Ed Zacery :-) -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: 31 May 2010 13:26 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [D&D-chat] Magalies Monster
And just when I thought mountain bikers have become a bunch of woozies you came along with this report and restored my faith in the sport . I have been listening to people complaining about single tracks in races , mole heaps on trails and all these small little things you would expect a bunch of roadies to cry about . We need more "real" mtb races like the Monster . After many years they decided to put a litle uphill in the Crater Cruise just to maybe make it a little bit more "off-road " , hell some people are still crying about it ! It will be a very sad day if all mtb races looks like Babaas or the Cruise . Make no mistake I love doing Babaas but for the pure fact that it is a nice relaxing race with a grreat venue . Do the Karoo2Coast , To Hell and Back and the Crater Cruise once just to get the t-shirt but a race like the monster you need to do as often as possible just to make sure you CAN still do it . > For those who can't, or couldn't be bothered to follow my blog :-) > vortexe.blogspot.com > > What a race. > I am reminded why this race is my favorite one of all. It has more > technical singletrack and seriaas rocky descents than any other single > stage of any MTB race I have ever done, bar none. > It really does. > From a ride over a cement pipe, to large fixed rocks round > Bufflespoort dam, to smooth flowing singletrack on the hiking trails > in Mountain Sanctuary Park, to hectic smaller loose rocky descent to a > portage river crossing and up a to the top of an almost-cliff, > followed by a long technical climb on cut grass with loose rocks > interspersed and a downhill of the same, to purpose built flowing > singletrack along the Sterkstroom river, with bridges to cross over, > and sometimes not, to technical rocky jeep tracks, and awesome rocky descents... > Man, I'm outta breath now :-) > This race is, to me, what epitomises what a mountainbike race should be. > It has every aspect, with a definite lean to the technical, where a > longer travel light all-mountain bike is not penalised like on > virtually every other race I can think of, with their long miles of > smooth dirt road. > The distance of 42km this year, may seem paltry, but it is surely the > toughest 42km race this side of Alpine Heath (which I hear is, or > rather was, no pushover ;-) ). It left me with just enough in the tank > to be able to sprint the last 5km for a not too bad 2:30 finish, good > enough for 32nd overall. The winning time was 1:57, which is flabbergasting. > In comparison with the long route which I did last year, the 42km has > everything except the actual monster climb up Breedtsnek from the > north along the 4X4 tracks and down on the dirt. Almost everything > else on the long route is dirt road... > I firmly believe that in this case the half marathon is a better route > than the full marathon. > Thanks to all for a wonderful day out. > > ********************************************************************** > ********************************* > > Disclaimer: > Denel (Pty) Ltd t/a Denel Aviation (Denel Aviation) Registration number: > 1992/001337/07 > This message and any attachments are confidential and intended solely > for the addressee. 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