Sani2C

Sani2C is the one event in South Africa that every mountain biker dreams of doing. The waiting list to get into the race grows  every year despite race organisers opening up extra entries by running 2 similar events called the Sani2C ‘Adventure’ and ‘Trail’ on the days preceding the man ‘Race’ event. Over the 5 day period 4200 riders would have left their tire marks on the Sani2C trails.

The event offers some of the best single track the country has on offer providing spectacular views as riders wind their way down mountain passes, through thick forests and alongside river streams. 

Last year I rode with my team mate Nicci Grobler, but for this year’s edition I switched from a ladies team to a mixed team as I partnered with Carel Bosman. Carel has joined the team on a few occasions forming part of a mixed team. He rode with Catherine Williamson at the ABSA Cape Epic in 2011 and with Leana de Jager at Joberg2C this year.

Underberg was the starting venue for the event and riders were set off from 7am to tackle the first 85km stage.

It was freezing cold as we left the start line with frost on the ground and a chilly mist in the air. Carel and I had a good start finding ourselves in the same group as our mixed team rivals. Unfortunately as we hit the first single track section only 15km into the event, Carel cut the sidewall of his tire. We managed to plug the hole and soon we were underway again.  Unfortunately the tire kept on losing air forcing us to stop 4 or 5 times during the stage to bomb it (forcing air into the tire with a CO2 canister).  Every time we stopped we lost time and rhythm and had to chase hard to limit the damage. At the end we crossed the finish line at Mackenzie club in 3^rd place. We were very happy about the result, especially considering what had happened during the stage.

The 2^nd stage took us from MacKenzie club down the breathtaking Umkomaas Valley, climbing out of the valley on the other side, through dense bush, over “push of a climb” and lastly through some fast flowing single track all the way to the finishing venue at Jolivet farm.

At 98km it was the longest stage and for this reason we were set off at 6:20am. The cold wasn’t the only early challenge with bike navigation at dawn proving quite daunting.

Before we even reached the infamous descent into the Umkomaas valley Carel‘s front derailleur jammed as he tried to shift in anticipation of a sharp rise. As Carel struggled with his gears the group we started in slowly disappear into the distance. He eventually managed to shift his chain from the big chainring to the small one but it required a lot of effort and patience. For this reason Carel didn’t have much of an option but to stay on his small chainring for as long as possible reducing shifting to a bare minimum. The stage included a lot of climbing, therefore staying in the small chainring wasn’t too big a problem.

Soon we made our way down the breathtaking Umkomaas Valley. No words can describe the picturesque landscape as you wind your way down to the river.

By now I had figured out that Carel and I shared similar traits in terms of our cycling. This meant we didn’t have to learn each other’s weaknesses or strengths and could simply just ride making racing together easier and much more enjoyable.

Halfway through the race I felt my shoe rubbing against the crank arm and didn’t give it much thought as I was focussed on the racing. It was only when I felt a sting in my knee that I knew something wasn’t right. I figured out the reason why my shoe was rubbing against the crank arm was because the cleat under my shoe came lose. Luckily the 2^nd last water station was only 4km away where Conrad (our team mechanic) was waiting to assist us. Conrad helped put my cleat back in the right position and tightened it for me before Carel and I were off again.

Stage two’s route was outstanding.  Even though we were racing, I could still appreciate the beautiful scenery and amazing single track.  Sadly Carel and I lost our podium place on the day and finished in 4^th place.

 The 3^rd and last stage took us from Jolivet Farm to finish 73km later at the sea in Scottburgh.

The fast, rolling course reminded me of a Belgium criterium race. The jeep and single track snaked through sugar cane plantations which left us sprinting out of every corner to stay in touch with the rider just ahead. Of course those willing to risk more brake less and have an easier time of it, but it comes at a price.

It went well for Carel and me on the last day as we didn’t encounter any mechanical difficulties and raced as hard as our bodies allowed us to in an attempt to regain our podium position. Unfortunately we didn’t make up the lost time and had to settle for 4^th place.

 Sani2C has so much to offer a mountain biker with its amazing trails, beautiful scenery, vibrant atmosphere and passionate race organisers.

So..... stop dreaming about Sani2C, come experience it for yourself (at least once)!!

MTN National Marathon,Clarens

The fourth round of the MTN National Marathon Series took place in the quaint little town of Clarens. The venue for the event made for an ideal family getaway weekend to the country side.

Under a clear sky and on a wonderfully unusual ‘warm’ winter’s day the Ultra Marathon (115km) Elite men were set off at 7:15am and the Marathon (75km) at 8:30am. The reason behind this is to have both distances finish around the same time.

The ladies field in the 75km event had their own start 10min ahead of the rest of the participants.

In MTN Series races ladies are always given a separate start to give them the opportunity to have their own race.

As we left the start line I was prepared for a warm up during the neutral zone as is the norm for a neutralized section. Theresa Ralph had other plans and took off as if we were in the final kilometres of the race.

