see Travis shouting to me. I sprinted up the long climb, and I was now in 2nd position. Bryce Munro, Adriaan Louw, and Jedson Tooms had not caught up yet.
I was furious. And gave chase as hard as I could, I had been preparing for the long flat road into the finish, but as I reached the cane depot, I noticed a monster of a climb to the left. I tried to hold my pace, but slowly began losing my legs. Bryce caught me with about 2km to go, and Adriaan caught me at the 1km to go sign.
The course was phenomenal, it was just a pitty that the marshals were not on form. Well done to Kim Phillips and the team for an awesome course, and the sponsors, Jeep Apparel, and Sunday Tribune for an awesome event.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Lynford Super Classic 14 September 2008
A very early morning saw us to the Lynford School, just outside Ixopo. Having left home at 5:00 a.m. we arrived there, still half asleep. As we stepped out the car, I could already feel the heat and knew that there was going to be an extremely hot.
Again the turn out for this super classic was immense and had a pool of top riders, Brandon Stewart, Pete Smith, Roan Exelby and Jedson Tooms, along with many more. The racing was started with the traditional shooting of a bottle of milk, and from the start the attacks started. As we turned onto the climb Jedson attacked. Brandon charged through the pack and took control of the race shortly after. I hung on as long as possible but had to drop off before the crest of the climb. I was sitting 10th overall and trailing quite badly from the chase bunch.
I gave chase as hard as possible and I eventually worked my way back up to 7th, passing Tim Stark and Daniel Paul. I continued chasing as hard as possible and I managed to eventually drop Daniel. Going into the second loop of about 10km, I was beginning to close down the Gap on Travis Walker. But in turn Daniel’s sheer power seriously closed the gap on me on the open sections. He caught me on the last big climb and dropped me, but I was still closing down on Travis. With about 2km to go I could seem him in the distance. I went hammer to the wall to try close the gap but it was too late in the race. I managed to pull off an 8th overall and 2nd Youth male.
The course was fantastic, as always. Hats off to “Farmer” Glen Haw and the course setters. The venue was awesome and the atmosphere was great, which made for an awesome days racing.
Again the turn out for this super classic was immense and had a pool of top riders, Brandon Stewart, Pete Smith, Roan Exelby and Jedson Tooms, along with many more. The racing was started with the traditional shooting of a bottle of milk, and from the start the attacks started. As we turned onto the climb Jedson attacked. Brandon charged through the pack and took control of the race shortly after. I hung on as long as possible but had to drop off before the crest of the climb. I was sitting 10th overall and trailing quite badly from the chase bunch.
I gave chase as hard as possible and I eventually worked my way back up to 7th, passing Tim Stark and Daniel Paul. I continued chasing as hard as possible and I managed to eventually drop Daniel. Going into the second loop of about 10km, I was beginning to close down the Gap on Travis Walker. But in turn Daniel’s sheer power seriously closed the gap on me on the open sections. He caught me on the last big climb and dropped me, but I was still closing down on Travis. With about 2km to go I could seem him in the distance. I went hammer to the wall to try close the gap but it was too late in the race. I managed to pull off an 8th overall and 2nd Youth male.
The course was fantastic, as always. Hats off to “Farmer” Glen Haw and the course setters. The venue was awesome and the atmosphere was great, which made for an awesome days racing.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Harburg Tour de Krantz Super Classic 16 August 2008
The 2008 Tour De Krantz was a bit chilly but a lot warmer than the previous races. With an hour or so to go Rourke Croeser and I went to warm up, we noticed all the top riders were here and knew it wasn’t going to be an extremely difficult race.
On the start we were all lined up together. And as the whistle went it was a full on sprint. I managed to get into a group with Rourke Croeser, Brandon Stewart, Craig Paul, Jedson Tooms, Pete Smith and Travis Walker. On the first small climb I could not hang onto the pace and I dropped off. I still maintained a pace fast enough to maintain my position on the road.
After I had recovered I caught Craig Paul who was suffering from flu, and we began to work together. The course began to get really difficult, and we hit some brutal climbs. Daniel Paul caught us and Daniel Paul and I broke away and started working together to catch the group ahead of us.
