Sabie Experience

The 2010 Sabie Experience was the first race I would get the opportunity to partner up with my father for a mountain bike team event. This made for quite an unforgettable ‘experience’.

The event took place over 4 days starting off with a 29km Time Trail followed by 3 stages. Our game plan was to take it easy from the start and back off from there . This time of year is normally the time to put in endurance miles and that’s mainly what we wanted to do.

Stage 1: On our first day we encountered some bad luck as my dad managed to break a spoke on his back wheel while negotiating a climb. He didn’t see his chain getting stuck between the cassette and wheel and tried pedalling on, but he didn’t get far. The broken spoke also caused his wheel to deflate which left us stranded while fixing a tyre. We lost quite a bit of time (15-20min) which was actually a good thing, as this meant we weren’t able to contest for the overall mixed positions and forced us to stick to our game plan.

Stage 2: The 77km route took us over one of Sabie’s many mountains, down ‘Microwave alley’, around the Witklip dam and then back over ‘The Wall’ to the finish. It was stunning to ride around the dam and I immediately understood why they described the stage as “your eyes will burn”.

On the climb back to the finish my dad added another highlight to my day. At that point we had been on our bikes for almost 4 hours, it was boiling hot and the climb was at it’s steepest! Here I asked my dad something and he’s only response was: “Don’t ask me such intelligent questions, at this stage I don’t even know what my own name is!”. Needless to say I couldn’t stop laughing all the way to the summit.

Stage 3: The 78km route was a true mountain bike stage filled with steep climbs and technical singletrack descents.

As my dad only bought a mountain bike in October this year, I decided that whenever we get to a tricky single track section it would be best to opt for the ‘chicken run’ and so reduce the chances of crashing and getting hurt.

On approaching the first one I asked my dad if we are going to take the chicken run and he just responded “I am not a chicken!”. I must admit I was very impressed with my dad’s skill, determination, ignorance or whatever you want to call it. It was actually nice to see how much fun he was having on the risky sections.

Stage 4: The 60km route took us over Long Tom dirt road pass to reach the highest point off the 4 days. It was again another great stage which took us past breathtaking waterfalls, over lush green mountains and down awesome single track.
We really had exceptionally great weather this year. Not once did we get rained or hailed on while out on our bikes. The thunder showers only started in the afternoons after the stage, and amazingly cleared by day break.

My experience was a very special one as my team (Bizhub) gave me the opportunity to participate in a stage race simply for the fun and love of the sport and on top of that I got to share this experience with my dad.

One of the waterfalls we rode past:



My dad and sister on our hike to one of the waterfalls situated within 5km from the start venue:

Isuzu 3 Towers Stage Race

The Isuzu 3 Towers was hosted by Mankele Mountain biking, situated near the Sudwala caves in Mpumalanga. Each stage would take us to a different radio tower on top of a mountain (hence the name 3 Towers) where we were rewarded with some of the most breathtaking views in South Africa. The lowveld is truly a beautiful part of our country.

Mankele mountain biking is renowned for its sometimes technical, but always flowing single track and mountain trail riding. The riding over the three days of the race definitely confirmed this and left me with a sense of awe.
I teamed up with Caitlin de Wet from the Mr Price/Specialized team for the race. We soon formed a good understanding on the bike and this made for an even more unforgettable experience.

On day 1 we set off in cold, wet conditions which created a very muddy and slippery track. The biggest challenge on the day was actually trying to see where you are going as the conditions left us riding half blind with eyes burning from all the mud. Tip: don’t rub your eyes with your gloves, your fingers are probably a bit cleaner.

The route also provided some moments of humour... At one point we had to portage through a deep water crossing where half of my body was submerged. I went in first and slipped on the slick rocks which left me wet from head to toe. Needless to say we were freezing by the time we reached the finish line 4h25min later.
Despite the weather not playing along, everyone still commented on the great riding over the 80km’s of stage 1. The only regret of the day was that we missed out on the spectacular view from the top as we just stared into a cloud of mist.