This determination saw her, with Karien van Jaarsveld stuck on her wheel, moving away from the rest of the field within the first 5km.  I knew that it would be difficult, almost impossible to keep up that speed for the entire 75km. Therefore I decided to tap of a bit instead of trying to stay with them and blow up towards the end.  

Behind the leading duo I found myself alongside team mate Nicci Grobler and Su Don Wauchope.

The 3 of us worked together during the first section of the race which was mainly on rolling terrain.

On reaching the bottom of the first long climb I spotted Karien van Jaarsveld about halfway up the climb. I’ve learned that the ideal place to close or open gaps on riders is mostly on a climb and for this reason I decided to put in an effort to regain contact with Karien. I managed to ride up to her on my own, passing her as well on the steepest part of the climb. I was happy to crest the climb with a fair gap on the rest of the field as there was a technical downhill single track awaiting us.

This single track is no ordinary trail as it is actually a hiking path high up in the mountains laid out along the escarpment. The views from there must have been incredible but I didn’t dare look as a small mistake might end in me skydiving without a parachute – not a sport that I am particularly fond ofJ.

Route marking on these trails are very difficult as we ride over rocky surfaces. I must have missed one of the little white arrows painted on the rocks and carried on straight instead of turning right. By the time I got back onto the route, I found myself behind Karien again.

As we were still on the very technical downhill section I managed to pass Karien for the 2^nd time, despite a small crash which left its mark on my elbow.

On reaching the bottom of the trail around half way into the race, I couldn’t spot anyone in front or behind me.  With Theresa Ralph in the lead there was still a lot to race for and I continued fighting on.

With none of my competitors in sight it was difficult to gauge the speed I had to ride at to make up time or not to lose time. This meant I had to ride at my limit until the end. The rough terrain didn’t help my situation making me long for a full suspension from start to finish.  I managed to hold onto my position to the end, crossing the line in 2^nd place. Theresa Ralph’s ride gave her a well deserved victory with Karien van Jaarsveld rounding out the podium in third place.

Although the course was extremely rough and challenging, I have to say well done to the Advendurance team for putting together a well balanced course.

Final Results

1^st           Theresa Ralph (Biogen)

2^nd          Yolandi du Toit (bizhub-FCF)

3^rd           Karien van Jaarsveld (Team MTN/ Quebeka)

4^th           Nicci Grobler (bizhub-FCF)

5^th           Su Don Wauchope

Spar Forest2Falls

It’s been a while since I made the trip down to the Lowveld for a MTB race. I always look forward to riding in the beautiful forestry the area has on offer.

The Forest2Falls MTB race was held at the Mac Mac forest retreat camping site situated half-way   between Sabie and Graskrop. The name says it all.....

In the 75km marathon event we were set off at 8am to do the half marathon route of 35km first before continuing through the finish line onto another more challenging 40km route.

We were truly spoiled on the half marathon route with loads of jeep and single track over rolling terrain in pristine pine forests. One section even included riding past the Mac Mac waterfalls. Unfortunately I could only steal a glimpse before I had to put my head down and race again.

The last 40km circuit consisted mainly of two climbs and the descents which followed. I am sure I wasn’t the only one regretting going too fast during the first 35km and not saving more energy for the two major climbs towards the end.

I forgot how hilly the Lowveld is but was harshly reminded on the 2 climbs which was around 8-10km each. I managed to take the lead at the beginning of the race and held my position until the end to cross the line in first place.

I feel fortunate to be the winner of such a great event as the Forest2Falls!! 

Mr Price Karkloof Classic

I haven’t been able to cycle since the Absa Cape Epic as I was recovering from an injury I picked up during the event. 

Being a professional athlete you have to try and keep your fitness as best as possible. For this reason I’ve been going to the gym and walking on a daily basis. Although I got to excise, I still missed riding my bike and being outdoors.

This past Saturday I finally got the green light to start riding again and decided to take part in the Karkloof Classic. With not having ridden at all for the last three weeks I knew it would be best to enter for the half-marathon. Better to tip your toe in the water than to jump in the deep end and drown.  

I won the marathon event last year and therefore felt a bit sad at first not to be able to defend my title but this feeling was soon over shadowed when I was set off in my event.

It was great to be back on the bike again especially with my comeback race being Karkloof. The event is very well known for its amazing and fun single track and it didn’t disappoint.  With the entire course mainly consisting of single track we had all forms of single track to enjoy. From rocky to smooth to technical, you name it - I am sure we had it!

In all of my races to date I’ve been pushed off single track and cut off before going into single track at least 3 times during an event but not this time... I was racing up front alongside the u/16 and junior men and was amazed by the respect they showed towards a lady in the field. I know at their age you are fearless and therefore they fly through single track. But if I sat at the front going into the single track they will leave me there and not once did they shout to come past me. Even when I made way for them to pass as I know they are faster than me they would only reply” no no you go in front”. 