I began to chase as hard as I could but Jedson and Travis were too far ahead and I could not close the gap in the end. Eventually Daniel broke away from me and I just couldn’t go any harder.
It was definitely not one of my best races of the year as I did not feel very strong, but it was one of my favorite courses so far.
The course was awesome and the climbs were really difficult. There was some good single track, and some awesome views from what I had a glance at. Well done to the organizers who put in a very big effort to make it an enjoyable race!
On the start we were all lined up together. And as the whistle went it was a full on sprint. I managed to get into a group with Rourke Croeser, Brandon Stewart, Craig Paul, Jedson Tooms, Pete Smith and Travis Walker. On the first small climb I could not hang onto the pace and I dropped off. I still maintained a pace fast enough to maintain my position on the road.
After I had recovered I caught Craig Paul who was suffering from flu, and we began to work together. The course began to get really difficult, and we hit some brutal climbs. Daniel Paul caught us and Daniel Paul and I broke away and started working together to catch the group ahead of us.
I began to chase as hard as I could but Jedson and Travis were too far ahead and I could not close the gap in the end. Eventually Daniel broke away from me and I just couldn’t go any harder.
It was definitely not one of my best races of the year as I did not feel very strong, but it was one of my favorite courses so far.
The course was awesome and the climbs were really difficult. There was some good single track, and some awesome views from what I had a glance at. Well done to the organizers who put in a very big effort to make it an enjoyable race!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Cowan House Super Classic 10 August 2008
The 2008 Cowan House Super Classic saw their most entries ever, along with many of the top riders being there. The Cowan House is one of the favourites among most riders, with its variety of single tracks, and really tough climbs makes for some awesome racing.
This year Cowan House greeted everyone with some nice warm sun, nevertheless it was still very cold, but at least the sun was out. The classic was heard to be thee toughest it has been in years, and all the top riders were there, Brandon Stuart, Craig Paul, Rourke Croeser, and Pete Smith. The race was off at 09:10 and the racing stated from the word go. I had a good start and was situated at about 7th overall. The pace lifted and Jedson and I began to work together and we soon found ourselves going really hard to try and reel back Trav Walker and Andrew Hill.
By the time we had reached K.O.M (King Of The Mountains) we had noticed David Louw and Gary flint were closing on us. Jedson upped the pace considerably and we manage to open up the gap. Luckily I managed to enter the single track first and I went as hard as I could, but Jedson would catch up on the open roads. Eventually we caught Andrew Hill who had taken a wrong turn, but it did not last long as Andrew and Jedson opened up a gap and I chased as hard as I could to close down. Their sheer power was too great on the open roads , but I was able to close on them in the single track, unfortunately not enough. On the last climb I went as hard as could and closed the gap down to 4 seconds between Jedson and I by the finish. In the end I had to settle for a 8th overall and 2nd youth.
The course was absolutely grueling, but it is one of my favourite courses out of the super classics I have done this year. The climbs were really brutal, the single track was fantastic and the all round organization was brilliant. Well done to everyone who made the event possible.
This year Cowan House greeted everyone with some nice warm sun, nevertheless it was still very cold, but at least the sun was out. The classic was heard to be thee toughest it has been in years, and all the top riders were there, Brandon Stuart, Craig Paul, Rourke Croeser, and Pete Smith. The race was off at 09:10 and the racing stated from the word go. I had a good start and was situated at about 7th overall. The pace lifted and Jedson and I began to work together and we soon found ourselves going really hard to try and reel back Trav Walker and Andrew Hill.
By the time we had reached K.O.M (King Of The Mountains) we had noticed David Louw and Gary flint were closing on us. Jedson upped the pace considerably and we manage to open up the gap. Luckily I managed to enter the single track first and I went as hard as I could, but Jedson would catch up on the open roads. Eventually we caught Andrew Hill who had taken a wrong turn, but it did not last long as Andrew and Jedson opened up a gap and I chased as hard as I could to close down. Their sheer power was too great on the open roads , but I was able to close on them in the single track, unfortunately not enough. On the last climb I went as hard as could and closed the gap down to 4 seconds between Jedson and I by the finish. In the end I had to settle for a 8th overall and 2nd youth.
