Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge, 18^th November

Although the Momentum 94.7 Mountain Bike Challenge was my last goal for the season, racing for me has still not come to an end. 

A week after the Momentum 94.7 MTB event, I took part in the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge as well. It is one of South Africa’s biggest road races with 26 000 competitors taking to the start. We started in Woodmead and cycled the 94.7km loop through the streets and highways of Johannesburg to finish at Waterfall Country Estate.

Our 4 man (woman) team consisted mainly of mountain bikers namely Nicci Grobler, Catherine Williamson, Leana de Jager and myself.

During the early stages of the race a steady pace was set up front as a few teams tried to establish an early break. With this plan not succeeding, teams started pushing the pace higher on the climbs consequently reducing the numbers in the leading group.  Just before we got onto the N14 highway Sharon Laws (Team 

Momentum Cycle Lab) who hails from England broke clear from the leading group and soloed all the way to the finish to take the victory on the day.

As soon as Sharon’s lead grew to over 4 min it became clear that the group won’t be able to real her back in and started racing for 2^nd place. The last 10km stretch back to Waterfall Country Estate included 3 long drags and here the final moves of the day were made reducing the field to a mere 14 riders which included my teammate Catherine Williamson and myself.

Catherine had a very classy ride and took the bunch sprint to finish 2^nd overall with Cherise Taylor in 3^rd place. 

Coronation Double Century, 24 Nov

Two days prior the start of the Coronation Double Century (CDC) I received a phone call from Isabel Moolman asking me to join their Mr Price team for the event. They say you regret more the things you don’t do than the things you do. Needless to say on Saturday morning I found myself standing on the start line of the CDC in Swellendam.

The CDC represents quite a unique racing format. Teams consisting of 12 riders are set of at 1 min intervals to complete the 200km course in the fastest time possible. 

The weather conditions on the day proved to be an even bigger challenge than the distance as we had to deal 

with rain and strong winds.

The 9 men in our team set a fast tempo on the front from start to finish while the 3 girls (Isabel  Moolman, Claire  Matthews and me) hanged on for dear life. The hanging on paid off at the end and we crossed the finish line in 3^rd place in the mix category.

The Mr Price team (support included) is a great group of people together and I really enjoyed spending time with them on and off the bike.

On Thursday I will be taking part in the Southern Tropical Challenge alongside a good friend, Aurelie Halbwachs. The event is a 4 day mountain bike stage race traversing the Island of Mauritius. I can’t think of a better place to end the season and start the holiday!

Momentum 94.7 Mountain Bike Challenge

The Momentum 94.7 Road and Mountain Bike Races mark the end of the South African racing season.  Being a final event on the calendar adds an interesting aspect to race tactics on the day as you don’t know what to expect from fellow competitors. Some riders might be long overdue for a break, while for others it might be their last opportunity to get a good result in order to secure a contract for 2013.

The Momentum 94.7 Mountain Bike Challenge was held at the impressive Waterfall Country Estate in Sunninghill, Gauteng. The increasing popularity of mountain biking has forced race organisers to offer two route options (30km and 55km), instead of the previous year’s one route option (45km). This meant the race could accommodate varying levels of skill and fitness making it much more doable. 

The 55km route included a total of 1069 m of ascent, making for quite a challenge as the route wound through the Leeukop Prison and on the trails surrounding Waterfall Estate.

My teammate Nicci and I took the lead early on in the race and worked together to open a gap to the other competitors. About 20km into the race, we reached a river crossing which was immediately followed by a long uphill drag. Once on top I noticed that the group Nicci and I were with before the river crossing was reduced to only me and one other rider.

We rode at a fast pace, steadily catching up to other riders who had started a bit too quick. This meant the group changed constantly as some riders got picked up and others got left behind. I ignored the changing group dynamics, and focused instead on my own riding until I crossed the finish line in a time of 2h:25min. Nicci was lying in 2^nd place for most of the race but unfortunately had a flat tyre which saw her moving out of the podium placings.

I am very happy to finish the mountain biking season on a high note by winning the Momentum 94.7 Mountain Bike Challenge. This coming weekend the team will be taking part in the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge road race. My last time competing in a road race was at the Knysna Oyster Festival in July, 2011. Hope it’s not too late to start working on my bunch riding skills J

Nissan Trailseeker Series #5 Hakahana

Prior to the Nissan Trailseeker race, I had the privilege to form part of this year’s Continental Run2Stop.

It is a charity event whereby two teams “race” each other from PE to Johannesburg over a period of 8 days. Each 21-member team consisted of 2 runners, 3 cyclists, 2 drivers and some all-rounder support personnel. 

Apart from completing the allocated distances per day, the teams also went head-to-head in a series of challenges from start to finish, in aid of identified charities namely Stop Hunger Now and The Sports Trust.

We finished on Friday afternoon at 6pm and 12 hours later I was warming up for the Nissan Trailseeker Series # 5 Hakahana. The race was held at Hakahana farm east of Hartebeespoort dam just outside of Johannesburg.

The 70km event was set of at 7am in chilly conditions, which was quite strange for this time of year. Luckily the rapid pace set up front from the start served as a good warm up.

Yolande Speedy and I were trading the lead from the early stages of the race. She would gain an advantage on the technical single track sections and I would distance her on the climbs.

After a busy week at the Continental Run2Stop I could feel my concentration waning in the latter stages of the race. This caused me to make some silly mistakes on the technical, rocky, single track section, eventually crashing properly within the final 20km.  

Yolande didn’t make any mistakes and had a strong ride to win the race.

I collected myself, mentally and physically, to finish in one piece just behind Yolande with Michelle van der Merwe rounding out the podium in 3^rd place.

Once again the Trailseeker Series delivered a good race within easy travelling distance of Johannesburg making for a very popular event.