Day 2 dawned with sunshine!! Everyone was all smiles as they left the start line to tackle the 75km ahead in dry conditions. The route was amazing as it included climbs (as always!), technical single track and on top of that bush tunnels! A Bush tunnel can be quite intimidating as it includes a drop off going into the bush tunnel, but if you have the guts to just let go of the brakes it is really fun flying through it! The great weather made the kilometres tick by much quicker than the previous day, giving us a riding time of 4h10min.

Day 3 we had another beautiful day with sunshine and only a light, cool breeze creating ideal riding conditions. The last 53km stage was packed with mostly single and jeep track.

During the night a stomach bug got hold of Caitlin and left her feeling really drained for the last stage. Still, Caitlin was determined to finish what she started and courageously kept on riding. Unfortunately things never happen in one’s and around 20km from the finish Caitlin’s cassette came loose. Luckily for us a guy stopped to help tighten it a bit. Tip: Remember to carry a Cassette tool, ha-ha.
Soon we were back on our bikes and finished the last stage in 3h10min. Securing our second overall place in the Woman’s Category.

It’s been great to be part of such a remarkable event, one where you leave feeling you receive much more than expected. You have to visit Mankele and ride their trails to truly grasp the passion these people have for the sport!

Next for me will be the Telkom Satellite Challenge.

The 103km MTN Ride Crater Cruise - 9 October 2010

This year the Crater Cruise formed part of the MTN Marathon Series. As it was the final stop in the series, it added more excitement to the race as the top contenders tried to gain extra points to boost their seeding.

We started at the Ride Arena in Parys and from there the beautiful mountain bike route took as through the Vredefort Dome world Heritage site.

The A and B batches were set off together forming quite a large group to leave the start line at 7.30am. The first 8km was on tarmac and then we went onto a corrugated dirt road.
On the dirt road everyone was fighting for position to be among the first to dip into the single track which came after 10km of gravel district roads. The single track section was complete chaos. Once we got back onto the main dirt road the once big group had splintered into a few smaller groups. I found myself just behind the group containing the leading ladies, Yolande de Villiers (Cycle lab) and Karien Van Jaarsveld (Team USN).

Instead of trying to bridge across to the leaders I decided to rather stick with the group I was in, conserving my energy for later on in the race. At the 37km mark we turned onto the tracks of Espach’s game farm. Here the racing truly began as there was no bunch riding left.

On Espach we encountered the toughest climb in the race. What made the 2km climb very hard was firstly its gradient and secondly the loose rocks scattered across it, which required a fair amount off skill.

On the climb I made contact with Karien again and also managed to pass her to reach the top in 2nd place behind De Villiers. On the following descent I tried to gain as much time as possible on Karien and to my surprise on reaching the bottom I spotted Yolande De Villiers in the distance. I caught up to her just before reaching the half-way mark at Shoemansdrift.

We stayed together for about 5km and on a grass sections running next to the Vaal River I looked around and didn’t see Yolande behind me anymore. I realised that I was now in the leading position and that there was still 45km left to the finish, which was still a very long way….

I decided to focus on the race itself and not the riders and give my best all the way to the finish.

After being on a course so demanding as the Crater Cruise route for 4h12m26sec, I can’t describe how happy I was to cross the line.
Only once I got my breath back I started to realize that I won the race! I am really happy to be able to win the last leg in the MTN Series!


Results

1st Yolandi du Toit 4:12:26
2nd Yolande De Villiers 4:18:04
3rd Karien van Jaarsveld 4:23:09
4th Carla Rowley 4:28:18
5th Julia Skea 4:31:44
6th Caitlin de Wet 4:42:54
7th Samantha Oosthuysen 4:48:02

Next for me will be the Isuzu 3 Towers stage race where I will be partnering up with Caitlin de Wet from Team MR Price/Specialized.

Marrick MTB Challenge


The 4 day Marrick mountain bike stage race took place just outside the diamond rush town of Kimberley in the Northern Cape. Ischen Stopforth and I partnered up for the event, which proved to be the ideal race to get to know each other better for stage races to come.

