Eleven Wise Monkeys

We made friends with Dr Hyde during today’s stage and things were going along swimmingly (more about that later). But at about 95km Dr Jekyll made his guest appearance and shattered our best performance yet.

First the good news. Emily rode out of her socks today. We managed to stay with the lead bunch of around 30 or so riders for 35km along the district road and jeep track. 100% effort.

Then steadily, leading a group which included the leading ladies Ischen Stopforth and Catherine Williamson all the way to the first water point at 50km. A super-difficult technical climb and an even more challenging descent was dispatched with aplomb. Some hard riding saw us in a fast group through the single track. Lying 4th in our category. So far so good.

Now bad news. At around the 95km mark I struck a rock with my back wheel which flatted. No problem. Plug it, bomb it and…. still leaking along the rim. It wouldn’t seal so we had to put in a tube. Aha, tyre levers would have been a good idea! I cannot explain the frustration of trying to prise a solidly sealed tyre of the rim using a plug insertion tool. Think small screwdriver. Not made of high tensile material, it bent more than it prised. Good grief, It took forever. Anyway, eventually we got under way.

But it gets worse. Approaching the mountains the rain was sifting down. Looked like we were in for a light soaking. If only!

Thunder and lighting. A rain storm of note. Huge drops of water. Hail. Road awash. Flash flooding. Mud spray everywhere. Temperature plummeting. An hour and half to go. We will be fine.

But we weren’t. See “Bad News” above.

After about a lifetime of fiddling were were both approaching serious levels of body chill. Completely numb fingers and uncontrollable shaking made the next 5km single track descent rather tricky. My handlebars were literally jerking back and forth as a result of the shakes. And of course the warmth we could have generated through some hard pedaling was not on the cards until we hit the tar of Meiringspoort. And the gale force headwind.

Anyhow, to cut a long story short, we finished. Again in 7th place in our category but lost a truckload (one of those articulated jobbies) in the GC ending the stage in 50th position after our 28th of yesterday. C’est le vie. Or something French anyway.

The storm gathers ominously

I had begun to feel rather despondent with the often asked, “So are you a father and daughter team”. Not that I wouldn’t be proud to ride with a daughter of mine, or, more specifically, Emily if she was. But the real problem is that the perception that I may be old enough to be her father is of course a reflection that I am not untouched by the ravages of time. Despite what I like to believe when I look in the mirror. In a flattering, if somewhat dim light. And squint a little to blur the edges. Frankly, I think I look just like I did when I matriculated. Or at least pretty close!

Luckily today a sunbeam broke through the gloom when we caught up to another team who asked, “so are you two married”? My basking in said sunbeam was brief as I was jolted back to reality by Emily’s horrified protestation!

For the record, I am younger than Emily’s father. By, oh, I don’t know, at 1 or 2 years!

And this is Emily and I in her sponsors kit in just before the start stage 2.

Stage 2 was the queen stage of the race. Only 85km (actually, and critically, it was actually 87km) but with 2750m of ascent from Calitzdorp through to the summit of the Swartberg pass. A hors category climb in cycling terms. Equivalent to the biggies of the Le Tour de France. And the first time ever a SA bike race has had an “out of category” summit finish. 1100m of climbing in about 12km.

Before that though we climbed, descended and repeated the cycle a few times to make up the rest of the days punishment. Emily has already chalked up a number of “that was the hardest I’ve ever ridden” and we are only on day two. I would hazard though that summering the major climb of the day took a special effort from her.

Emily celebrating the end of stage 2

After the summit there was a 20km neutral zone down to Prince Albert. Well, not entirely all down. We had to drop a bit then climb back to Teeberg before the final stretch.

At Teeberg corner

But we are healthy and in one piece. Tired bodies will be fine in the morning!

Home sweet home

Horrific news at the end of today’s stage. Apparently about 30 riders were attacked by swarms of bees that were probably disturbed by the helicopter. Most received multiple stings but a few riders were stung hundreds of times. The Doc confirmed 13 were airlifted out by the chopper and are hospitalized. I understand only one or two are really serious, but he expects everyone to be fine by the evening.

Elsie (whom I know from high mountains) was amongst them and her partner Colin is one of those in a serious condition. She commented that the affected riders were just lying in the veld unable to move. “A battlefield”. Elsie herself had about 30 stings.

One of the times I am glad I never seem to feature in the overhead footage!

Eleven Wise Monkeys in the start chute.

We rode strongly for the first hour and a half or so, staying with the lead group for about an hour. This probably put Emily in the rack though and the next couple of hours we survival mode – although at a pace many would be happy to be able to hold when feeling good!

Emily during the dark period…

About 2 hours and a couple of Marmite sandwiches at Water Point 2 saw a recovery of sorts and we rode more strongly. The terrain became quite rocky – of the kind that slashes tyres. Once again Emily demonstrated her superior descending in those conditions Watching her bike from the back was quite something – bouncing and whipping in a way that makes one wonder how it stays upright. But we made it.

