Momentum 94.7 Road Race, 18th November 2012

With the mountain bike races sadly over it was time to get back on the road for the last two races of the year.  The 94.7 is the world’s 2^nd biggest timed road event in the world after the Argus so with it carries a similar prestige.  Before the race the usual café conversations go like this

Q) Are you practicing for the 94.7?

A) Well, its a little late to ‘practice’ riding now but we are racing the 94.7

Q) What time are you hoping for?

A) I have no idea

Q) Oh, you just doing it for fun?

A) Not really, we don’t really look at times, just positions

Q) Oh, well they say you must have starch and caffine before

A) Oh right, thanks for the advice!

Race day arrived and with the ‘practices’ over we woke up at 3.30 to get to the race for the crazy start time of 6.15.  Couldn’t really complain as the first poor souls set off at 5.30 and even poorer souls didn’t set off till 9 when the temperature was already in the 30s. 

The flat start mean’t the bunch was steady with a few attacks that didn’t go anywhere.  After 10k or so we hit the hills and the real moves started.  Toyota were always in the moves and when the pace upped and the group reduced down to 12 or so there was always around 8 of them.  I thought they’d then work at the front and when the gap was established then start firing one after the other up the road but with either a full race season in everyone’s legs no one was that keen and the group increased after each big effort.  I was pleased I was up there and amongst the action when it did split as the mountain biking does leave you with slow diesel legs!  The hills were pretty relentless, not big climbs but a lot of them and eventually Sharon Laws got away.  I was hanging on 3^rd or 4^th wheel back then had a sudden spurt of energy and started chasing.  I knew there were a few girls on my wheel but thought if I caught Sharon we would be a pretty small breakaway.  Next time I looked back more girls had tagged on and I swung over.  I definitely wasn’t planning on dragging a big group along when much bigger teams like MTN were all still there plus even if Sharon isn’t on my team I wasn’t going to help bring a fellow Brit back just to have it counterattacked by another Toyota rider. 

MTN soon grouped at the front and started working but with the headwind it soon fizzled out and we were riding along chatting amongth ourselves. Feeling good I did start a few attacks on the hills towards the finish but each time they were covered by Toyota who didn’t seem to want to get away despite the fact Sharon was just about finished by then!  The pace up the last climb was tough and I was swaying over my bike before we turned the last corner to the finish.  Down the hill I attacked to get to the roundabout first and, carrying a bit more speed than I antipated I leaned hard and thankfully came out the other side still upright.  Sprinting to the finish I was surprised no one came round and rode over the line just ahead of the fast approaching Cherise to hold onto 2^nd place.  With a 2^nd as well at the Argus despite concentrating on the mountain bike I have to say its been a pretty successful year and its now time for a well earned break back home before training for next year starts again! 

Holding on to win the bunch sprint

The presentation with Sharon and Cherise

Getting too much sun with fellow Brit, Sharon Laws

Contego Wines2Whales Stage Race 9 - 11th November 2012

This last weekend Ischen and myself were back racing at the Contego Wines2Whales 3 day event.  With a good forecast and no snow predicted this year we were both looking forward to our last big event for the year. 

Stage One started in Lourensford, straight onto a long climb.  Glad of the warm up we settled into a good pace and moved into the lead half way up.  After the first water point I hit a stump at the edge of a river and ended up swinging round a tree to avoid the water.  Unfortunately there was no tree for the guy behind who ended up breaking the bridge and ending up with his bike in the water. I did feel guilty and apologised that night on stage where I had to down a brandy and still walk off stage in a straight line!!  Incidents over we settled into a steady pace until Ischen had a sidewall.  She quickly plugged and bombed it and we were soon off, now in 2^nd place.  Chasing hard over the Gantouw Pass Ischen started to cramp and as the course got pretty technical we knew we weren’t going to win the stage.  Still, we arrived 2^nd, losing 2 minutes to Yolande Speedy and Hanlie Booyens but gaining 14 minutes on Cherise Taylor and Mariska Strauss. 

Stage two was a shorter 65km stage in a loop from our campsite at Oak Village.  The single track was so smooth unlike yesterday and after a short climb to space the field out the riding was very enjoyable.  I was pretty nervous about the infamous ‘Pofadder’ singletrack and was tempted by the chicken run but in the end managed it fine.  The race was pretty competitive to start with three woman’s teams together.  We lost them on the single track but there was only 4 minutes separating us at the finish with Contego Ladies taking the win in 2h54. 

Stage three took us down to the coast.  Ischen was struggling from the start and we knew the Contego Ladies were out to take our 2^nd place overall setting off fast on the front line. The course was pretty fast down to the first water point then there were some tough short climbs to get over.  We were riding with the Momentum girls for a while then dropped off their pace while Ischen battled on feeling the effects of a long season of racing.  At the third water point Conrad who had been spot on with our bottles told us we were 7min30 behind leaving us with only 3 minutes for the last 10km.  We battled on and the finish couldn’t come soon enough, it was a stressful day ‘in the office’ but we held onto 2^nd place overall by a mere 50 seconds after 10 hours 38 of racing.  The race was again a fantastically organized event, well marked, some great new single track and plenty of sunshine!!

1st Momentum Specialized Insurance Ladies 10hr 25

2^nd Bizhub FCF 10hr 38

3^rd Contego Ladies 10hr 39