With a shortened revised route and with just under 1200m ascent over the allotted 91km’s the Dome wasn’t the usual flat race we’ve grown accustomed to. Having never done this race, I was pretty excited leading up to it but with a troublesome rib and not feeling 100% on race day I was concerned that my mate Craig Harvey may have to fend off the likes of Black Rock, Club 100 and Supercycling just to name a few on his own.
7 days prior, I rode the route with my good mate Ian Jones (http://twitter.com/IanJ001) to see what surprises lay ahead but also to see what gear ratio I might opt for and what wheel set I might use in case the wind came in to play. Preparation, perfectionist, that’s me I guess…
So an early start, 06h05 we were off. As usual, a few attacks early on going up Malibongwe and with 1 Club 100 rider getting away but other than that nothing exciting or threatening in the first 15km’s. I wasn’t concerned about the early movers because I knew the section up past the Cradle, Sterkfontein and the stretch past Mogale City and the run in towards the end was going to be tough. Approaching the Cradle up towards Valverde, everything was back together, Jacques Fullard (Black Rock) slid off the front to soften up the wheel suckers. At that stage I felt like one and the thought of abandoning the race came up more than once. Only after about 35km’s I started feeling good. The attacks continued up past the Cradle from Supercycling and Black Rock. With only Craig and me representing Bulk Pack we once again had to be very aware as to when a move went. They say the best form of defence is to attack and with a few kicks up towards Sterkfontein I decided to have a dig, taking with Alwyn Dippenaar(Supercycling), Jacques Fullard and Werner Moolman (Mr. Price) but with no cohesion we were pulled back quickly.
The drag up past Sterkfontein towards Mogale City was pretty sedate and once we “summited” Jeffrey Kriel (Club 100) shot off the front and tried to get something going but to no avail and was swallowed up. I immediately countered and soon opened up a 20 second gap but after a couple of km’s I was back in the pack. The pace really slowed up and with another bump up on Hendrik Potgieter I decided to go again and opened up a healthy gap of 35 seconds. It was fun while it lasted because the turn off the N14 back towards the Cradle saw me shooting off in to greener pastures. A bunny hop with half pike over the curb had me off the road and back in the group and nothing serious from here on in. Approaching the finish we had a fairly large group 35+ and with 4km’s to go Black Rock and Club 100 were jockeying for position to try lead out their sprinters. Not being a natural born sprinter I had a dig with 3km’s to go but all in vain. With a recent visit to Dr. Tabata and with 1km to go I had another dig. I was trying to upset the rhythm of Black Rock and Club 100 and get Craig to the line as fresh as possible and if I could hold them off to the end it would have been a bonus but with 100m’s to go I was back in the pack and my race was done! Jacques Fullard took the honours followed by Jeffrey Kriel and sealing the podium off Craig Harvey.
For me it was a pretty good race and I’m happy with my performance, suffered the first 35km’s or so but after that it was all good and lots of positives I can take out of it. A podium one day would be nice but my natures not to race the last 100m’s, I like to get involved right from the start and if I can get my team mates on to the podium that’s all that matters. Sunday (20 September 2009) see’s me at the Tshwane Mayoral Ride, a later start 11h10am, 8x10km laps round the Union buildings, could be the Lone Ranger with Craig waiting for a sports pass. Should be fun.
Later,
Vets 30+ Results: 1. Jacques Fullard (2:21:43) 2. Jeffrey Kriel 3. Craig Harvey 4. Gavin van Aswegen 5. Stefano Madies
An early start to the day, up at 03:00am, breakfast, packing and then driving through to Sun City for a 07:08am start. The VA group was well represented with all the BIG teams (Black Rock, Bulk Pack Trek, Club 100, Cyclelab and TCS just to name a few) making an appearance. Always good to have a strong field makes for hard and exciting racing. We didn’t have the numbers; Craig Harvey and I were the only ones representing Bulk Pack Trek so we had to be very careful and selective as to when a move went and make sure that if we followed it was an effort that would be worth it.