It was a pleasure racing alongside them and although it was only the half-marathon, I was still happy to be the first lady across the finish line.

Absa Cape Epic

About a week prior to the start of the Absa Cape Epic, I got the news that I would a participant in this year’s edition of the race. This came about when my teammate Ischen Stopforth who would have been riding with Catherine Williamson fell whilst out training and broke her wrist.

Where and how do you start preparing for a mountain bike stages race covering 781km and 16300m of climbing in 8 days......?

To lessen the blow I received a new Scott 29’er full suspension mountain bike and new Scott Carbon shoes the week before the event.
It is always nice to get a new bike but my knees weren’t appreciating the slight changes and the feared tendonitis reared its ugly head. Fortunately I have a great chiropractor (and friend) and if it wasn’t for his last minute work, I doubt I would have started the Epic.

The event opened up with a 27km prologue. With all the hype around the biggest and hardest mountain bike stage race in South Africa, to say I was nervous would be an understatement. I think the last time I was so nervous before an event was when I stood on the start line of my first world road championships.
But once Catherine and I rolled off the start ramp, I immediately felt comfortable in a familiar environment which is racing. It was a very hot day and starting at around 11am wasn’t ideal, but Cath and I had a good ride on the technical course laid out in Durbanville and finished in just under 2h in 6th place.

I don’t exactly know how and where I got it from but between the prologue and the start of stage 1, a stomach bug got hold of me. I wasn’t the only one in the race village as a few riders joined me at the medical tent with the same symptoms.

The only memories I have of stage one (115km) and stage two (119km) which were held in the surroundings of Robertson was feeling flat, nauseas, stomach cramps and suffering every kilometre. Unfortunately this led to me and Catherine loosing time on our rivals and finishing 8th on both stages.

By day 4 I could keep my food down which was a good thing as stage 3 took us from our race village at Robertson to finish 149km later at our new race village in Caledon. As this was the longest stage ever in Epic history, I was very happy to discover that my symptoms had gone and that I was feeling like my old self on the bike again. We finished the stage in 4th place, moving up from 8th to 7th overall on the general classification.

At a 105km the stage 5 route laid out around Caledon was fairly short in comparison to the other stages. But the organisers made sure that it won’t be an ‘easier’ day out and included 2900m of climbing. The climbing wasn’t the only big challenge on the day as a strong wind decided to up the challenge.

Over a period of 8 days you really get to know your partner well. I’ve always known that Catherine is a really though girl which contributes to her being a great bike rider. On this specific stage we crossed a river just after the last water point. Cath managed to grab a piece of banana bread at the water point and put it in her back pocket. When she tried to ride through the river she fell and got soaking wet from shoulder to toe. As soon as we got going again she took the piece of banana bread out of her pocked and ate it ‘before it got soggy’. I almost fell of my bike as I couldn’t believe she just ate a piece of banana bread soaked in river water. She laughed and said there is no way she is going to run out of fuel with 20km to go. Now that is hard core J

Stage 6 was supposed to be a really nice stage, taking us from our race village in Caledon to finish 119km later in the Apple orchards at Oak valley. It started raining the night before, continued throughout the night and was still raining as we stood on the start line. By that time the route was already very muddy and we knew it was going to be a tough day out. The day turned out to be the hardest day I’ve ever experienced on my bike. The pouring rain continued throughout the entire stage. Riders got taken off the route at water points as they were getting hyperthermia.
I’ve never been so cold in my entire life. To make matters worse my gears stopped working 10km into the race due to all the mud. This left me stuck in my small chain ring in the front and my gears at the back were taking turns in shifting and not shifting. I was very very happy when Cath and I crossed the finish line after being 7h12min on the bike in pouring rain and cold. My hands were so numb from the cold that I could only get rid of the muddy kit while standing under a hot shower. Still Cath and I had a good ride, finishing in 4th place on the day which saw us moving up in the general classification to 5th place.

Stage 6’s route was laid out around Oak valley. I don’t think my body fully recovered from the wet and cold day before and I was still suffering from hypothermia as we rolled out for the start. I just couldn’t get going but was determined to finish what I started. I am sure everyone felt the same as despite it being a warm beautiful day a few riders were dressed in sleeveless jackets and arm warmers. Even race leader Burry Stander was riding in leg warmers and a jacket. The 85km distance was deceiving as we thought it would be a ‘shorter’ stage but it was another long day in the saddle taking us 5h 10min to complete. By now my saddle turned into by biggest challenge and I don’t think I will be lying if I say that I was standing as much as I was sitting during the stage.

Stage 7- Finally the last stage had arrived. This was quite evident as for the first time, there was a vibrant atmosphere on the start line. The final 64km took as from our race village at Oakvalley to finish at the beautiful Lourensfoord Wine Estate in Somerset West. To cross the finish line at the end was overwhelming for me. I’ve completed my first Cape Epic which for me was a very huge mental bridge I had to cross and I had done it.
Catherine and I had a great Epic. We were very consistent finishing 5th in the end with an overall time of 43h 14min.

