Tour Cyclist Feminine International de L’Ardeche 5-10th September

 With no team and some nice European tours coming up I got in touch with the organization in Ardeche who were putting 2 mixed teams together.  That sorted I then found flights were so expensive the trip was looking unlikely until my folks decided on yet another holiday and we drove down.  Splitting it into 2 days made the journey more holidayish especially with some nice food in an Irish bar in Calais and a bargain smart hotel in Valance.  Arriving first at their campsite and enjoying a quick dip in the pool and pain o chocolate (the only French I know so thought I’d better buy one!!) we headed over to our campsite. Our team consisted of 3 Brits and 2 French girls and we joined forces with the other mixed team making it a pretty sociable group.  With a small static caravan for just two of us accommodation was very good, any race where you get your own room is luxury!

That evening we headed to the prologue, a 2.4km loop that was over quick enough to give you a real lung burner and for me not to lose too much time despite a position in the 60s.

The following day from La Pouzin was a pretty flat 112km day, seems odd to be given easy stages early on when everyone is fresh and we wouldn’t mind a few climbs to split up the usual nervous first day bunch.  I attacked a few times and was in a few very short lived breaks but the race came down to a bunch sprint where I came in 16^th, glad to survive as it was twisty and there are a number of Russians in the bunch who don’t seem to value their lives all that much!  It was a good job it wasn’t too windy as the only jersey I was given was an extra large!

Day two was a split day, all be it only 100km of racing in total but out of the campsite from 6.30am until 9pm.  At Val Les Bains we raced a 3.5km time trial, up and down a small mountain.  Without turbos and with our flapping jerseys there was no time trail stress and I paced it pretty well and actually quite enjoyed the twisty descent.  Surprised myself with 28^th.  After a long wait we started again at 3pm.  The pace was flat out from the off up and down narrow roads and before long a break was away with all the major teams in.  Having just missed it our group got bigger and the pace became very slow.  Racing began again up a long 8km climb and feeling good I hung onto the pace set by HTC on the front.  3km from the top I was yo-yoing and just dropped off before the top.  Luckily I was in the cars soon enough and with a little help from the convoy drafting and sprinting past to the next one before finally tagging back on to the group.  Joining in the work to get to the finish I came in 16^th, moving up to 21^st on GC.

Day three and the legs felt like they were in a stage race and again eating at the venue meant we were out of the campsite pretty early.  At least its good food, plenty of salad and fruit and not the usual soggy French pasta and green beans.  We get a plastic tray with 5 different compartments, which is all good and well until you overfill one compartment or add a heavy peach on one side and it all gets pretty tricky to balance!  Today was 127km with 3000m of climbing so all the compartments were pretty full!  Along the valley on a false flat we averaged 43k an hour until a HTC and Garmin rider got away with a couple of others.  That settled the group down and it felt like we crawled up the first cat climb to over a 1000m altitude.  The pace up the next climb was again comfortable as I was well positioned at the front.  Only on the descent to the last climb did I slip back and before I had chance to come through the attacks came and I was left fighting round riders.  I ended up at the front of a group of 12 or so pretty annoyed that I’d felt so good all day and had missed the big move.  To make for it I got away on the flat headwind with two others to the finish but just got caught 200m from the line by the group I was with.  Still in 20^th and up to 20^th on GC. 

The penultimate day from  St Marcel D’Ardeche was 123km and the temperature by the time we started at 2pm was in the 30s.  The first climb was up and along a huge gorge, scenic if you had time to look but I was going through a bad patch that lasted for about 80km!! It didn’t help that my spoke broke 2km in and I had to chase back.   After drinking a ton I felt better by the third climb and at the top was just off the lead group, so in my usual position: not quite strong enough for the first 20 but ahead of the next group.  I was pleased to be there as I had a free run down a very tricky descent and caught the front group at the bottom.  With 5 girls up the road and 2 at 5min 30 Emma Pooley’s lead was in danger.  Feeling good at last I helped both her and Ashleigh from the other mixed team who was in 2^nd overall for the last 30 odd km, bringing the three back and the leaders down to 3 and a bit minutes with some pretty shattering through and offs!!  They both thought I worked for them when really I just wanted to get back to the campsite and jump in the pool before it closed!  Managed that with the British Rapha team, seeing all 7 foot of Rene launching off one of the slides made all the effort worthwhile!!