We finally got off and after 5km’s, Koos Klopper (Cyclelab) decided to spice things up and launched an early attack but with the route being so flat it was going to be very hard to stay away. Cyclelabhad a plan obviously and once Koos was brought back David Labuschagne (Cyclelab) countered but was quickly swallowed up. After 20km’s Johan Labuschagne (Cyclelab) went and took Jeffrey Kriel (Club100), Hannes Botha (TCS) and Hennie Pelser (Speke/Bio-anabolics) with him. With the move going so early on, I didn’t think at the time it was a real threat so for me it was OK to let them go. The gap grew steadily and 40km’s in I flatted. Luckily Jaco was there riding support, so a quick wheel change had me back in the pack in no time. The gap grew with no one really committing to closing the gap. Craig Harvey then headed up the front and started driving to try bring back the break. I soon joined and shortly thereafter Black Rock joined. We started working well together and just before the first bump the leaders were caught. A few attacks off the front thereafter but nothing threatening. The next big move of the day came up the 2nd drag just before the long decent down towards Sun City. Jaco Ferreira (TCS) the current vet’s South African champion slid off the front and started opening a slight gap on the group, with no reaction from the pack I decided to follow and chase Jaco, I knew if I joined forces with Jaco we could work together and maybe just maybe last to the end. We were later joined by Jacques Fullard (Black Rock) and a Di-Data rider and things looked promising, but with a slight head wind coming from the right it was a lot harder than what we anticipated and we we’re back in to the pack with 10km’s to go. Once again a few attacks off the front but all in vain. It was down to a sprint finish, which was pretty much guaranteed at the start of the race. Gary Rabie took the honours followed by Craig Harvey and Jacques Fullard claiming 3rd spot.
I always enjoy this race and even with the route being so flat with a few drags here and there it’s always a tough one. BIG gears ticking over, attacks and the wind really starts taking its toll after a while and 9/10 times it’s always going to come down to a sprint finish. To sum up my performance I was happy but still lacking a bit of power on the flats. A tough 2 weeks of training lined up and looking forward to this weekend. Cycling out to Bronkhorstspruit dam Saturday, water skiing, jet-skiing and some time off the bike to relax and reflect on the next 2 months racing.
Later,
Vets 30+ Results:
1. Gary Rabie (2:26:33) 2. Craig Harvey 3. Jacques Fullard 4. Jeffrey Kriel 5. Dippenaar, Alwyn
So the EPR… Not one of my favorites, but I’m using these smaller races to find some sort of race fitness/form for the bigger ones lying ahead this year. Wind is always a factor in this race and with a course that provides ±1000m of ascent over 120km’s it’s always a tough one when you’re getting old, like me. The event (Start/Finish) was held at the Tarlton International Raceway, Magaliesburg, a 400m drag strip which provides for an exciting finish for both riders and spectators.
Smaller groups meant that we had to mix it up with the older men (VB’s) in the game who seem to mature like fine wine, also with some of the darlings in SA cycling, Toyota Cycle Lab Ladies Team, who were out preparing for the Tour of Ardeche (http://www.tcfia.org/GB/4-equipes/equipes.html) a 6 day tour which starts on the 8th September in France, so good luck ladies!
It was a slow start heading out with not much happening. As I was using this race more for training and getting used to race pace, I decided to head up the front and set the pace for most of the way heading out and up towards the Cradle. I didn’t want to exhaust myself, I knew the 12km drag up past Magalies was going to be hard with attacks and possibly a group splitting off the front and lasting ‘til the end. This proved to be the case and with attack after attack and a gutter, I found myself battling to stick and had to bite the bullet for a while, most probably due to earlier efforts and tired legs. Finally 8 of us (Russel Lund, Attie Duvenhage, Gary Rabie, Carl Lotter, Shane Brown, Leon Olivier, 1 unknown and myself) got off the front and started working well together to open the gap over the chasing peloton. It was a tough ask, splitting the field at 40km’s with 80km’s to go and wind, I knew we were going to have our work cut out. What felt like a head wind from then on and at 60km’s the gap was sitting at 1m45sec and was slowly increasing. The cohesion between the 8 escapees was starting to fade and out of the 8 leaders 8 of us were skipping turns as the wind and rolling hills started taking its toll. Soon the gap grew to 3m45sec and with 15km’s to go, the lead group started attacking each other, with someone hoping to get off the front, but with the wind out playing no one was going to get away and a sprint finish was on the cards. Approaching Tarlton the attacks started again but once again to no avail and it all came down to a sprint with Russel Lund taking it for the VA’s followed by Gary Rabie.