I’ve learned a few things at the Epic that you have to be aware of before taking to the start line. If you look at the route profile, count the number of climbs on the day. It will tell you how many times you will be pushing or carrying your bike for the last 100-500m to reach the top. When you see riders starting to dismount for the climbs start preparing yourself for the stampede to come. You will have tire marks on your calves and ankles to show for it. Then finally when you’ve reached the top don’t start smiling yet because the rocky descent to come might be worse than going uphill.

Now I know why they call this MTB race THE EPIC!

Final results:
1st Sally Bingham & Ester Suss ( Wheels4Life)
2nd Theresa Ralph & Nina Gassler (Biogen Britehouse)
3rd Karien van Jaarsveld & Jane Nueslli (MTN Qhubeka)
4th Ivonne Kraft & Elisabeth Brandau (notebooksbilliger.de)
5th Yolandi du Toit & Catherine Williamson (Team bizhub-fcf)

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Pick & Pay Cape Argus MTB Challenge

The day after completing the Columbia Grape Escape 3 day team event with my teammate Nicci Grobler, I found myself standing on the start line of the Pick & Pay Cape Argus MTB Challenge.

The Boschendal Wine Estate just outside of Stellenbosch hosted the event. It was the same venue where the Grape Escape finished the day before. In many ways it felt like I was about to start stage 4.

The ladies field was very strong and with not knowing how my legs would respond after the three days of racing, my expectations weren’t very high. My plan was to try my best and see how it goes.

Under cloudy skies we were set to start alongside the elite men. This meant that the pace immediately picked up once we left the neutralized section and headed up a slight drag.

The race split up under the severe pressure being applied by the elite men as they were intent on making it a hard race.

Ariane Kleinhans and Catherine Williamson were in the group just ahead of me while I found myself in a small group behind them. Not knowing where the other ladies were behind me I decided to focus on chasing the two leaders.

The winding route made it impossible to see far ahead or behind, leaving me to chase blindly. I gave it my all knowing that in this sport anything could happen. Ariane maintained her run of success and won the race ahead of Catherine. I was pleasantly surprised that my legs were still good despite all the racing over the previous ten days and very happy to take the final podium spot in 3rd place.

The other bizhub-FCF ladies insured the team dominated the top 5 with Leana de Jager taking 4th and Ischen Stopforth 5th place.

Columbia Grape Escape

After the Rocky Mountain Garden Route 300, I had three days of easy riding before standing on the start line for the 2nd edition of the Columbia Grape Escape.
Nicci Grobler and I teamed up for the 3 day event which was held in the Boland region of the Western Cape.

The first stage started at Durbanville race course in Durbanville and finished 74km later at the Boland Agriculture High School in Wellington.

The first section of the race went up a 10km long climb and with Nicci and I just coming out of a three day stage race, we decided to focus first on loosening our legs properly before racing too hard too soon.

On the climb Nicci and I found ourselves in 3rd position behind the pairing of Jennie Stennerhag & Nicola Walker in 2nd place and Hanlie Booyens & Jane Seggie in 1st place.

We steadily worked our way to the top of the climb and continued to gradually pick up the pace as the kilometres ticked by. I couldn’t believe it but my legs were actually feeling good despite having a few days racing in them.

Nicci and I managed to ride up to Jennie Stennerhag & Nicola Walker around half way and rid ourselves of them on a drag within 3km. We finished the stage feeling much better than we started and was happy to cross the line in 2nd place.
Stage 2 started where we finished the previous day and took us all the way to the end at Diemersfontein Wine Estate 69km later.

The first 45km of the event was fairly flat with the 1580m of climbing all happening in the last 25km. From the start we were lead onto a jeep track section and as we were quite a big group, everyone was fighting for position to go onto this section first. Here everything splintered into smaller groups and we found ourselves in a group which also contained Jennie & Nicola.

Hanlie and Jane managed to get themselves into the group just in front of us. Nicci and I tried to ride across but we were wasting too much energy in relation to the distance we were closing and therefore decided to rather stick with the pack until we reached the climbs.

As we reached the bottom of the first hill Nicci and I decided to lift the pace a bit and managed to rid ourselves from Nicola & Jennie. Once we saw that we were riding away from them we settled into a steady pace in an attempt to gain more time on our rivals.

What we didn’t realize was that we were starting to close the gap Hanlie & Jane had on us. Unfortunately the finish line came too soon and we ended 1min 20sec behind them in 2nd place.

The last 67km stage also started where we ended the previous stage and finished at Boschendal Wine Estate just outside Stellenbosch.

The event organisers definitely left the best for last as we were spoiled with loads of single track and breathtaking views. Unfortunately to be able to experience these beautiful views you had to ascend to the high vantage points, which made this stage the hardest day on the bike including 2058m of climbing.