The event kicked off at 8pm on Thursday evening with an exciting 35km night stage. The route consisted of jeep and single track on the Marrick game farm.

The only illumination riders were allowed to use was the single light strapped to your handlebar. I was amazed at the things I was capable of riding during the night. Ignorance is bliss I suppose…
If I had to race the same route in daylight, I am sure I would have ridden it much more cautiously.

Every stage had its own unique experience. During our night ride we missed one of the reflective arrows which marked the course. We were going ‘full gas’ so we weren’t aware off our mistake until we saw lights coming towards us. We continued riding towards the oncoming lights because we didn’t know how far we had actually strayed off course. The only thing we could do was fall in with the rest of the riders and continue racing. On reaching the finish line, we were welcomed home as the first ladies which was quite a pleasant surprise and a big relief for not losing any time to other ladies teams.

Unfortunately the timing mat was defective and we were all giving the same time in the end.

The second 118km stage took us from Marrick Lodge to Douglas where we were to finish at Broadwater Camping ground.

From the start Hannele Steyn Kotze and Leanne De Jager (Team Sludge) stuck to us like glue. Both teams went flat out to see who would crack first. Our legs held out and it was Team Sludge who had to drop off the pace around 40km into the stage.

From there it was just survival to the end as the rocky corrugated district roads started to take its toll on our feet, hands and bums (ouch!)
When we reached 118km there was no finish line in sight. We continued on not knowing how far we still had to go. We ended up doing only 4km’s extra, but after 118km the additional kilometres felt much longer!!

Our suffering was rewarded as Ischen and I managed to gain a 14min lead over our rivals at the end of stage 2.

Broadwater Camping ground is situated right next to the Orange river, which definitely made up for the extra 4km. Race organiser, John Filmalter, decided to add something unique to the day’s end and arranged a sunset boat cruise for all participants on the Orange river. Everyone forgot about the hard racing behind and ahead of them and enjoyed the tranquillity of the trip.

The next day stage 3 took us back to Marrick Lodge on a 110km course.
This was said to be the most challenging day and I won’t disagree.
Ischen and I had a good start and we led from the beginning, gradually gaining more time on our competitors as the kilometres flew by.
Halfway through the stage we came across the feared deep sand sections which we had to portage through. Looking back it was actually a funny moment as we both tried several times to ride and ended up skidding across the road barely managing to stay upright.

The heat was another factor playing an important role and at 60km we came across the last water point. Not knowing that it was the last one, we run empty around 90km into the stage. A few kilometres later we passed some farm houses and out of desperation we stopped at the first one where we spotted people and asked for water. The people kindly helped us and without them I doubt we could have reached the finish line.

Despite our unscheduled pit stop we managed to add more time between ourselves and team Sludge ending up with an overall lead off 41min.

The last stage consisted of 75km’s single and jeep track and proved to be mountain bike heaven after the previous day’s rough terrain.
Everyone seemed to be enthusiastic for the last stage and their eagerness showed as they sprinted off the start line. As the race settled we found ourselves riding with Team Sludge once again. They tried everything to get rid of us, but Ischen and I were determined not to be dropped. Eventually Team Sludge got tired and started to fall back. We pushed on in an effort to put the result beyond a doubt.

Another pleasant surprise came around 65km into the stage when we approached the finish line much sooner than expected. The shortened stage was a relief and meant Ischen and I had won our first Mountain bike stage race as team Bizhub.

It was a great experience to see this beautiful part of our country and a pleasure to compete in such a hospitable atmosphere.

Next for me will be Crater Cruise…

MTN Zoo Lake Criterium

This past Sunday I participated at the MTN Zoo Lake Criterium in Johannesburg.

It is and always has been a challenging race as the route (which is half uphill and half downhill) takes you through a few tight corners to complete a lap of 3.4km around Zoo Lake.