The final day was only 72km but with another 3 climbs was never going to be easy. The theme song from Chariots of Fire on the start line obviously acted as some inspiration to some riders as the pace was fast from the off and soon a group was away.  I jumped across with two others and it was soon back together.  The main climb was my worst… long, open, hot, not steep just a long, long drag.  I blew and crawled past mam, dad and a small group of Brits 1 km from the top but luckily tagged onto 4 others.  We were all keen to bridge back so all worked when we could.  30km later down steep gravelly descents, up nasty short climbs and through tiny villages we finally came back to the cars and tagged onto the main field of 20 or so right at the bottom of a steep 3km GPM.  I rode my own pace.  The leaders blew the field apart and dribs and drabs arrived at the finish 10 km later.  I came in pleased again for the good work out and glad the next group didn’t sweep us up. 

My overall position was 18th probably the best finish in a tour full of big climbs and top riders thanks to some good training over the summer back home and a needed break from racing.

Sorry for the long blog… 9 hours in the car is a pretty long way! 

Enjoying the time trial!

My team mates

Cooling off in a fountain!!

Mountain Bike Marathon Event, Selkirk in Scotland

Bruises upon bruises, scars on scars!!

With the bruises from the National XC coming out nicely I ventured up to Scotland with Rob for a weekend of riding and camping. Arriving on Saturday I took part in a coaching session and learned a little more in what is becoming an extremely complicated sport.  As well as been taught about braking, climbing and attempting wheelies pretty badly I also found my tyre on the wrong way and a worn our brake block all of which were sorted before Sunday’s Marathon. 

Although these series of rides by Chain Reaction aren’t actual races it might well have been with a mass neutralized start and fast blast up the first of many climbs.  Approximately 85km and 3000m of climbing meant the course was either up or down.  I was climbing well and descending ok for me, pretty slow but considering how steep some of the single track was I was pretty proud of myself to be riding most of them.  Once on one of few downhill open tracks I got into the biggest gear and flew straight through what looked like your standard small puddle… trouble was I think it was more of a crater and I came out in full superman position.  Lying face down I did a kind of ‘body check’, i.e. nothing feels broken best get going.  With a little help from a guy fixing his puncture I rode on and gradually assessed the bits that hurt.  As well as a few bloodied bits my shoulder was agony and I considered taking the 45km course with it not been a race and all.  However that never happened and once riding hard again the pain subsided and, filling up briefly on biscuits at the feed station, I rode the full 85km.  It was an amazing last climb, up for ages then onto a steep single-track climb before popping out onto a rocky barren top that could have been the moon the time we’d climbed for!  The views were amazing and taking them in I missed a turn and rode down an extra single track (yep me getting carried away and wanting more single track!!) I eventually found the right track and continued down to the finish.  By then my shoulder was giving me some stick every time I stopped and scooted off which was quite often near the end with lots of mud, rocks and a fast bumpy descent. 

I finished 1^st woman which obviously doesn’t matter it been a ‘non competitive’ event but you try telling the rest of the guys I was riding near that.  I was worried that this country didn’t really have marathon events apart from these sportives but sportive or not it was a still a good race in my eyes!!

Hopefully the shoulder will get better… sleeping in a tent with a deflating mattress wasn’t the most comfortable and typing now is a mission but it seems I can rest my arm on my bars to ride so that’s the main thing!!

17 July National Cross Country Championships, Aske near Richmond

A month ago I had that feeling of ‘what am I training for now?’ I searched the website and found that the National XC Championships were on my doorstep at Richmond.  Ok so my XC experience consisted of trying to hang onto Michelle in Guisborough Woods and the wonderful dry fast flowing single track out in South Africa but hey it can’t be that hard…or can it…

On Friday night I went to see the course and take part in a coaching session.  2 hours later we’d done most of the course, I learnt a few invaluable tips on positioning and that my tyres were perfect for the dry plains of Africa and I was terrified, throw in a day of torrential rain and I arrived on Sunday to find a mud fest and I was a nervous wreck! 

At 2.30pm we set off behind the senior and junior men.  The first section was probably the scariest and hardest.  Through a steep wood I managed to skid the back wheel in the general direction I intended to go but the next descent got the better of me… 3 times in fact!  It reminded me of dropping of the edge off  a black run on a ski run except with a few wheels underneath instead of some nice secure skis.  The descent wasn’t scary, wide and thick with mud surrounded by nice soft fern.  My error was that each time I went down it I locked up both wheels and was apparently one of the fastest down…would have been impressive had it not been for the corner at the bottom which sent me flying each time and sent my bike even further into the bushes.

Following that the course entered two sections of wood that twisted around: slippy roots, muddy descents, steep uphills and a few man made obstacles thrown in made it a little tricky for me and by the 4^th time round I decided that running the technical bits was way faster than my other technique: riding, slipping, falling, running, riding, slipping, falling etc etc!! 