Leaving the start line we immediately started ascending. Nicci and I climbed alongside Hanlie & Jane during the first part of the event. Only when we had to stop to fix Nicci’s flat tire did we lose contact with them. Luckily I had a lot of training in fixing flat tires at Rocky Mountain Garden Route 300  and we managed to get going again within 5min.

For the remainder of the stage Nicci and I didn’t see any of our rivals and crossed the line in 2nd place. Hanlie Booyens & Jane Seggie went on to take the overall victory at Columbia Grape Escape, with Nicci and I in 2nd place and Jennie Stennerhag and Nicola Walker in 3rd place.

With less than 24h of recovery I will be taking part in my next event, the Cape Argus Pick & Pay MTB Challenge. In between I will do my best to find a new pair of legs:).

Rocky Mountain Garden Route 300

The 3 day event covering a distance of 300km took place in the beautiful holiday destination of Knysna. It is not the only reason the town is well known for but also as one of the places which has spectacular mountain biking trails to offer and during the event it was just once again confirmed.

All the stages started and finished at the Waterfront in Knysna, which made the tour, accommodation wise, a bit more comfortable not having to move around at all over the 3 days.
I partnered up with Catherine Williamson for the event. The last time we raced together was at Wine2Whales in 2010. It was my first time taking part in this event and as I haven’t raced alongside Catherine for a long time I was looking forward to start the ‘unknown’ adventure.

Day one’s 100km started off at a blistering pace as everyone was full of adrenaline and eagerness to start racing. The first part of the race took us on a long steady climb. Here Cath and I managed to move into the lead as we gained time on the other woman’s teams.

Around 15km the whole front group including Cath and I went the wrong way. By the time we found our way back onto the race route we were quite far behind and had to work our way up to the front of the race again. The latter was much more challenging as you get stuck on the single track behind slower riders and have to wait for more open section to pass.

One quarter into the race Cath and I managed to regain or lead and continued pushing hard until the very end. We crossed the finish line in 1st place with our teammates Nicci Grobler & Leana de Jager in 2nd place and the international pairing of Cathy Crabbe and Nina Hind in 3rd place.

Stage 2 was the hardest of all three stages covering a distance of 115km and more than 2000m of climbing. The start was quite hard as we started at the bottom of a steep concrete climb. Half way up this climb the route forked and with no arrows pointing either way we, together with the front group went left down the hill instead of keeping right all the way to the top.

This meant we had to climb all the way back up to the top, finding ourselves around half way down the field and had to work our way to the front again.
While working our way back to the front we caught up with our teammates Leana and Nicci around 30km.

As it was a very long stage the four of us decided to stick together and help each other to reach the finish line. As the kilometres ticked by we eventually formed a type of survival group of around 10 riders and completed the stage together in a time of 5h42min.

The camaraderie during the stage was quite nice as everyone was going through the same pain and mental suffering. It’s a hard feeling when you’ve been on the bike for 4 hours already and you think you must have covered 90km by now and when you look down at your speedometer and it shows that you’ve only covered 60km. Then it start sinking in slowly that you still have 55km to go but you don’t want to believe it yet and rather want to blame your speedometer for reading wrong or being broken so you ask the rider next to you “how far do we still have to go?”. Then he or she gives you that smile of, I know how you feel and say it is still 55km to go...

On day 3 we had a neutralized start as we were lead out of Knysna on the main road to George.
Within the neutralized section Catherine punctured which forced us to stop and fix the rear flat wheel. We lost around 10min but our spirit was still high and therefore we road as hard as we could in attempt to join the front of the race again.

It wasn’t 10km later and we were stranded with another flat tyre. Luckily our team mechanic, Conrad Venter, was waiting for us within 1km at the water and service station. As it was Cath’s back wheel again she wanted me to ride ahead to let Conrad know what was happening.

When Cath made her way to the water and service point Conrad quickly helped her to fix the wheel. We lost more time but all we could do was to continue racing hard and make the best of the situation. Within 15km from the finish line it was my turn to get a flat tyre on the last rocky descent of the course. Although we had bad luck during the stage we also had some good luck as Conrad was waiting at the bottom of the descent at last servicing station.

Cath and I have used up all our tyres and bombs which we have carried with us and begging wasn’t an option as riders were passing me too fast on the descent. All I could do was to start running down with by bike to where Conrad was waiting while Cath went ahead to fetch a pump and tube in the meantime.
Eventually Cath and I made our way to the finish line but our 15min lead at the start of the stage ended in a 30min deficit.

Luckily our teammates Nicci Grobler and Leana de Jager were riding very well throughout the 3 days and kept the overall victory within the team with Cath and me finishing 2nd overall at the end.

