Cape Argus 2007
Well, I arrived back safely in the UK after a long week-end in Cape Town and was collected by my wife and kids who arrived 1 min before I walked out of Customs. What a great experience when a plan comes together.
Oh, - and of course you want to know what happened at the Argus too I guess...
That was another great experience. Over 28,000 starters and pretty slick management of the event too.
Race Day
Some of you already know I started off in the "B" batch for this year's race and was a little nervous as I knew that I was now in serious racing territory. Some of you may know this, so sorry for the repeat, but last year my race weight was 90kg's and this year I aimed to get down to 85kg's ..... but failed .... I started at 86kg's on the day, the lowest in 21 years and less than the day I got married too!
More "Little" than "Large"
What was most evident though was that my race colleague Vaughan Luff, with whom I raced last year (we did 3 hours and 9 seconds) was 95kg's last year and 90kg's this year so both of us were down on weight. However, standing at the start in "B" batch we noticed that of the 233 "B" batchers only about 15 (which included both Vaughan and myself) were some 10 to 15 kg's heavier than the batch average! Also the average age in this batch was about 28 years. Oh Shirt .... this is going to be hard.
Vaughan and I arrived early at the start but still only got in at the back of the bunch. The others must have be down at the start some 30 mins ahead of us. We needed to get up the front pretty quickly to ensure we stayed with the leaders......
Well, the gun went off and away the leaders shot. Within the first 3 to 4 mins they were some 300 metres down the road.
Start of "B" batch and a lot darker than previous years due to an earlier start time.
Vaughan decided to go down the left side of the bunch and I went down the right side. Both Vaughan and I powered our way up to the front and by the time we were half way up the first climb Vaughan was on the front and I was sitting comfortably in sixth position. We went up this first hill at an average of 32kph and were feeling it by the time we crested it.
This was all in readiness for the fast descent into Hospital Bend. The road here has 4 lanes and then splits into 2 lanes going left to the Airport and 2 lanes going right around Table Mountain where the race was going. Due to the speed down this short steep hill the racers spread out across all 4 lanes and then need to get back into the 2 lanes going right and this is where all hell breaks loose. Both Vaughan and I went through here safely ahead of the bunch and then it was time to find some shelter and sit in the bunch for a short period which we both did.
At top speed down Hospital Hill. 4 lanes into 2. The reason why I like to ride on the front down Hospital Hill will be come apparent...
I told you so...fortunately this does not happen regularly but when it does it takes out a good few riders. This is the bottom of Hospital Hill where 4 lanes go into 2.
Calm and Professional
One thing I noticed riding in the "B" batch was the calmness and pure professionalism with which the riders went about their duties, trying to progress up to the front or retreat to get shelter in the bunch. We were riding amongst other road racers who had the experience and knowledge of what was happening around them. This made for a much safer and a greater experience for this year's Cape Argus, unlike in the slower bunches where it is pretty much a free for all.
Chain off and Chase
After hospital bend comes the notorious Shell petrol station which is at the bottom of a hill in a dip and on a "S" bend which then rises up again. Due to the speed the riders go at and the technical nature of the bend, accidents do happen here too. So my plan was to stay out of trouble and not do anything rash. We went through the "S" bend and started the climb, I was changing down when my chain came off the big ring. I tried to get the chain on without stopping and this took a number of attempts, when eventually it popped back on just before I was about to un-clip my foot and stop. This incident dropped me from about 35th position to almost last as the bunch rushed passed me. I needed to get back into motion pretty quickly to keep up with those faster riders going up the climb. What I also knew was that when we crested the climb we would go down a very fast section of the course onto the Blue Route (the motorway) and I wanted to be in the top half if, not the top third of the bunch for this. Well, as I crested the climb the leaders were some 500 metres ahead and I was in the bottom third of the bunch. "What a nightmare I was having", so I worked pretty hard to ensure I did not get dropped as some of the riders were already falling off the back of the bunch.
Catching the Vets "B" group
There was another group ahead which the leaders were chasing and I wanted to be closer to the front when they caught them. So I put my head down to close the gap. As we started to approach the other group the leaders slowed down. This allowed me to get right back into the top 40 riders. I was happy now but could not really understand why they chased so hard to sit up when they caught them. I expected them to ride past. I was able to get a breather and was watching closely, in case someone jumped off the bunch as this could happen anytime. The big question was when?
The Split
After about 5 minutes it suddenly happened when 6 riders shot off the front and then all hell broke loose. Everyone was chasing and the 2 groups soon were strung out with only 2 kms to go till the end of the motorway and then we would be riding on the narrow local roads, so I needed to be up there. I saw Vaughan moving up and joined him. On the approach to the end of the motorway both Vaughan and I were sitting pretty comfortably in about 25th position. We then travelled off the motorway onto the narrow local roads. We soon settled down into a good pace and people were taking turns on the front to keep the pace up. I was quite happy to sit in, strange as it may seem, as I like to ride on the front, but I knew that when the next hill came then my weight disadvantage would show, so I kept my discipline and rode in about 20th place.