A deep but short water crossing saw us in to the district road and 10km from the finish line. Riding strongly we caught and passed three teams only to be done in by a puncture. After all the really hazardous rocks, a wide, graded and almost swept district road did Emily’s rear tyre in. BUT. We were prepared. Whipping the pre-threaded plug tool off my stem saw the hole plugged in about 30 seconds. In the pocket – a bomb pre-inserted into the adaptor. Phssst. Good to go in less than a minute.

We chased hard. 92%-94%. We caught 2 teams quite quickly and then amazingly, the other 3 about 300m out. The last 200m are a really steep bit on tar for about 120m and then into the school grounds. A big effort and we passed them all and hit the line a minute ahead. 35th place in 4h49 and some change. 104km, 1720m ascent. Great effort.

The aftermath. Emily is still not entirely coherent…..

Sunday started off lazily – our start time for the prolog was after lunch. Luxury! Here we are outside the Turnberry lodge in Oudtshoorn.

Onto the rivet! As usual, the maxim of start off slow and get slower is often thrown out the window when the race actually starts. Team Eleven Wise Monkeys hit the start line of the 15km prologue at 13h31 this afternoon and heart rates were soon red lining. On the first short climb Emily called “uncle” and we backed off to a more reasonable pace. Or at least I thought so!

The course was at least 70% single track. Loose and rocky, typical of these parts, with some nasty off camber sections next to equally nasty slopes. Emily took the lead at about the 6km mark and I had to concentrate to be left behind on the downhills. It’s probablyher technical skills but I console myself that it’s possibly the invincibility of youth.

After a looooong 52 minutes we crossed the finish line, respectably placed in the middle of the small mixed category field. But it’s the stats that tell the true story of the day. Emily hit her max heart rate at some point on the route and averaged 94% for the duration. That’s like a 52 minute training interval. Which is normally only held for, like, 5 minutes. And then it feels hard. 52 minutes? Good grief. No wonder she became slightly less chatty for the last 15 mins.

Nonetheless less, job well done. Respectable time, no mechanicals and all blood remaining inside where it belongs. Awesome day out.

The winners were, predictably, Kevin Evans and David George of 360Life. In a time of 37m02s. Ridiculous.

I could have sworn I had a cat in the car this morning as I headed towards Oudtshoorn. The 2012 edition of the Cape Pioneer Trek lay ahead – what promises to be another awesome event and sees me returning for the fourth year running. And that must be a recommendation. 7 days of MTB racing through the Karoo covering about 550km starts tomorrow.

Having had a reputation for out epic-ing the Cape Epic, Carel and Henco of Dryland have had a change of tack – make the race more accessible to the average rider. Or at least don’t scare the Lycra bibs off them anyway. The plan is to keep quality of the riding, but to reduce the average time taken per stage to about 6 hours instead of the previous 8 hours. I’ll be more informed if they have succeeded over the next few days, and I’ll be sure to let you know.

This year the event is extended from 6 to 7 days to include a 19km prologue on the Sunday. Registration and the prologue is at Buffelsfontein game farm and lodge 10km out of town. A pretty amazing venue and looks to be a great setting for the prologue and Grandé Depàrté

Starting on Monday morning we head off to Calitzdorp and then on Tuesday some excitement for the front markers – R100,000.00 prize money for the stage! You could also quite easily call it the King Of the Mountains prize as the finish line is at the top of the Swartberg pass. At Roughly 12km and 1000m there’s going to be a lot of tired bodies taking the neutral descent down to Prince Albert for the next overnight.

Then off through the Great Karoo to the Little Karoo via Meiringspoort and the picturesque setting around the NG church – sorry, kerk – in the village of de Rust and the following day sees us winding across to the Louvain farm at the base of the ever ominous Outeniqua range.

The penultimate stage follows the old van Zyls Voortrekker pass over the Outeniqua – familiar ground but with a rough rocky descent down to the forestry roads and then on into George. The finale is back in Oudtshoorn having taken on Montague Pass and possibly the “big toe” of the Kamanassie range.

Nervous riders pour over the route info.

So what about the cat in the car I mentioned? Well, I am riding with Emily Clarke this year. Emily hails from White River (google it if you must) and is a studying Logopedics (google that too while you are about it) at UCT. Although Emily has been competitive and in the podium in the shorter disciplines this is her first stage race so the nervous anticipation is running high. As always, that, plus the challenge of getting some assignments done has taken it’s toll and poor Em seems to be coming down with a cold or sinusitis of sorts. A couple of Panado followed by two Advils and a bit of motion sickness meant that she spent most of the trip with her eyes closed cat napping. At one point she sneezed three times in quick succession. And that was when I suspected there to be a real cat in the car. The most delicate and quiet sneezes I think I have ever heard! Bless you.