Final Results:

1st Leana de Jager & Nicci Grobler
2nd Catherine Williamson & Yolandi du Toit
3rd Cathy Crabbe & Nina Hind

Vori-Berg MTB Challenge

On Saturday morning driving to the race start the weather didn’t look very promising. It was drizzling which meant a muddy and wet course awaited us.

On arrival at the race venue, situated on the North-Western outskirts of Pretoria, the weather was still the same. This dampened my spirit slightly but was soon overshadow by the warm welcome of the race organiser and the friendly atmosphere at the race. I am sure this was the reason why the weather decided to join in on the mood and cleared up just before we set of for the 60km race.

Waiting on the start line, more and more girls came to join me including top Multi-Sport Athlete Carla van Huyssteen. I haven’t raced against Carla for a long time and with her SA National Championships in two week’s time, I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy race.

The race started with two climbs mostly on single and jeep track. On this part I managed to open a slender lead on my rivals. On the flat section which followed around 15 km into the race a group of 5 riders formed behind me. At first I didn’t mind as I was mainly focusing on increasing my lead on the other girls. But a few kilometres on I saw Carla was also in the group. I decided to rather race a bit smarter and sat up to save some energy for when I really would need it.

With no one wanting to contribute to the pace we were joined by more and more riders as the kilometres ticked by. Around 35km the route went onto a slight drag and here I decided to try and do something. I managed to get away on my own and quickly settled into a steady pace.
The section that followed was mainly on single track and got quite tricky on the rocky descending parts. I was happy to be on my own as one can judge and prepare much better for what’s to come.

Within 2km from the finish line a marshal pointed me in the wrong direction. I only realized that I was on the wrong route when I came to a closed gate. I wasn’t the only one to be sent the wrong way, and soon I was joined by more lost riders. The farmer who’s property the race was going through luckily spotted us and directed us to the finish line.

Carla was also one of the riders who went the wrong way so we both didn’t know what the end result would be. Without anyone of the riders complaining or appealing the race organiser called us and said that I will keep my 1st place and Carla her 2nd place. I was amazed by the positive reaction of everyone involved. It is very rare that races can sort out these type of problems fairly and without fuss. Everyone involved should be commended for their positive attitude.

Despite the route being wet and a bit muddy at places, I had a good time. The course was great, the event very well organised and, like I mentioned before, the atmosphere around the race was quite exceptional.

Emperors Palace MTB Classic

Since my last diary, I've been spending long hours on the bike preparing for the 2012 racing season.

In the blink of an eye, the two months have passed since my last race (Southern Tropical Challenge) in December 2011.
Having done only base training up until now, I was quite apprehensive going into my first event (Emperors MTB Classic) of a new season.

The long slow miles of base training would give me the necessary fitness but racing requires an intensity which I have yet to build.
Luckily my teammate, Nicci Grobler, was also doing the event and seeing her at the start already calmed my nerves a little bit.
Nicci and I have done a few stage races together and know each other pretty well. This gave me the confidence that we would bring
the best out of each other while fending off our rivals.

As expected my legs struggled with the quick start. But soon Nicci and I settled into a steady rhythm, helping each other through
the challenging sections of the event. Nicci and I led the race from start to finish, slowing down slightly on the 2nd lap as we made our
way past the back markers on the 20km circuit.

We completed the 40km race in a quick 1h 45min and crossed the line together with Nicci taking 1st place and me in 2nd place.

I was really happy to start the season on such a positive note and looking forward to building on the success that
team bizhub – FCF have had to date in 2012.

Omnicane Southern Tropical Challenge, 24-27 November

My last race for the season took me to the Tropical Island of Mauritius to take part in the 3rd edition of the Omnicane Southern Tropical Challenge.

I was invited by Aurelie Halbwachs (who was also my Joberg2C partner this year) to team up with her for their biggest mountain biking stage race in Mauritius.

The event opened up with a 5.6km prologue. This was a good initiative as it helped settle the nerves and also decided the wearers of the various leaders jersey’s for
the official first stage the following day.There is no other way to ride a prologue than going ‘full gas’ from beginning to end. The burning legs and lungs were well worth it when Aurelie and I crossed the line in first place. This also meant we would be the wearers of the woman’s red leader’s jersey the following day.

The first Stage started and finished at our race village in Lagrave. The 65km rolling course consisted mainly out of jeep track through sugarcane plantations, a few tar sections, two rocky climbs and a short freshly cut single track leading back to the finish. In Mauritius there aren't a lot of woman doing mountain biking which always leaves Aurelie to compete against men. For this reason Aurelie wasn’t content with beating only the ladies in the race but also wanted to fight for a good placing overall. This time there was no ‘settling into a steady pace’ as Aurelie and myself goal shifted from winning the ladies to placing top 10 overall. At the end of the stage we surprised ourselves to finish in 9th overall and still held on to our red jerseys.