The ladies event consisted of 1hour + 1 lap of racing. Which meant it was ‘full gas’ from the word go. I knew the first lap was going to be fast but I never anticipated how fast it actually would be. Riders were being detached from the bunch even before completing our first lap.

A few girls, including myself, tried our best to establish a break but with such short racing and good depth in the field the race was kept under control. This meant no one was leaving the front group behind.

The bunch got smaller with every lap and at the end it was Robyn de Groot (Team MTN) who showed off her newly learned skills from Europe and took the Victory in a sprint.

The podium was rounded off by Cherise Taylor (Team USN) in 2nd place and Lylanie Lauwrens (Team MTN) in 3rd place.

Zoo Lake criterium has always stood out for me. The racing is extremely hard and fairly technical on a very safe circuit! Where else in this country are you able to race your road bike without any traffic on the road.

Next for me will be the Marrick 4day Mountain bike tour in Kimberley starting on Thursday.

Silverstar Casino MTB Classic,


The 3rd edition of this event took place on Saturday at the Silverstar Casino to the West of Johannesburg.

It was my first time competing at this race, and I tried to research as much as possible regarding the 40km course to familiarize myself with what lay ahead.

This helped me on the day as I knew a good warm up wouldn’t go to waste with the event’s traditional start winding up the 2.5km tar climb called Hillsnacks.
The Elite men set a furious pace on the climb, which quickly spread the field.

On top of Hillsnacks, just before turning onto Mogale Parks technical single track, I found myself in 3rd position chasing Carla Rowly and Samantha Oosthuisen (Elsa Kaarsten’s cycles)

I managed to pass Carla within the following kilometre and could see Samantha only a few metres in front of me. I chased hard after Samantha, but she was having a great day and kept me just off her tail.

After the technical single track section (13km) to route became much faster as it continued on to some undulating, twisting single track.

The chase continued until the final 5km were I finally managed to make contact with her. This moment was short lived as Samantha put in a couple of surges which left me behind with 3km to go to the finish line.

Samantha Oosthuisen took the victory while I finished in 2nd place and Carla Rowly rounded off the podium.

Last weekend I experienced a very bad day on the bike, which made me a tad nervous for this event. I was scared of having another bad day, but luckily I felt much better and was happy with my ride.

Results:

Overall Ladies

1st Samantha Oosthuisen (Else Kaarsten’s Cycles)
2nd Yolandi du Toit (Team Bizhub)
3rd Carla Rowley

Nissan Down & Dirty

The 4th event in the Nissan MTB Marathon series took place in Irene, Pretoria.

Race day dawned with bright sunshine which revealed the familiar rocky terrain around Pretoria.

I went for a warm up ride 30 min before the start in anticipation off the familiar fast rush off the line. I made my way to the start, but I wasn’t allowed to enter from the front (normally all the elite riders are allowed to enter the starting block from the front giving them the opportunity to start on equal footing). Now I knew I was in for a hard race!

At the beginning I didn’t have the kick required to push myself back up to the leaders. This left me quite far back heading onto the first single track section.

I spotted Karien van Jaarsveld (USN )and Carla Rowley in the distance but the only thing I could do at that moment was to settle behind the other riders as we trailed down the rocky track which offered very little passing opportunities.

Once the course opened up, we still had 60km left to race which gave me plenty of time to try and reduce my loss. I settled into a manageable pace, pushing hard on the pedals but it felt as if my efforts did not deliver the desired results.

Throughout the race I chased as hard as I could on the flat and windy course. But I never managed to make contact with the leaders again.

As I only saw Carla and Karien in front of me I thought I was still in contention for the podium, but I guess it truly just wasn’t my day as I found out later that I only finished in 4th place at the end.

It was still nice to be out racing and thank you for all the support along the way.
I tried my best but sometimes I also have to accept that I am not a machine.

I will make sure to rest up now and hopefully I will be fresh and ready to go again at Hill2Hill down in Kwazulu Natal.

