I don’t ride that many stage races. Ok, Wines2Whales is an obligatory regular but then the last years Sani2C is pretty much it. I have noticed thoug that most races don’t offer solo entries – and S2C is definitely one  those. It’s supposedly about safety – but my cynical side sees a commercial interest too. Coupled with that is the observation that in some of the races I’ve ridden my partner has been more of a hazard than I would have liked!

An early W2W with a non hazardous partner (Neil)

So here I am convincing a rather skeptical Judy that I’ll be fine on my own. Really I will! It was either convince her or agree to riding with the only other solo rider in the Race. From K batch. ! He is called Fritz. And probably from the Big Smoke. (**) But not wanting to be provincial I wanted to protect my B batch seeding (***).

The Little Smoke – Cape Town without the South Easter

Turns out is pretty challenging to get someone to partner up with you just  hours before the last flight possible. Of course I did have one of the other Eleven signed up and organized, but turns out he’s a bit of a fair weather (****) cyclist. Pfft. So I had to cast around for a replacement. Tried Caryn – my wife. Tried other wives, other friends. Luckily Adriaan (NB – double “a” so not me) was super keen. Fortunately getting a bike into race ready condition doable. Sadly, a flight with 12 hours notice was difficult, finding a bike box challenging, his wife impossible.

So thanks to Judy accepting my solo entry I am currently in a thunderstorm, in a leaking tent, near a dam that may freeze over in the morning wondering if that other monkey was possibly wise after all. Mmm, B group starts off at at 7.10am, K group? 8.40am. Fritz, hullooo, where are you Fritz?!?

Before the thunderstorm. Before the ice

(*) But Ghost written by Fritz

(**) Ok, the Big Smoke is not that bad. (My lawyer said I have to say this)

(***) Dont ask how I got into B batch. It’s a Eleven Wise Monkey trait I inherited.

(****) At least for the last two.years anyway.