On stage 2 we left our camping ground at Lagrave to finish 80km later in Bel’Ombre, at the coast. The first 40km of the route went by quickly as it was mainly on flat dirt roads through sugarcane fields.The following 15km was laid out on fairly technical single track alongside the sea. The bit of ocean views I managed to glimpse while racing were stunning. I wished I could stop just to appreciate the surroundings for a change.

On this single track there was a section which dropped into a valley. I misjudged how steep it was, but having committed I had no choice but to try and ride the tricky section. Unfortunately I didn’t make it to the bottom and crashed quite hard. It was only afterwards that I realized why everyone dismounted and walked this section. The remaining 25km to the finish was hard for me as I was emotionally and physically bruised.

If it wasn’t for my good teammate, Aurelie, who encouraged me all the way, booked a massage for me afterwards and had the race doctor examine my injuries I doubt if I would have started the next day. It just proves again how important a thoughtful and unselfish teammate is.

The last stage was only 35km long, but don’t let the distance fool you! The whole route was laid out in a mountain range and consisted only of steep ascents and descents. As we left the start line and the route started tilting upwards I had a feeling that it was going to be a nice stage, and it was indeed. I enjoy climbing and even more so when the route provides breathtaking views upon reaching the summit. Aurelie and I completed the stage in just under 3 hours. It wasn’t as short as expected....

Aurelie and I held on to our red leader’s jersey throughout the tour, giving bizhub the final victory for the year!

I was happy to finish off my 2011 season on a high note. To celebrate it on a tropical island alongside a great friend -I couldn’t have asked for a better ending.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Lord of the Chain Rings, 17-19 November

Hogsback is a little village in the Eastern Cape which hosts the Lord of the Chain Rings MTB Stage race each November. From the Wine2Whales stage race in Cape Town we travelled via Knysna to reach the little hamlet of Hogsback on Wednesday afternoon. As we drove into the town, it felt like discovering a secret place. The village was situated in pristine forestry and had a mystical atmosphere hanging in the air.

The first day we woke up completely surrounded by a thick mist. The race started at 7:30am and upon leaving the start line the heavens opened up. This combined with the early hours mist, caused the trails to be wet, muddy and very slippery. The route was laid out on mostly single and jeep track winding through thick forests.

Caitlin and I decided to start at a fairly fast tempo in an attempt to gain time on our rivals before heading into the single track. This plan worked well for us as we established a good lead on the next ladies team early on. From half way we settled into a steady rhythm intent on maintaining our lead. Our strategy was successful and we managed to win the first stage.

Day two was the longest stage (78km) and also included climbing up to a high spot of 1800m above sea level. Although it was the hardest day, everyone was smiling as we woke up to a beautiful morning with clear skies.

Caitlin and I went into the stage with a buffer of 18min over our main rivals, Team Merrell (triathlete Andrea van Holt and Hilana Marais). Therefore we decided to start a bit easier than the previous day and ended up alongside Team Merrell in the early stages. We stayed together until the first big climb around 20km. The climb required a big effort and lots of concentration as it was very steep on a narrow loose rocky single track.

Here Caitlin and I managed to get away from team Merrell. With knowing we had a proper lead on them we didn’t need to push too hard and just kept our steady comfortable pace to the finish, gaining another few minutes over them by the stage finish. With the weather being more kind to us we were able to take in the beautiful surrounds of Hogsback. When the rain finally fell, it was only 5km from the finish which made it much more bearable.

Weather-wise, day three turned out to be the best with a great route to match. This gave us the opportunity to once again appreciate the beautiful views offered by Hogsback.

Over the last two days Caitlin and I established a lead of 33 min on our nearest rivals. This meant our main goal for stage 3 would be to make sure that team Merrell didn’t take any time back on us.

The final stage was surely a highlight for both of us as it was Caitlin’s last day racing her bike as a professional athlete and I was the fortunate one to share this with her. Next year she will be heading in a new direction and attending a flight school in George. She ‘ended’ her career in style with a third stage win and an overall victory in one of her favourite races.

The organisers put together a great, well organised event providing some of the best trails, lovely accommodation and amazing meals in a superb package. I really liked Hogsback with its enchanting forests and mystical feel and look forward to returning to this quaint village soon.

Contego Wine2Whales driven by Maserati

Wine2Whales is said to be the Sani2C for cyclists in the Cape region as it also provides thrilling single track and spectacular mountain views (Personally I think you can’t compare the two as they are each unique in its own way).

This was my 2nd time competing in event and this year they promised it to be even more enjoyable as they added extra single track to an already great route. To say that I was excited to experience the new route would be an understatement.

Early Friday morning I, together with my partner Caitlin de Wet, took to the start in Somerset West.
The first stage was 68km long and finished in Grabouw. Here we camped for two consecutive nights with stage two’s 63 km route being laid out in the surrounding area of Grabouw. On the 3rd day we would leave our camping ground to finish the last 80km stage in Onrus.