By now the 2 groups had split as expected. Vaughan and I were riding in the "B" group again up front with some stronger riders from the other group. Some riders we had lost off the "B" group had joined the slower moving Vets group following behind. It was now time to relax and eat and drink as the next major climb was not far away. The pace was still pretty high but there was a lot of fun and banter amongst the riders at this time as they all knew when we started the climb this would stop.
Oh how weight is a burden when climbing
Both Vaughan and I moved up to the front of the bunch just before the main part of the climb began and as soon as we hit it, the lighter more nimble riders started to put the hammer down. Both Vaughan and I started to feel the pace and pressure as these lighter and younger climbers kept up the relentless pace. Once we crested the climb it was full throttle along the next section of the course which is slightly down hill, very fast and straight.
After about 2 km's both Vaughan and I were back with the leaders without doing too much damage. Still a lot more work to be done though. I had taken a brief peep at the max speed we got up to along this stretch: 64 kph - wow!
Top of Smits Winkel Climb and half way.
On Target
Well so far I had raced as planned, bar a few hiccups and when going through the halfway check point my split times were a tad slower than the time I was aiming for: 2 hours 50 mins. - but certainly on schedule to achieve a sub 2 hours 55. Once we were back on the pace again, fast but now more even as people took turns to sit on the front and move the bunch along. Both Vaughan and I did our bit and rolled off to shelter as we both knew when the next climb came it would be hard work getting back on. We rode down towards Misty Cliffs and along the coast line which today was absolutely beautiful, clear sky and a deep blue sea. It was time to take it all in for a few minutes before our next climb which was approaching.
It was more of a drag than a climb. I settled down into my rhythm next to Vaughan and we slowly dropped back through the field as always. Soon I noticed my racing colleague Vaughan taking a little strain as I was moving ahead of him, so looked over to see what was happening. I gave him the usual check "Are you OK?" and he grunted "I am taking strain". I decided to stay with him and give him the usual encouragement to ensure he stays on as he did with me last year. I was also keeping an eye on the leaders as I did not want to get dropped.
After another few minutes of grinding away we crested. We then proceeded to chase after the leaders who were not going as fast as expected after the climb. We were soon on and mixing it in about 60th place. Vaughan had recovered and I told him to eat and drink to get as much energy in before the next 2 climbs, Chapman's and Suikerbossie - which are back to back.
Every racers nightmare, realised!!
We were descending down the other side at about 55 kph and coming down to the famous "T Junction" where last year I clipped a spectator who was on the side of the road "barbecuing" as I was pushed outwards by the bunch going around this bend. With this still fresh in my mind from last year I had decided to go ahead of the bunch to ensure I had the road to myself for this pretty sharp right turn. The bunch was riding down the left side and middle of the road in preparation for this turn. Some others looked like they were attempting to do the same as myself. As there was no traffic they were riding down the on-coming lane to pass the bunch on the left. I just so happened to be going the fastest to get to the front and needed to get around those doing the same as myself so rode down the on-coming lanes emergency lane between the yellow line and the edge of the road, when ...... suddenly I rode over broken glass from a bottle which had been smashed on the side of the road and punctured my front tyre!!! Vaughan shouted "what's up" and I replied "Puncture!" and told him to go on as there was nothing he could do to help.
Locals Curious
I was gutted and deflated - excuse the pun. I now knew I would never get back onto my batch and my goal of a 2 hours 50 and a top 500 or thereabouts had gone. While assessing the damage, I had 6 or 7 young Africans from the local township all crowding around me. They had been watching the cyclists going past when I just so happened to stop with my flat. This all happened about 400 metres from the T-Junction and a marshal came to my aid to ask them to move back and give me some space which they duly obliged. They were just interested in what had happened and what I was going to do to fix it. I tried to explain while fixing the puncture what had happened and it almost seemed as if they knew what I was saying although their English was pretty much non-existent and we all laughed.
I then thought I needed to still achieve my next goal of a sub 3 hours. So I worked quickly, changing the front tube, pumped it up and away I went waving goodbye to them as they waved in return.
Trying to get back into the race
I was now without a group to help me and cycling on my own, so decided to ride up to the next cyclist in the distance to try and pair off with him and work together. I soon realized these guys were all riders who had fallen off the bunch ahead and they were knackered whereas I was not, as I had a mechanical failure and was still relatively strong. Each rider I came up to was struggling and could not stay with me and even if I slowed the pace a little, they had very little energy left to assist. I decided to push on by myself. I rode for nearly 12 kms before the Veteran "B" batch caught me, to which I tagged onto. They were the bunch we passed back on the motorway where the 2 groups came together for a while. As the bunch was moving pretty well and a lot faster than if I was going by myself I decided to stay with them and rode home to the finish with them.
