Man I miss ride reports :-) On Mon, May 23, 2011 at 7:39 AM, Leon van der Westhuizen < [email protected]> wrote:
> Man I miss doing this race :-) > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Dirt Rider > Sent: 21 May 2011 16:30 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [D&D-chat] Sani2C 2011 > > Maybe I have missed it but it has been a while since I have seen a MTB > race > report on this list . So for your entertainment I decided to spend 5 > minutes in > front of the keyboard . > Every year after I have entered the SAni2C I say , this is the last one > . After > the race I say , where do we enter . I have done four already and this > year was > the best by far . The single tracks are stuff most people only dream > about , you > don't even see stuff like this in these MTB videos from Canada . Food > was top > notch , bacon and eggs in the morning !!!!!!! > But let me tell you more about the race itself . Wednesday morning we > started > at 07:00 . Somehow we found ourselves in the A batch , a seeding I was > not > happy with as I knew I did not belong there . It took a good few km to > warm up > in the cold but once we got to the first single track all pistons were > going > and the race was on . Day 1 had a few changes from last year and that > only > meant more single track . We exit single track onto the district road > that > leads up to McKenzie club but I was still smiling about the trail we > just did > and did not even notice the uphill towards our over night . This is the > first > year I got to the finish and there were almost no people in the village > . That > left me with plenty of time to have a few beers and eat of everything I > could > find in the mess tent . > But as expected we did not stay in the A batch and moved down to D much > to my > partner's dismay . > But after I explained to him the benefits of an additional 30 minutes > sleep he > accepted his faith . > But his joy was short lived , day 2 they start a 06:30 and that means we > will > start at ......... 07:00 . If we thought the previous morning was cold > we made > a big mistake . Problem with day 2 and cold is that the first 30+km are > all > downhill . Almost no time to work up a sweat in the first bit but of > that first > bit 99% is single track . And I am not talking about Groenkloof or Tokai > single > track !! I am talking of tracks that just make you want to turn the bike > around > after every section to do it again . The speeds we went down there > scared me at > times .I lost control going around one of the hairpins on Nick pass and > rolled > a bit down the mountain before getting a bush to hang onto . Most of > day two > stayed the same but once you hit the bottom of the valley SURPISE , you > don't > climb out of the valley but follow the river on single track for what > felt like > 15km . Lots of river crossings , some with bridges , some rideable and > others > you had to wade through . The Nando's stop has been changed from a 10 > minute > compulsory stop to just a normal water point . After the Nando stop > things got > a bit hairy . With half a chicken in the stomach you got to climb out a > hill > called "Push of a hill " . I made it halfway up and then just did as the > name of the hill suggested . The climb out of the valley was easier than > previous years and once we got to the top I looked at the watch and saw > us > heading for a sub 5 hour time . That would be a 2 hour improvement on > any of my > other times . But Farmer Glen had another surprise . He has made it his > mission > to eliminate all tar from the race . On day 2 we always use to do about > 5km bit > on the tar road to the finish line . He has found a new route around the > back > but what he forgot to mention in his briefing is that there is a > mountain on > that side . I had a total sense of humour failure seeing this hill 91km > into > the race . But being so close and with lots of gears on my bike we went > over > the mountain just to be greeted by a downhill that would make Greg > Minnaar go > for a double Rum and Coke . It was very difficult to enjoy this downhill > when > you as tired as I was but with burning brakes and bottomed out shocks we > got to > the finish line . > Again we got to a fairly empty village and everybody got invited for > FREE > drinks at the Supergroup hospitality tent . The steaks was so good that > evening > I had two . > Day 3 for some reason , not known to me , gets the label as being easy > . I > suppose compared to day two it is easy but after 2 days of racing not as > easy > as they make it out to be. We got back into the C batch and took up > position 2 > teams from the front racing down district roads and single tracks at > neck > breaking speeds . But my eagerness to go down the hills faster than > anybody > before me has done , saw me going of track at high speed . I managed to > jump > over the first boulder but landed onto another one causing me to > puncture both > front and rear . Somehow I manager to keep control of the bike and after > a 15 > minute stop to repair all the damage we got on our way again . Heart > Rate hill > again did not disappoint and we made up a few lost places on this > section . Let > me just say that as some of you may know I don't care two hoots if I get > 143 > or 650 position , but my partner did not like the fact that people pass > us so > I had to oblige and made a effort to pass other people , something very > new to > me . > We formed a nice bus of about 6 teams from the Last water table and with > my > partner in front we all tucked in and wheel sucker (sic) up to the beach > averaging about 30km an hour . Too soon we got to the uphill to the > school > entrance . Because I lost the capability to select the granny blade just > after > I got onto the beach the going was very tough up that tar section . But > with a > little pushing from behind we made it to the finish . > After the free hamburger and another bought beef burger we jumped into > the car > and headed back to Pretoria . As we drove pass the Underberg off ramp on > the N3 > we wanted to take the turn off and do it again but I had a hair > appointment the > next day and we unfortunately had to go straight pass . > Will I enter again ? No bloody way I am loosing this entry ! Now we can > rest > for a few month and go and do another awesome stage race called The > Three > Towers . > > I don't take responsibility for any loss in hair or brain cells caused > by > spelling or grammar errors in this report . > > > > ____________________________________________________________ > South Africas premier free email service - www.webmail.co.za > > For super low premiums, click here > http://www.dialdirect.co.za/?vdn=15828 > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "DarkAndDirty" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/darkanddirty?hl=en. > > > ******************************************************************************************************* > > 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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