On day one Caitlin and I had a good ride together. We truly enjoyed the fun ascending and descending single track which even counted to our advantage towards the end. In the final kilometres Caitlin and I were narrowly in front of team Fair Cape Ladies Desiree Loubser and Marleen Loubser. Luckily the last pieces of the course were mainly single track and as Caitlin and I could ride them faster helping us to hold off the Fair Cape Ladies in order to take the 3rd spot.
Team Contego’s Mariske Strauss and Ariane Kleinhans finished a mere 13 seconds in front of us to take 2nd place. Ischen Stopforth and Catherine Williamson (bizhub) finished in
1st place.

Stage two consisted of 65 % single track. Again Caitlin and I had fun on the single track as our technical skills were fairly the same. At the end we finished in 4th place on the stage.

On the last day, stage three, gusting winds appeared around 3am. This saw tents being blown to a 45 degree angle. Nobody was able to sleep the night in fear of their tent’s being blown away. To make matters worse, at 5am it started pouring with rain. Unfortunately the rain didn’t want to ease up and caused the stage to be cancelled.
I was content the moment the stage was said to be cancelled as I was soaking went (and freezing) from running up and down loading bags, getting dressed, fetching bikes in the bike part etc.

But on having time to think about it I am truly sad there were no end to this great experience. I do hope to come back next year as there is still one stage left to be explored!

Nissan Trailseeker Marathon Series, Van Gaalen

The Gauteng based Nissan Trailseeker Series consists of 5 events with Van Gaalen being the final leg of the competition.

I really enjoy the Nissan Trailseeker races as they always offer more than just the race itself. All the race venues cater for the whole family by having restaurants, child entertainment areas, a bike wash bay, warm showers and much more. Nissan branded umbrellas are also put up providing shady viewing spots for spectators to see the riders coming in to finish. Van Gaalen Cheese Farm which hosted this particular event followed the same blueprint, but with the addition of the Magalies mountains as a spectacular backdrop.

Standing on the start line, I was happy to find out that I was leading the series with a few points over Samantha Saanders. In addition to doing my best at this particular event, I was also determined to hold on to the leader’s jersey.

The first few kilometres of the 70km route consisted of open jeep and single track. Here a small leading group of ladies formed consisting of Yolande Speedy (Team MTN Qhuebeka), Samantha Saanders (Valencia Cycles), Theresa Ralph, Karien Van Jaarsveld (Team USN) and me.

The single track led onto a steep, loose, rocky climb where Karien and I managed to distance the other girls. We crested the climb with a lead of a few seconds and from this point onwards the two of us ‘almost’ stayed together until the very end. On a few occasions I managed to drop Karien, but each time she regained contact whilst we were duelling amongst the men who had started with us.

The final part of the race contained some amazing single track on the Van Gaalen Farm itself. Upon exiting the single track I slipped and fell in the final corner, jamming my chain in the process. I jumped back on my bike, but Karien passed me as I dismounted again and franticly tried to dislodge the wedged chain. Unbeknown to me there was less than a kilometre remaining to the finish line and by the time I got going again Karien was in the final straight winning the race a mere 11 seconds in front of me.

I would have preferred the opportunity to sprint for the win, but had to settle for 2nd on the day. The good news was that my 2nd place on the day confirmed me as the winner of the Nissan Trailseeker series in 2011, adding another victory to team bizhub’s successful season! Samantha Saanders took the final spot on the podium with a fine 3rd place.

P.S. Van Gaalen Farm’s trails are exactly what race organizers said they would be – Awesome!

Nissan Trailseeker Diamond Rush, Cullinan

The 4th 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.

It was my 3rd time participating at Cullinan and every year the Advendurance team managed to add more exciting single track to an already great course.

The 70km route, which is inaccessible in normal circumstances, consisted of winding single, jeep track, and thrilling river crossings over wooden bridges.

As always the start was very fast thanks to the elite men who were fighting for position at the front of the race. Luckily I felt good on the day and managed to be amongst the front riders as we headed onto the first piece of single track. The single track was shortly followed by a short steep rocky climb.

This piece saw the group splintered into small groups. On reaching the top I looked back down the climb but couldn’t spot any of the other girls.

I realized that I was in the leading position and had to give everything to try and stay out in front.

I felt really good throughout the race and managed to maintain my lead to the very end. It was very rewarding to take the victory at the Nissan Trailseeker Cullinan for the 2nd time in a row.

I feel fortunate to be the winner of such a great event and shared the podium with Samantha Saanders (Valencia) in 2nd place and Karien Van Jaarsveld ( USN) in 3rd place.

My teammate Caitlin de Wet spent most of her season in Europe focusing on shorter distance cross country races.
Despite not having done any marathons for a while she managed to pull off a great result by finishing in 4th place overall and 3rd place in the senior ladies category.

Final Results:

1st Yolandi du Toit
2nd Samantha Saanders
3rd Karien van Jaarsveld
4th Caitlin de Wet
5th Ronel van Wyk