Final Results

1st Theresa Ralph (Specialized)
2nd Carla Rowley
3rd Karien van Jaarsveld (USN)
4th Yolandi du Toit (Bizhub)

MTN National MTB Series Cullinan


Saturday turned out to be an ideal day for racing with clear skies and a gentle breeze just to keep things real.

As I went for my warm up ride, I experienced this wonderful feeling of freedom as there was no need to put on any arm or leg warmers for a change. Summer is a coming!

The elite woman in the Marathon event (78km) started alongside the elite men in the Ultra Marathon (108km). As Always, this forced our pace high as we tried to keep up with the elite men off the start line. They soon took of on their escapade, leaving us behind to fight out victory amongst ourselves. During the early part of the race I found myself in a break with team mate Ischen Stopforth, Caitlin De Wet (Mr Price /Specialized) and Karien van Jaarsveld (USN).

The course led us on a road covered in thick sand, which required some good balance to keep upright and in a straight line. Caitlin and I managed to come out in the leading positions with Ischen and Karien left to chase. It was only afterwards that I heard that Ischen fell as she slipped through one of the sandy corners.

Up front Caitlin and I were working well together until bad luck knocked on her door around 30km into the race, leaving her to stop and fix a flat rear tire.
I forged on alone but not for long as I was soon joined by Ischen.

We stayed together until a technical rocky section where I managed to get through a bit quicker. This put me back in the leading position with Ischen 1min 30 sec behind me. All this was looking good for our team Bizhub!

I didn’t have an idea as to where the other ladies on the route were, as I could only communicate with the following camera crew. Although it isn’t their job they actually do give us a rough estimate to what the time differences are. The camera crew did a great job and also helped in lifting my spirit a few times as they motivated me along the course.

As the final kilometers started ticking down I could feel my earlier efforts taking effect as fatigue slowly started to rear its head.

This eventually led to Ischen catching up with me. We stayed together for a while but Ischen proved to be stronger towards the end leaving me behind to settle in my own manageable pace.

At the end it was Ischen who crossed the line first to take the victory with me following in 2nd place. Karien van Jaarsveld also had a strong ride rounding off the podium at Cullinan.

If I can describe the route then I will have to say testing, testing, testing! There were a lot of different factors testing ones abilities to the limit.
The biggest test for me was receiving a test paper which I didn’t expect. I thought the route would stay very similar to the Nissan Cullinan race but I couldn’t be more wrong.

On Friday I was looking forward to race on a familiar route and on Saturday during the event, especially towards the end, I was thinking why change a good course…

All I can say is that the new course with its freshly cut grass, rocky parts and untested routes provided quite a challenge.

It was one of those races you only start enjoying once you’ve crossed the finish line.

Final Results:

1st Ischen Stopforth (Team Bizhub)
2nd Yolandi du Toit (Team Bizhub)
3rd Karien van Jaarsveld (USN)
4th Sanet Smal (Team Ghost/BBT)
5th Caitlin de Wet (Mr Price/ Specialized)

Lost City

Waking up just after 3am is never pleasant but after a cup of coffee and an ‘Ouma’ Rusk I was content to start my trip to Sun City on Saturday the 21st.

The ladies event started only at 7:45am which gave us more than enough time to travel from Gauteng.

The ladies bunch had an extra special rider on the start line (my little sister). It was nice to be in the same race with her for a change and to see her fight her heart out to finish for her first time in the leading peloton.

On top of that our race evolved into a spectacular event for Bizhub when Sanet Smal took her first ever road race victory at Lost City. The team put in a great effort to have 4 girls finishing in the top 10 as well (Sanet Smal – 1st, Yolandi du Toit – 6th, Victoria- 8th
,Lise Olivier – 10th)

From there our team split as Lise, the management and I stayed behind for the mountain bike event which took place to following day. We spent the night at a luxurious 4 star apartment in Rustenburg. This also gave us the opportunity to experience a bit of city culture as we listened to some ‘fast cars’ drag racing up and down the main street.

Judging by the numbers that turned up for the mountain bike race, it seemed more successful than the road event in terms of participation.

