There is nothing quite like the Cape wine region to add something special to proceedings, equally, as many Epic riders will soon find out, is the enjoyment and lift you get from the local communities of the Cape coming out to yell their support as you battle through what for me was a total triumph of a course.
Hard doesn’t quite cover it, and seeing as I hate the trend towards organisers trying to literally boast at how immensely merciless/technical/ridiculous their race is, (more on that later) I’d like to cap this great stage as possibly ‘more than suitably challenging’ yep that’ll do nicely thanks!
All the hitters were out and Euro Pro’s take note, Mr Stander is about as anonymous as you could think, no team van, no star treatment, just turn up, ride, smash, go home, tweet about golf, pure class. The scene was set, Stander, Roussouw, Knox, Evans, Niyonshuti the startlist was exceptional. As was the scenery, the 105km Tulbagh stage of the MTN Marathon series was set on the Saronsberg wine estate a more picturesque setting would be very hard to find, great views, great atmosphere lets get this show on the road.
Tail end of Ultra riders leave the estate
Struggling with hydration/pacing/terrain I’m not exactly setting the world alight right now, I learn’t from my mistakes at Barberton but as luck would have it Tulbagh is a complete opposite kettle of fish! Wide yet technical single track replaced Barberton’s lazy jeep track, stuttering steep gradients replaced those rhythmic endless ascents. You really had to keep the patience dial set to max and the concentration deeply focused, one over zealous corner sent you veering off into an olive grove at pace, one impatient gear shift could mangle your chain to dust. Finesse had to be the order of the day!
We set off, ‘oh my old friend tarmac, bliss…’, pfff all gone, the parting shot was Mr Stander getting out the saddle to have a little stretch, Niyonshuti barely aware resplendent in his KOM dots he won at Barberton as the rest us wave bye bye! WOOSH scrabbling micro battles erupt up the first rocky drag as the race truly begins. I really DON’T try hold wheels this time, no siree not this 1 ultra vet, I’m on a pacing strategy, its called ‘Don’t be a d***head’. I let literally everything disappear, not defeatist, just a touch more realistic, get the HR down, start working, find my flow, lemon squeezy.
After the race start, if you can't hear the helicopter anymore - your chance of a win may be over.
This is fine but something isn’t right, what the hell, I’m feeling good why am I going like a barge? Incessant squeaking from my rear brake, what have you done Spies? I groan, jump off, adjust rear, oh merciful bike gods, the back wheel needed a little realignment…seriously? How do I not notice this stuff when I’m training?!
The Tulbagh ‘Bowl of a Million Hurts’ as it will now be referred to looked set to be a cracker, every time you find rhythm the road pitches again, my ambitious tyre pressure my next wee issue, I’m like a clown factory, I’m skipping over rocks all well and good but I’ve got less traction than a sardines rear, the infinite vineyard off camber turns bringing ghostly training mates voices into my head, ‘yer running what?! Oh Stuart’ Yes yes whatever I’m learning the brutal art of ‘don’t change ANYTHING pre race’
We battle on, the scenery so immense you take time to have a look, not wise with the innumerable twists, turns, ups, downs, divets etc, how the lead guys ride so packed together I will never know. Some of the leading 70km guys come past, keeping them in my sights I up the pace a touch and enjoy the vague company. This is going good, my skippy bike not brilliant but not a total loss, passing scores of school kids handing up water I’m really touched by how much fun this spectacle is bringing to the locals. The chant goes out loudly ‘Hou bene hou, hou bene hou…’ mmmm maybe they’ve seen more mountainbikers than I previously imagined, they can tell from the grimaces its all about the canons!
At around 80km something starts to unravel, WATER, the last watering point seems an age away and now where the hell is the next. Possibly ridiculous in some peoples eyes I can’t bear camelbacks whilst racing, they kill my back, right now though, I’d sell a dehydrated kidney for one. Some descending single track and I’m tapped out, nothing in the bottles, its now 40 degrees C and I buckle, so much for that hydration strategy, 85km, the road goes up, I spy a rider at the summit, oh God are you serious, I’m doing 4kph….no more.
The heat fries me, I climb off the bike, my ultimate WORST feeling, I’ll get this ride done but something has just gone pop, I need water, a chap rides past ‘you got ANY water’ he furiously asks ‘no mate nothing’ I reply ‘I’m literally gonna f*** someone up what are they playing at?!’ Yep he aint happy, unimpressed he’s in a better state than me and pedals on, my former pacing buddy rolls past ‘what the f***ing f*** where’s the watering point’ He climbs off, this is no weekend warrior (no offense to weekend warriors and all but this chap was a right racing gazelle) we drag our asses to the top.
Decimated I try even find anger to get me home, eventually we see the last waterpoint, replenished the final 15km fly by beautifully But a travesty that such a great stage suffered from what at the time seemed like an immensely illogical layout in terms of feed zones. Not being the only one reduced to snail charcoal and head shaking I feel somewhat justified in venting at least some frustration right now. Organisers, look after the WHOLE race, I have no idea how some guys handled being stuck in the sun for even longer with then we did, then for some the added slap in the face of riding in to a practically packed up finish area with no refreshment stand to speak of, thats criminal!
Moan basically over, I really did enjoy Tulbagh, I truly salute all the organisers efforts and have immense respect to everyone that made the day overall a roaring success, a little tweaking is all I’m saying! I really do hope I can do this course again it proved marathons needn’t be boring but I do think some balance needs to be found, if the course is a bit brutal be aware its your responsibility to ensure riders are essentially safe, anyway see you all on the flipside, Sabie peeps, I’ve done a rain dance!