The course was absolutely grueling, but it is one of my favourite courses out of the super classics I have done this year. The climbs were really brutal, the single track was fantastic and the all round organization was brilliant. Well done to everyone who made the event possible.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Illovo Eston MTB Half Marathon- Saturday 26 July 2008
Saturday saw us to the Eston club for the Illovo Eston Marathon and Half Marathon. This race has grown from 180 riders, to the biggest one day mountain bike race in the country. The weather was extremely cold in the morning, but still sunny, typical winter weather.
The line up for the 40km Half Marathon was a fierce one, all the guys were here, Tim Stark, Travis Walker, Jedson Tooms and James Reid, along with two Elite, House of Paint roadies. Our start was off at 08:30, and the start was fast from the word go. There was a big bunch of us until the KOM (king of the mountains) came. From there it broke up into a pack consisting of Travis, Tim, Jedson, James and myself, with Tim coming out with the KOM victory. After that the pace grew really fast and Tim began feeling sick, after really putting in a really big effort earlier. It was now the three maverick riders and I. Upon the next climb, Wattle Hill, I struck a huge “unlucky” rock and punctured. I stopped to bomb it and there was no chance left for me to get to the leading pack by myself again. After that incident I chased really hard and the two elite riders from House of Paint caught up to me. We worked together trying to catch the leading pack, and it started to pay off, as we were closing on them. Eventually the one broke away, leaving myself and his team mate.
Just after the first water table I managed to drop the one roadie and began to close on his team mate which I caught and passed in the single track. I now had my sights set on the leading bunch, but was caught in no man’s land on my own. Their gap was just too big and the three of them worked phenomenally well together. I ended up settling for 4th overall in a time of 1hr 40 and 3rd youth for the day.
Well done to James who had an exceptional ride and took the honors, Travis in second and Jedson in third. Another big thanks to the organizers who made the course and venue such an awesome experience. The course was really cool, with one or two tough climbs and some awesome single-track.
The line up for the 40km Half Marathon was a fierce one, all the guys were here, Tim Stark, Travis Walker, Jedson Tooms and James Reid, along with two Elite, House of Paint roadies. Our start was off at 08:30, and the start was fast from the word go. There was a big bunch of us until the KOM (king of the mountains) came. From there it broke up into a pack consisting of Travis, Tim, Jedson, James and myself, with Tim coming out with the KOM victory. After that the pace grew really fast and Tim began feeling sick, after really putting in a really big effort earlier. It was now the three maverick riders and I. Upon the next climb, Wattle Hill, I struck a huge “unlucky” rock and punctured. I stopped to bomb it and there was no chance left for me to get to the leading pack by myself again. After that incident I chased really hard and the two elite riders from House of Paint caught up to me. We worked together trying to catch the leading pack, and it started to pay off, as we were closing on them. Eventually the one broke away, leaving myself and his team mate.
Just after the first water table I managed to drop the one roadie and began to close on his team mate which I caught and passed in the single track. I now had my sights set on the leading bunch, but was caught in no man’s land on my own. Their gap was just too big and the three of them worked phenomenally well together. I ended up settling for 4th overall in a time of 1hr 40 and 3rd youth for the day.
Well done to James who had an exceptional ride and took the honors, Travis in second and Jedson in third. Another big thanks to the organizers who made the course and venue such an awesome experience. The course was really cool, with one or two tough climbs and some awesome single-track.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Kwa-Ximba Super Classic - 22 June 2008
A very cold morning greeted us at the isolated Kwa-Ximba Mtb Super Classic at the end of a 4 x 4 track that took for ever to get down. The race was situated just outside Camperdown in literally what seemed to be the Valley of 1000 Hills. The race was scheduled to start at 08:00 am, so we left our place bright and early to get to the registration. Due to the number of people still coming in at 07:50 the start of race was delayed by 30 minutes.