Starting off at the back of the grid I’d moved up a few places straight away with a crash to my side.  After that I moved through to yoyo in 5^th place with a friend Gabby.  Even though she was also struggling with the technical bits she caught me up on these before I pulled away on the uphill tracks to finish in 5^th.  I was pleased to a) survive all be it with legs looking black and blue, b) not look like a fool by pulling out cos I was scarred and c) finish smiling and planning the many ways that I can improve with a bit more confidence and practice. 

Right, where’s the race calendar…

Tour Feminine Krasna Lipa

Tour de Feminin Krasna Lipa 7^th to 10^th July

Having found a last minute slot on team Forvioed Brookkvex, a British based team run by a long time friend Rene Groot I started the tour in Czech Republic for the 3^rd time.  The opportunity came up to race at the National Championships the week before just as I was looking for some more races and missing a bit of rough and tumble of Europe racing.  Last time I raced with Rene was years ago but could have been last week as I waited round the corner of King Cross down in London armed with plenty of reading material for the long drive.  Long would be an underestimate.  From leaving Whitby at 6.30am Tuesday (early enough for an anniversary breakfast on the river in York) we arrived at race HQ in Krasna Lipa 5pm Wednesday after stopping in Germany at 2am for a brief rest.

Our accommodation for the race was in an old boarding school with a dodgy lifts, paper thin walls and  shared unisex bathrooms with no curtain in sight.  It was a far cry for the luxuary I’ve grown accustomed to in South Africa and I did wonder why I was back here in my ‘off season’ out of choice!  However all things have a plus side and the girls on the team are definitely that, all really nice, interesting and always a laugh.  It was a pleasure sharing a small room with three others! 

Day One started at 1.30, a hot afternoon but I felt good and made the racing more interesting by attacking as often as I could and sitting in the first 20 as much as possible.  Unlike last year I was never quite in contention to try for the combined jersey of climbing and sprinting which I held last year for 3 days, my closest been a 4^th in a sprint.  However just like last year the racing was controlled, nothing got away and groups were constantly coming back.  Over the last climb I was near the front and with 1km out was perfectly sat in 3^rd wheel.  However an Australian went down the side and I ended up 6^th, unable to move back up and unwilling to risk my life on the last few bends.  We lost 2 girls, Emma Trott had a bad leg and Sofie was out of time.

For the third night running I ended up with sleeping tablets due to a guy snoring so loud next door he might as well have been in the room.

Day 2 was another aggressive one for me, attacking with the GoGreen girls but never getting any real distance.  The longest was a few minutes out front before been hauled back.  Over the same climb in Kransna Lipa three times the group split the last time and it looked good until another train stopped us and everyone tagged back on.  I made one more last ditch attempt 5 km out, attacking then looking up to see a pretty big hill in front!  With no choice I kept going and had two girls for company.  Looking back was quite satisfying to see the whole peleton strung out but the Australians were controlling the race well and it was another bunch sprint downhill.  I nearly came off on a 90 degree bend then ran out of gears with my compact and came in 16^th.  That night we had fish and rice then celebrated Rene’s birthday with a drink down the local. 

Another sleepless night… this time because of the fish or rice or the whole unhygienic communual thing, or just a bug… whatever, half the floor was up ill.  I wasn’t sick but by morning had the other extreme. 

Day three and another two of our riders didn’t start due to the bug.  I managed to ride a Personal Worse ever 18km time trial finding myself out on a windy road overtaken by all 5 riders ahead of me on GC while I felt drained of all energy.  I’m pretty sure a full carbon time trial bike would have made any difference and I impressively slipped from one end of the GC to the other! Looking for anything highly calorific that I only needed to swallow once I started the afternoons 93km on the middle of a donut!  It was a desperate ride, demorilizing to find myself slipping to the back on every hill after been attacking off the front yesterday.  However I kept myself entertained playing the slippage game, descending as fast as possible to the front then slipping to the back on the climbs.  It worked and I finished with the main field. The whole day I’d managed a bowl of cereal, jam sandwich, a donut and some bread at dinner and lots of electyryte but at least felt human after another quality massage and solid sleep in the back of the van.  Going out for the toilet in the night I had to laugh when I’m pretty sure I heard next doors snorer despite him been 5 floors up!  Speaking of which those 5 flights were becoming a stage in them selves now the lift was broken, oh the luxury of woman’s cycling!!