Descending Chapman's Peak (I Love downhill)
with just Suikerbossie left to climb ...
Chapman's Peak
Now that I had found a group to ride with, I did not want to lose the group by either falling off the back or riding off the front as this would be to my detriment.
I found that this group was riding a touch slower than the group I had started in "B" batch. Now I was fully recovered, I decided to move up to the front and started working hard with the front riders of the group helping to keep the pace high. This would be my only chance of achieving a sub 3 hours. We cruised up and over Chapman's Peak which seemed a lot easier than the year before. I guess because we may have been riding a little slower but not much or maybe I was just fitter. Now for the downhill with the wind behind us we had almost 5 kms of top speeds. I didn't note my top speed but I can assure you it was pretty fast with the adrenaline running high and we arrived at the bottom in Hout Bay safely. How I loved that part.
The problem which lies ahead!!
Well with coming down a long hill like that most riders take it easy and do not pedal as it is time to rest the legs after the climb up Chapman's peak. It is a known fact that spinning the legs even without much power stops the lactic acid build up in the muscles. This is where I had gone wrong in previous years. I had gone pretty hard up Chapman's Peak and easy down the other side trying to recovery. Now a little fitter than previous years I was fully maxed out down Chapman's Peak too. So where the problem? I hear you ask. Well with lactic acid building up in most peoples legs there is not enough time to recover before you hit the climb up Suikerbossie. It is not the steepness of these hills it is that they are back to back and that's what's causes so much mayhem. I was prepared this year and sitting about 10th in the group rode up comfortably and this can be seen in the next picture as I was truly well within my limits and feeling strong as I crested Suikerbossie.
Cresting Suikerbossie climb and still feeling strong. Note that fantastic view in the background!
I then decided to work hard from here to the finish with the front riders to again keep the pace as high as possible. We took it in turns to ride on the front and then moved off to rest in the draft of the other riders. It soon became apparent that this group was not going to hold together for much longer as some of the other riders were struggling with the relentless pace. I chose then to put the hammer down and took 5 others with me and the 6 of us now worked much smoothly and together, slowly moving away from the rest until they were well out of sight and contention.
As we came down onto the last section of the road which runs parallel to the coast into Sea Point, it became a bunch sprint between the 6 of us, passing stragglers from the previous batches that had nothing left in their legs. I looked down at my computer and knew it was going to be close for a sub 3 hours. I felt strong and pushed as hard as I could to eat up as much road as possible before that clock would stop - as I crossed the line in second place of the six of us. We all sighed and congratulated each other for the hard work and effort each of us had put into the last 12 km's from the top of Suikerbossie to the end. I overheard one rider saying they had done it and broken the sub 3 hours. BUT..... I had started in the batch ahead so had to add 5 mins to theirs to get my time.
I had stopped my computer as we crossed the line to find I had recorded a 3 hours and 45 seconds. Gutted! Another time just outside the 3 hours and I knew I was fit and strong enough to do a sub 3 hours. I eventually got my time off the internet which showed: 3 hours and 17 seconds!!
A fantastic feeling of satisfaction with another race successfully completed.
Last year I was 3 hours 9 seconds no puncture .... this year 3 hours 17 seconds with a puncture and 10 - 12 kms of solo riding. Gutted...... I will be back. I told my Mum and Dad I will ensure next year that it will be a sub 3 hours with 4 punctures........... Mum said "is that possible?"
My family did really well this year. Rod my younger brother with less training this year than last year did 3 Hours 11 mins and cramped on the last climb, Suikerbossie. His weight was up 4 kgs to 100 kgs, yes, 100 kgs so if can do it then you can too...
My little brother (left) who go me into this lark and his wife Colette
Rod's wife, Colette did 3 hours 35 min her previous best was 3 hours 45 mins also with less training this year - amazing, well done Colette.
Dad at 71 years did the best out of all of us pro-rata at 5 hours and 7 mins some 50 mins faster than last year with a cold breaking. Great ride Dad .... Well done!!
Dad on his trusty old Trekwith a stream of finishers coming in, in the background
Well all in all I did not crash and felt fantastic through out the race. Vaughan did a sub 3 hours at 2 hours and 53 mins .... Great ride Vaughan, Well Done. I was pretty comfortable riding with the front runners and believe that without the puncture, I too would have achieved a time around 2 hours 51, as the front runners of "B" batch completed the course in 2 hours 49 mins .... a cracking time that! My average speed was 36.28 kph and Vaughan's was 36.87kph. The pros winning time was 2 hours 32 mins .... so not far off. The pros average speed was about 42 kph.
For more information see the Cycle Tour website
So until next year, keep them legs spinning. Cheers - Ian