Like I said, not my favorite race and a tough day in saddle with the wind playing its toll. One positive I can take out of my race is my power data. They say you only get your true data when you race and after analyzing my data I’m pretty happy with it, although I think there’s still room for improvement and considering I had tired legs I’m sure the numbers could have been better. Heading in to a rest week now and then Saturday 22nd August at Suncity. The Lost City Cycle Classic, 103km’s, flat and fast and a full Bulk Pack team at the line, well almost. See you chaps then!
So the second half of the season got under way this past weekend (10th August 2009) with the 110km Carousel Classic situated between Bela-Bela and Pretoria. The start/finish was at the Carousel Casino and Entertainment world which is famous for hosting a number of world title boxing events, but we weren’t there to box, although sometimes in cycling boxing within the peloton is a common thing.
I was the only one representing Bulk Pack Trek on the day with Craig Harvey picking up a bug the night before, Marco van Biljoen was over seas, Mark Ramos and Ilidio Pinto had other commitments. With me being the only one, I had to change things a bit on the day, sit in the back seat and watch the racing unfold and hook a wheel if a move looked threatening.
The VA’s started at 07h05, five minutes behind the juniors and with the route being so flat, it was a given that they were going to get caught considering the restricted gears they ride. With no real climbs except for at the half way mark, 55km’s, it was going to be a tough ask to get away and stay away. The first half of the race was somewhat sedate with the only real attack coming from Hannes Botha from team Computer-Smith, this at about 6km’s in to the race, Hannes leapt off the front and soon built up a healthy lead of about 35-40 secs. With a slight head wind going out it was going to be a tough ask to stay away but TCS were well represented (Philip Fourie, Danie Mare, Sheldon Bole) and maybe looking to force the others to chase down and hit again but nothing came of it and Hannes was reeled in at about the 25km mark.
Approaching half-way, the chaps were getting anxious and I had a feeling that if things were going to happen it was going to be here. With a slight bump followed by a 7km drag and a short sharp kick before the turn-around, I decided to head up the front and pick the pace up a bit and soften the legs of the wheel suckers and then hit slightly harder on the kick. At 6.5% average for 1km just before the turn around we averaged 25kph up the kick and this proved enough to kill off the rest. We had a select group of riders off the front (Arnin Venter, David Labuschagne, Gary Rabie, Hannes Botha, Jacques Fullard, Jacques Maritz, Phillip Fourie, Riaan Kok, myself and a few others) and started working well to get away from any chasers. We caught the juniors at the 75km mark, their race was neutralized and we were allowed to get on with our own. Out of the lead group Jacques Maritz (Black Rock) was very aggressive and attacked the lead group constantly. Soon his hard efforts paid off and with 30km’s to go he attacked and took David Labuschagne (C-Lab) with. This was the decisive break of the day and they stayed away to the end and put 1m42sec in to the rest of the chasers.
All in all it was a pretty boring race for me. I’m happy with my result considering the amount of training I did the previous week (560km’s). Having a BIG week before a race is not the cleverest of things but then again the Carousel is also not such an important race for me. I’m hoping the chaps from Bulk Pack Trek can soon join me; the racing should really be a lot more heated and interesting.
Vets 30+ Results: 1. Jacques Maritz (Black Rock) 2. David Labuschagne (C-Lab) 3. Jaques Fullard (Black Rock) 4. Jeffrey Kriel (Club 100) 5. Jason du Preez (Bulk Pack Trek)
I’ve never raced the Carnival, so I wasn’t sure on how hard yesterday was going to be. Previously I did this race in 2006 with Michelle, all race prep for the Argus at the time, so for me it was a walk in the park, but things were different this time round, racing for Bulk Pack, you’re always expected to make the racing, close any move that goes up the road and we were also desperately looking for a good result. A pretty flat course with just over 600m of vertical ascent over the allotted 100km. Pretty much the same as the Fast One. It was a tough weeks training for me leading up to the Carnival, but I was feeling good throughout, so I was hoping Sunday I could make things happen for the team.