Day 4 saw only 2 of us start and only 114 starters out of 190 odd 4 days ago.  Out of all the tours this one is one of the hardest for new teams and cyclists as once your dropped the hills are relentless and whats more you’ve got to survive rough accommodation, masses of staires and dodgy food all on a suffering immune system!  Today was the hilliest day as we did a loop further south into the longer hills.  Luckily I felt a bit better and, while I was in no state to attack I did hang onto the front group which split a fair few times.  Still with a stomach that made me looked pregnant I failed to eat anything and by the finish laps round Kransna up the same climbs again I started to blow.  I knew things were going bad when I had to chase back on with a huge Lithuanian, however I made sure I did more turns as she smelt like she’d ran out of wash powder on Day One!! The last time up I sat up and rolled down to the finish feeling pretty dizzy and totally spent. 

Not the best tour I’ve done by a long way, in fact one of the worse but sometimes you need these illnesses to make the next race feel better and easier!  It was a real shame the bug wiped out our team as we were not only doing pretty well we were also have a great laugh riders and staff together and I’ve met even more great characters. Now just the epic drive home, wheres Ryan Air when you need it!   

South African National Mountain Marathon Championships

Having been away from England for 2 months now I’m finding anything English like very exciting so was pretty chuffed to find the KwaZulu-Natal area full of rolling green fields, thatched cottages and Tudor style houses, the only difference been the humid weather.

The race was down at Inanda Dam, no longer English like with looming mountains and a couple of Zebra wandering around the start area.

Our race started at 7.30 and by 7.35 I was sweating and out of breathe!  The first 30km were mainly jeep tracks up and down the hills surrounding the dam.  The area known as 1000 hills should be renamed a 1000 mountains!! 

1000 mountains/hills later I was riding on my own.  I’d stayed with the leading group of Cherise, Yolandi Speedy and Candice for as long as I could but found that chasing after the descents and after a few single track sections took its toll and I dropped off.  Along a section with one of those persistent headwinds and some dodgy looking locals I missed the company of the other three when I heard I was actually in front.  I argued there was definitely three in front but was told they’d gone wrong.  Not for long I thought as I made a hash of the single track we’d now turned on along the edge of the dam.  

Though a definite improvement in my technical skills I’m still struggling to get through single tracks with a lot of speed and am still stuck with the ‘Right Foot Syndrome’ whereby my right foot clips out as soon as I see a few sharp rocks! 

60km in and I was still in the lead and was now pulling back a fair few of the men who had set off 5 minutes before us.  I was priding myself on getting this far without falling when suddenly I looked to my right up a short steep climb and seeing a big drop down into the bushes immediately found myself down there.  Unhurt apart from jarring my neck it took a while to scramble back to the track.  It’s so true that you normally end up where you look!!

Unsure how the terrain was I stopped at the last feed for more water and was still in the lead.  Panic had long since set in about been at the front and I was looking back at every opportunity dreading seeing the lead three chasing me back.  With 12 km to go I think the final gel kicked in and on a jeep track I started going as fast as possible.  Then we turned onto more single track.  Blowing now the terrain was constant up and down, steep climbs that were just about ridable and downhills that I didn’t even bother trying to ride!  On top of that the whole course had been very difficult to follow with only small bits of chalk on the floor and loads of different goat tracks around.  Four or five times I went the wrong way so wasn’t surprised the lead three had gone wrong.  When your alone you quickly realize there’s no more chalk and turn round but when your with 2 others its easier to just carry on.

On and off these single tracks we went, my feet were both cramping up and my hamstring was threatening to until finally we approached to finish field and I crossed as first woman much to the surprise of the spectators as to myself.  I’m sure people say that when you win you don’t feel how tired you are, well that wasn’t the case here, I was completely shot,  a warm down didn’t enter my head with the only activity to follow was a float in the dam! 

Karien van Jaarsveld came in 7 minutes later to take the National Title very closely followed by Cherise then Candice whom I was pleased to see take a medal even though I’m sure it wasn’t the color she had in mind. 

ABSA Cape Epic 2011

When you are racing you get up every day and, despite the odd bit of cramp while struggling to get dressed in the tent then the feeling of hip flexors about to snap as you eventually stand up, you can get on your bike and within 10 minutes feel ‘normal’ (ish) again yet when your finished your body completely switches off.  That is how I found myself writing this.  The thought of walking to the gate to board a plane home seems a mission and trying to carry bags, forget it I’ll pay good tips for a helping hand today!!