The race consisted of 2 x 25km laps. The flat course made for a fast pace as we tried to keep up with the leading men. A missed turn on our first lap cost Lise and I a few minutes and added some distance to our race. When we rejoined the proper route we had some chasing to do to get back to the leading ladies. Fortunately we managed to do just that and had some strength left to retake the lead.

At the finish Lise rode home to Victory with me following in 2nd place adding to a successful weekend for Team Bizhub. Sanet Smal (who rides for Team Ghost/BBT on the mtb) followed up her road race victory with a solid 3rd place in the mountain bike event.

Illovo Eston MTB Challenge

This was my second time competing at Illovo. I enjoyed the event last year, despite the dreadful weather which had us racing in cold, rainy weather on a very muddy course. This year they somehow improved the already great course and on top of that we had ideal weather with clear skies and sunshine throughout the day.

The new course included some spectacular flowing single track. Personally this made the event more interesting and challenging for me as single track requires more effort, skill and concentration.

The 60km route started at the bottom of a 2km climb with a Queen of the mountain spot prize being awarded to the one who reaches the top first. Needles to say we were racing full on as soon as our cleats were in the pedals.

Cherise Taylor (USN) and Candice Neethling(DCM) set the initial pace which seemed insane. Samantha Oosthuisen( Elsa Karstens Cycles) and I managed to stay with them, but their final effort just before the hot spot proved to be to much and they opened a small gap.

This left Samantha and me chasing the lead duo who was just a few seconds ahead.
Sam and I managed to keep them (Cherise & Candice) in sight but just couldn’t make contact, despite our hard effort.

Around half way we rode onto some continuous single track sections and on one of the fairly more technical sections I managed to gain a gap on Samantha.

Once out of the single track the route takes us directly onto a climb which traverses to the top. As I was climbing I looked back but could not spot Sam. From there I knew I had to use whatever I had left in my tank to keep myself distant.

The mental battle that I was fighting with myself became harder the closer I got to the finish line. Luckily the pain was only short lived and I managed to hold onto my 3rd place until the end.

Cherise and Candice stayed together until the end where they finished the race in quite an unforgettable way. Just before the line they crashed into each other, but luckily no one got hurt. Cherise was back on her bike first and managed to take the victory ahead of Candice who had to settle for 2nd place.

Glad it’s not only me who have started losing concentration near the end

Final Results:

1st Cherise Taylor (USN)
2nd Candice Neethling (DCM/Chrome)
3rd Yolandi du Toit (Bizhub)
4th Samantha Oosthuisen (Elsa Karsten cycles)
5th Carla Rowley

Nissan Diamond Rush

The Nissan Mountain Bike Series consist of 5 events held mainly in and around Gauteng.
It’s extremely popular amongst the local riders and is quickly becoming the second biggest mountain bike series following the MTN Series.

The 3rd round of the Nissan Series was held in Cullinan, just outside of Pretoria.
The venue was quite unique as the start and finish line was placed in the main street of this little town, surrounded by quaint restaurants and coffee shops.

As always the start was very fast thanks to the elite men who were fighting for position at the front of the race. We were left to pick up the pieces in the wake of their vicious pace.

Leatitia Botha (Team Ghost/BBT) had a great start and managed to get herself into the slipstream of a small group just in front off me. I tried to ride over to them but they were going just to fast on the flat, twisting single track.

Soon I was joined by a small group of 4 which included Sanet Smal (Team Ghost/BBT). The group stayed together until we got to the real technical section on the course around 10km into the race.

On this section I got stuck behind some slower riders who decided to dismount and walk rather than ride. I lost contact with Sanet, as I struggled to pass some of the riders on the narrow hiking trail.
During this section Theresa Ralph also caught up with me but luckily I managed to continue on my own once through the demanding section.

This part of the course mustn’t be mistaken for a ‘bad’ section. It only tests one’s skill and was actually a very scenic piece to ride. It took us over and through river crossings, over narrow wooden bridges and through a spectacular cave.