The race started at 08:30 and was quite a relaxed start. But half way up the first climb the pace opened up, a break away of about 7 or 8 guys were in front, luckily I managed to go with them. A little further up the climb Pete Smith, Jedson Tooms, Chris Wolhuter and I had been dropped, along with Dave Louw and Gary Flint. Chris, Pete, Jedson and I formed the chasing bunch and we began to work well together. We came to the first single track section and Pete picked up the pace but I managed to go with him and we managed to get a small gap, but Jedson and Chris closed it down just after we exited the single track.
Directly after that Jedson put in an attack on a steep climb and I decided to go with him as he is a strong climber. We worked really well together and pushed the pace up a bit breaking away from Pete and Chris.
We eventually came past some members of the front bunch when Andrew Hill punctured at about ±19km mark and we got an indication from him that the front bunch was not that far ahead of us
The toughest and steepest climb of the day came, and I noticed Pete had really upped the pace, as he was closing on us. About half way up he caught us and really put down the hammer. I again found myself to be with him, and noticed both Jedson and Chris could not hang on to the pace and I wondered how long I could go with him but was eventually dropped after about 5 minutes.
I then lost touch of Pete and upon entering a single track, a pack of hunting dogs forced me to stop while they were crossing the road. I was really worried that they would chase me, so I stayed where I was until their handlers came to the rescue. Now being really frustrated I gave it my all and I then ended taking a wrong turn, but soon realized my mistake and only lost about a minute. Approaching the river crossings I saw Pete on the far side, and I tried to push and really catch him, but I was unable to close the gap.
A couple of kilometers later Carl Calverly and Dave Louw caught me again. As Carl caught me he put down the pace and I once again found myself in a small break away. Suddenly, Nico, Team Jeep, came past us, (he had been leading the race) he had obviously also taken a wrong turn and was going like the clappers. Eventually with about 5km to go Carl broke away and I had to settle with a 6th overall, and 2nd in the youth category finishing in a time of 2hr14mins.
The Race is by far the most difficult race I have EVER done, 7 absolutely grueling climbs. One climb was 8km on it’s own and the course was also extremely steep and grassy. The course was very cool, but extremely difficult for a 50km.
The race started at 08:30 and was quite a relaxed start. But half way up the first climb the pace opened up, a break away of about 7 or 8 guys were in front, luckily I managed to go with them. A little further up the climb Pete Smith, Jedson Tooms, Chris Wolhuter and I had been dropped, along with Dave Louw and Gary Flint. Chris, Pete, Jedson and I formed the chasing bunch and we began to work well together. We came to the first single track section and Pete picked up the pace but I managed to go with him and we managed to get a small gap, but Jedson and Chris closed it down just after we exited the single track.
Directly after that Jedson put in an attack on a steep climb and I decided to go with him as he is a strong climber. We worked really well together and pushed the pace up a bit breaking away from Pete and Chris.
We eventually came past some members of the front bunch when Andrew Hill punctured at about ±19km mark and we got an indication from him that the front bunch was not that far ahead of us
The toughest and steepest climb of the day came, and I noticed Pete had really upped the pace, as he was closing on us. About half way up he caught us and really put down the hammer. I again found myself to be with him, and noticed both Jedson and Chris could not hang on to the pace and I wondered how long I could go with him but was eventually dropped after about 5 minutes.
I then lost touch of Pete and upon entering a single track, a pack of hunting dogs forced me to stop while they were crossing the road. I was really worried that they would chase me, so I stayed where I was until their handlers came to the rescue. Now being really frustrated I gave it my all and I then ended taking a wrong turn, but soon realized my mistake and only lost about a minute. Approaching the river crossings I saw Pete on the far side, and I tried to push and really catch him, but I was unable to close the gap.
A couple of kilometers later Carl Calverly and Dave Louw caught me again. As Carl caught me he put down the pace and I once again found myself in a small break away. Suddenly, Nico, Team Jeep, came past us, (he had been leading the race) he had obviously also taken a wrong turn and was going like the clappers. Eventually with about 5km to go Carl broke away and I had to settle with a 6th overall, and 2nd in the youth category finishing in a time of 2hr14mins.
The Race is by far the most difficult race I have EVER done, 7 absolutely grueling climbs. One climb was 8km on it’s own and the course was also extremely steep and grassy. The course was very cool, but extremely difficult for a 50km.
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