9 days ago I met my partner, Carel Bosman for our first ride together, before the Epic began with a tough prologue.  Off early we had a cool ride and I was glad to follow Carel’s wheel up the technical bits when the sun was blinding us.  Climbing well together he then had to wait an age as I crawled down the single track that was full of drop offs, rocks and roots.  The crowd was amazing and I had to laugh passing a group shouting “ride it, ride it” and when I climbed off my bike to walk down they then shouted “good choice, good choice”!!

After been introduced already to a mass of Carel’s friends I was sorted with some camping buddies once at Tulbagh which made the camping experience one of the best parts of the event. Carel  got us VIP treatment in the SuperCycling Club lounge which meant after every day we got to relax on the most comfortable bean bags after a soak in an ice bath and the best bit: fresh cooked sandwiches, multiple cups of tea and many, many rusks and cookies!!  After that closed I’d drop my nicely cleaned bike off  to the Specialized guys who looked like they were surviving on Red Bull and beer but were doing a great job as I had no mechanical issues all week.  Once that was done I moved into the Absa lounge for Internet and the joy of Skype.  At 6pm dinner started and I’d go there, find someone to chat to and have some really good home cooked food.   After the daily presentations, guest speakers, talk through of the next day, a bit of socializing over tea and usually second helpings of dessert it was pretty much bedtime.  I slept well every night and woke around 5 to a cold, damp tent, long queues for the toilet and breakfast but all worth while for a big bowl of hot porridge. 

The start every day was crazy. Starting in group B meant we were around 200 riders back and once riding it was either stupidly fast with everyone wanting to move forward or, as happened on stage 2 and 3, we went straight up a single track mountain so it was down to a sedate walk while the leaders shot off.  No point getting annoyed, as everyone was the same and it was a good chance to take in the scenery and save energy for later on. 

By day four despite loving the camping routine I was very glad to sleep in a real bed thanks to Nicolene’s mam in Worcester.  The ride that day was my worse too with 4km of walking in traffic on the climb then on and off the bike over rocky river beds and deep sand.  It wasn’t just me, that stage got a lot of bad press.  The finish was the best part, catching another mixed team we had a full on race through the golf course and sprinted down the single track to the finish, dropping them on the way and nearly knocking a few other teams flying in the process!  Having a house to relax in meant I could massage my legs, do a stack of washing and not have to walk a mile around the campsite, not to mention the delicious mountain of food we got! 

For the first time ever the Epic then had another time trial.  The 32km loop went through a reserve and the hills were steep, long and narrow which suited us both as it wasn’t suited to the mixed teams that relied on pushing the woman along.  We finished 4^th mixed team, which was our best yet. 

Following that slight rest bite was 2 ‘hectic’ days starting with a daunting 145km, far longer than any road race I’d ever done and with about 2500m climbing!  Despite been a ‘roadie’ the worse bit was the fast road to start   With a nasty side wind I spent a long time riding in the gutter imagining I was back in Holland. I was much happier once the hills started and the groups split up.  I hit a record of 6 mini muffins, savory snacks and marshmallows yet still found plenty of room for the mincemeat and sweet bread after in the lounge.  All energy needed for the next big stage and another 7 hours in the saddle with 2000 odd meters climbing.  As with a few mountains that had scary descents I got a bit of a head start which was a good job as, scooting along too slowly, I still managed to go over the front of the bars, into a press up position and very slightly scuffed my chin.  Within minutes Carel caught me and I was much happier following him down enjoying the rest of the single track even though he also went flying.  The last 15km went round and round which cracked a lot of teams with the steep climbs but with Carel setting our pace spot on again we enjoyed it and pulled back a few struggling teams.

One of the most surreal things of the whole Epic was waking on the last morning to Rolph Harris blasting out next to my tent!  ‘Tie me Kangaroo Down” was then in my head the entire 69km!  It sounded short but with a stack full of climbing to do it was far from over and with a nasty sandy section to finish I was glad to cross the line in one piece and collect my well earned medal down in the beautiful setting at Lourensford Wine Estate.

Below are a few things I have leant over the last 8 days, 39 hours of racing and climbing the equivalent of Everest twice:

1) Eat lots of garlic snails if you want your partner to take the head wind

2) Banana muffins in back pocket works, avoid blueberry ones as they are too sticky and end up clumped to your Allen keys only to be found hours later

3) Avoid 2 bowls of porridge on a stage that starts with a mountain

4) Put glasses on when going to the portaloos in the night to save bumping into men dressed only in underwear

5) Analyze bottle tops before drinking, mud is fine, cow s****t is not

6) Trying to teach mountain bikers the joy of an echelon in a side wind is like teaching me the art of a wheelie

7) Choose the right partner and the Epic is such a memorable, fantastic, fun yet most challenging experience you’ll ever have.