I lost a bit of my motivation because of how things were going for me during the first quarter of the event. I tried my best to stay focused and continued at my own pace.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I spotted Leatitia Botha in the distance. When I finally caught up to her around 30km into the race, she was very tired and didn’t even attempt to jump on my back wheel. I realized that she was exhausted from her effort at the beginning. She took off like a rocket and rode so impressively that I honestly thought I wouldn’t see her again.

3km further I also managed to ride up to Sanet Smal. We rode together until we got to a gradual ascending climb where Sanet started losing contact with me. Once I was on my own, I gave it my all to stay in the lead.

It was a battle all the way to the finish as I knew my pursuers were not about to give up without a fight. At the end I was very happy to cross the line in 1st place ahead of a strong finishing Theresa Ralph.

Results

1st Yolandi du Toit (Bizhub)
2nd Theresa Ralph
3rd Sanet Smal (Team Ghost/BBT)
4th Leatitia Botha (Team Ghost/BBT)

South African Cross Country Championships & Medsceme Walkerville MTB Classic

There was no time to gradually adjust from training to racing as my first weekend back was packed with competition…..

First off I participated in the South African Cross Country Championships held at Groenloof Nature Reserve in Pretoria.

I decided this year to give cross country a go and after my first race at George I had discovered a great new challenge. My next XCO event was the one over the past weekend at Groenkloof.

I didn’t really know what to expect on Saturday as everything is still fairly new to me. The course at Groenkloof also requires a fair amount of technical skills which I am still acquiring.

The week before the event I was still struggling to get enough confidence to ride the entire course, therefore I went into the race with the aim of trying to ride the difficult sections (3 hair raising drop-offs) without crashing!

I am happy to say that I achieved my goal and also that I managed to finish in 4th place Overall. Yolande Speedy delivered yet another world class performance and won the event by a country mile!

I waited for Prize giving before heading home and only arrived back around 18:00. Given that I had left that morning at 7am for my 9am race start, it was quite a full day which wasn’t about to end yet. Back home there will still a bike, cycling accessories and bottles to wash before finally falling into bed.

Sunday I participated in the Medscheme Walkerville MTB Classic held at Lapeng Hotel and Conference Centre on the outskirts of Alberton.

My approach for the day was based on “feeling”. I went for a quick warm up before the 60km event started and unfortunately there wasn’t much “feeling” left in my legs. Luckily with cycling it can go both ways. You might just find your legs again or you might find yourself in even more difficulty.

My main competition on the day came from Letitia Botha, Sanet Small (Both Team Ghost) and Catherine Roberts (Specialized). Our group quickly splintered as the front guys showed their class and quickly disappeared in a cloud of dust.

A few kilometers into the event I managed to get myself into the leading position. The course gradually ascends during its first half therefore I knew I had to use this opportunity to try and extend my lead as much as possible.
I had to fight hard throughout the race which I think was caused by a combination of my legs being a bit fatigued after the previous day’s effort, the wind and the demanding route that didn’t provide any sections for recovery.

I don’t know how far or close my rivals got to me during the race but I managed to stay away till the end and crossed the line in first place.
(I have to mention that this year’s event was well marked and we didn’t overlap with the shorter distances much, which always makes for better racing)

I am happy with my results over the weekend and hope I can continue to have some good results in the months to come…