Our group (VA’s) got off at 06h50 and the first two kilometers was somewhat idle. I immediately went to the front to pick up the pace and tried making things a little hard for those who were hoping for a nice 15km warm-up. Once that was done, the attacks started. The first 50km’s was very flat and to get away was going to prove to be very hard. That didn’t stop us from trying. Mark Ramos and Ilidio Pinto both from Bulk Pack Trek were mixing it up early with the boys (Club100, Bi-Steel, and Bright House). Covering attacks and trying to create something and hopefully get in a break and force a few of the other teams to chase and tire their legs out and then leave the 2nd half of the race up to Craig Harvey (Bulk Pack Trek) and Marco van Biljoen (Bulk Pack Trek) to attack and try get away. With nothing really coming off in the first 50km’s except for some confusion between Marco van Biljoen and the race commissaire. Marco was apparently DQ’ed for dropping back to the support vehicle and handing over his arm warmers and then in chasing back to get to the front half of the group, he crossed the white line. Marco took this up with the race commissaire and after a “few” words were exchanged the commissaire agreed that the decision was a bit harsh and the DQ was turned in to a 1st warning. With that said, the first real break of the day came, no surprise, Marco van Biljoen put in a BIG effort taking 2 riders with him and opening a gap of around 25 secs to the chase. This forced Harmony and Club100 to do the chasing and once again it felt like we had control of the race. The break lasted for 20km’s and after the break was pulled back; I had a little dig and tried putting more pressure on the other teams. It didn’t last long before my move was pulled back.
Marco again pushed hard up one of the drags eliminating any thoughts of a counter by the other teams. This is when I decided to have another dig; taking Gary Rabie and a Fit Rider with, we soon had 20 secs on the group but with no real cohesion coming from Gary our break was short lived. Once we got pulled back Craig Harvey shot off the front taking a Harmony rider and another rider with. Once again we were in the move and once again the leaders were pulled back after just 10km’s or so. With 20km’s to go I decided to head up the front and drive the pace real hard and prevent any attacks from coming and with a little glance back I saw no one was on my wheel and soon opened up a little gap of 10 secs. I decided to keep driving and soon my 10 secs became 30 secs. I thought if I was going to get caught it would be the perfect launch pad for Mark, Ilidio, Marco or Craig to have one last dig to the end. My solo was perfect, 12.5km’s and with 7km’s to go I thought this was our day and with the rest of the Bulk Pack riders getting sucked along, Club100, Cyclelab and Harmony were trying to pull me back I started cramping in my left calve, still I thought it was enough to tire the rest out but once again bad luck struck and Marco punctured with 5km’s to go. With a fast finish Cyclelab were heading up the front with 2km’s to go. Craig Harvey and Mark Ramos were in perfect position and I was still hoping we could pull something off. My legs were toast and with my calve, sprinting wasn’t even an option, not that I’m a sprinter. With a 500m uphill drag to the finish; I thought it was perfect for Craig. Unfortunately we just missed the podium and had to settle for 4th (Craig Harvey).
Good positive racing from the chaps and having all of us in a break and making the breaks at some point in the race things are looking good, but we’re still seeking that podium spot. On flat races like these it’s hard to get rid of the wheel suckers and with 1km to go you see guys that you haven’t seen for the past 99km’s which is very frustrating, but hey, I guess that’s racing for you and it’s all about who crosses the line first. Most probably the best race of the season for me so far, it really felt like the team gelled well together. This week see’s me take a week off the bike to chill and catch up on a few things.
Later
Vets 30+ Results:
1. Gary Rabie (2:20)
2. Alwyn Dippenaar
3. Martin Van Wyk
4. Craig Harvey
5. Erich Meintjes