Newsletter 13: July 2010
Du Toit holds on to make it two in a row 

20 July 2010 -
 
Team bizhub's Yolandi du Toit shook off the after-effects of the previous day's national cross country championships to successfully defend her title at the Medscheme Walkerville MTB Classic just south of Johannesburg on Sunday.The 25-year-old from Heidelberg in Johannesburg, who placed fourth on a technical course in Pretoria on Saturday in only her second cross country race, led from start to finish on a wind-swept day to finish the demanding 60km race in 2:27:51.Hot on her wheels were Catherine Roberts (Specialized/Mr Price) and Sanet Smal (Team Ghost), who stopped the clock on 2:31:30 and 2:34:04 respectively.The men's race delivered a surprise when unknown Columbian Ricardo Gilardo, a new signing by DCM Chrome, won the men's section in a fast 1:56:39.Ben Melt Swanepoel (Specialized/Mr Price) was second in 2:02:07 and Renier Bellingan (USN) third in 2:02:19."I went as hard as I could from the start to try and establish a gap and probably paid for it in the last 10km," said Du Toit, noting that the previous day's effort had taken its toll."Because it's such a fast course, I wanted to use the drags in the early parts to lay a foundation for possible victory."However, her tactics saw her "blow up" in a big way towards the end and she said she became concerned that her opponents would eat into her advantage."The fact that I didn't have any time gaps and no idea who was chasing made things even worse. It felt like I was standing still in the wind at times."Du Toit said the nature of the course did not allow any recovery time, which made it a tough race - especially in the conditions.Having won the inaugural Fairbairn Capital/Old Mutual joBerg2c and N3TC Greytown Classic before her winter break, she also had Walkerville penned down on her list of priorities for the year."As the defending champion, I really wanted to do well. It is also a nice way to start the second half of the season."Du Toit said she was also "extremely pleased" with her cross country result in Pretoria. "Even though it might not look so good on paper, I’m more than happy considering my level of experience and the technical nature of the course."The race was won by MTN's Yolande Speedy. 

Right2Ride

Roads in our country are sadly becoming more and more dangerous to cycle on.
Subsequently it has become a issue we can’t just turn our backs on or plead ignorance.

A newly formed cycling organization called the Right2Ride is on the cycling landscape.
The main function of this organization will be to protect the rights of cyclist on the road.

On the 4th of July I was pleased to support the official launch of Right2Ride at Valverde Guesthouse in Muldersdrift.

About 80 cyclists were invited to join in on the occasion which included a group ride around the cradle of humankind followed with breakfast at the Guesthouse.

Before departing on the ride, every rider was given an armband to wear and stickers to put on their bikes containing the Right2Right emblem. We rode ordinarily in pairs of two behind one another to be an example to all cyclists on the road and also to show respect towards motorists. Hopefully through sending out this message, mutual respect will be gained between cyclist and motorist, thus creating a safer environment for everyone to live in.

This initiative is formed by Nic White (who is currently riding for team Medsceme) and I hope all of you guys will do your best to support it in order to make more people and motorist aware of ‘us’ also being on the road.

June

This past month has been a rather quite time in terms of racing and formal team requirements.
I completed my first half of the season (January to June) at the Kremetart cycle race. Thereafter the team was given the month off of racing in order to prepare for the second half of the season (July to December)

When I say ‘off’ it doesn’t mean we were given the opportunity to let our bikes gather some dust for a change. It only meant that for the rest of the month we had no racing on our team calendar.

Following Kremetart I actually did hang up my cycling shoes for a few days and then returned to base period in my training. (Base period is the first period in training where one focuses more on quantity than quality.)

My first week in Base period was slightly tougher than usual with the extremely cold weather we had up here in Gauteng. Everyday on the bike I asked myself the same question over and over - am I really gaining fitness from this or am I just fooling myself. For me it felt as if I was going out on my bike to torture myself. After hardly an hour on the bike my muscles started to get sore from all the contractions to keep them warm which only resulted in me taking double the time to cover the same distances.

Luckily the frosty spell was soon over and I could get back to some proper training without too many layers of clothing.
A small training camp in warmer climes was also well worth the travel and a few days of riding in sunny conditions was all my muscles needed to thaw out a bit.

At first it didn’t really bother me not having a month ‘off’ but now I cant think of not having at least one month a year to recover mentally and physically from racing weekend after weekend.

I truly enjoyed the whole of June, I feel fresh and excited for the new season ahead of me.
My first weekend back into racing will be on the 17th and 18th where I will be competing at the XCO National championships in Pretoria and the Walkerville mountain bike challenge respectively.