tubed

Was wondering when we would see the equipment pics. Notice the Maxxis Crossmark, for reliability I dont think there is a better tyre on this trail - they also make great tracks for following in the sand/ mud. I like Mike's pic of his shoes - quite surprising they lasted 2 rides, albeit both were to Rhodes I think. After getting to Paarl, I managed to remove the cleats and put mine in the nearest bin. There is only so much cow dung, mud, slush and water those shoes can take, Stettyns is known for seeing shoes with duct tape and cable ties.

Ryan, You have been bitten by the bug, and with all that equipment, experience and confidence I am sorry to say June wont be the same until you have gotten the rest of the trail out of your system. Rhodes is a bit of a swap shop - bet those guys had been eyeing your flasks long before Rhodes and there were dibs on them that you didn't know about. I see Phillip is thanking Kevin for socks on twitter - in previous years Glenn's bike has at times looked like not much more than a frame and handle bars at Rhodes as people have stripped it as they pass through. Seems like Gawie is looking for a saddle at the moment, two years ago he was tinkering with his bike (some guys just cant help themselves!) just before the Baviaans and stripped the thread on a quick release - try as hard as he could he couldn't find a solution and very luckily for him I think it was Pete Stephens who drove all the way from PE to give him a spare. Although Pete was as desperate to get back o the trail for any sort of action as he had himself pulled out if I can recall ( he subsequently went back and finished last year). Long story short - don't tinker with something that works and there are always guys on the sidelines looking to help/ get involved.

Nice to be back online after being in internet wilderness, so chuffed to see other guys picking up the thread, lot and lots of useful stuff and some pics, thanks especially to Shebeen and the PMB boys. The race is being covered very well by John Loos, see the link here again: http://glennharrison....za/blogspot.com cant get more up to date than this! Another blog I like is this: http://philipler17.b...gspot.com the reason Philip has my admiration, is I am pretty sure this is his 3rd attempt and other than a finisher, the guy who goes back to finish the unfinished business rates highly in my books, even if the race has kicked the Cr@p out of you in previous years and humbled you - you go and finish. So Philip I am holding thumbs that you crack it this time. Seems like Philip has got himself some good riding partners and as there is not much more I can say about the race, this photo bears some mention. As I can see it is Con, Coen and George or Philip taking the shot. Loutebron is one of the big portages and signals a move out of some of the highest mountains which will probably be behind the photographers back, when one looks back from here you really do get sense of massive achievement and feel the promise of what lies ahead. Another feature of the photo is the kit, despite it not raining, you can see just how cold it is there with the layering of kit. All the kit is functional, by this stage anything which doesn't have a use has been discarded and additional things needed have been borrowed from riders stopping at Rhodes. Just look at the pack sizes now, (accepted they are wearing most of their clothes), but I have seen bigger camelbacks on riders in the Epic prologue! These guys are now moving close to as efficiently as they can be. They will be eating properly, drinking as needs be and totally focused on their next goal - probably a support station with a meal and rest. It really is a great place to be as rider and endurance athlete where you are at some of the most efficient you will ever be on a bike, ie tuned in technically (there is surprisingly a quite lot of technical riding in the FC, especially if you have to walk you can waste time). You know by this stage instinctively when to walk, ride, push or carry - you no longer have endless debates in your head or doubts in your mind as to what the best option is. Hopefully we see some more photos coming through now that the mad dash to Rhodes is over - its a ride of a lifetime and the photos will be there forever if the memories begin to fade.

FC 2014: Update Day 6/7: Apologies for the slow updates here – work is intervening this year. Race to Rhodes and the Eastern Cape: All the riders just going to Rhodes are done now, although Rhodes remains a major bailing point for those going to Paarl, as they find the thought of another 2 weeks of riding just too much. For that reason any support in the form of family arriving at Rhodes, while a very attractive option is strongly discouraged, if not banned! The comfort of a car ride out there versus stepping back out into cold Eastern Cape morning after a full nights sleep in a warm bed and a full meal is a tough choice to be made. There is a very strong argument that the hardest part of the race are the 5/6 days after Rhodes, there are several reasons for this: the bitterly cold Easter Cape, the numerous portages and the potential mud and wind. The Stormberg region is one not known to many South Africans, it can be very beautiful and green in summer, but in winter it is generally grey, brown and often misty. To finally illustrate this point, South Africa coldest ever recorded temp was recorded last year at Buffelsfontein “South Africa has a new minimum temperature record of -20,1 °C, measured on 23 August 2013 at Buffelsfontein in the Eastern Cape" I don’t think I need to say much more than that, other than the wind chill when riding in this area makes it excruciating. Riders and retirees: Clint/ trailwarrior continues his steady progress on toward Rhodes with his riding partner Fanie, hopefully they are getting stronger and more confident as they go. Stephen Kellerman seems to again be bringing up the rear of the race with his ‘I do it my way strategy’, although I get the impression that getting lost this time was not part of the plan having completed the ride previously on his own. But if even some of the most knowledgeable get it wrong like Kevin Davie did at Politique farm up in the mountains it goes to show how hard the navigation is. These mistakes are very time consuming as you have to backtrack or bundu bash your way back to the trail. For this reason it is fully understandable that many of the novices have hitched on to the likes Gawie du Plessis, Dave Bell, Steve and Di Thomas and Jacques Swart – and even these fold sometimes take a wrong turn or two, but they soon find it being a place they don’t recognise. Sadly there have again been a lot of retirees, I am not sure of the nos at this stage, but it proves again that even in good conditions this race is very tough. To hear Alaska Jill complaining of sore arms from portaging, just emphasises how totally prepared you have to be. Talking about being prepared Marnitz is still finding himself hidey holes at night where it is safe – that means he is avoiding the urban areas, I do hope he showers during the day as he passes the Support Stations! The RASA 2014: The fireworks have well and truly begun and the best place to try and follow up to date is the @freedom_trail twitter feed or www.glennharrison.co.za, where John Loos has returned from his great RTR a couple of days ago and is blogging up a storm. Its early days and the Glenn, Tim and Graham/ Hanno are setting the pace. The Fishers also blogging at www.bicycling.co.za are still in it, they are steady after some small mechanicals. It will be interesting to see the two adventure racer teams vs the two seasoned solo riders, they will have different tactics and approaches. I will try and post some photos as soon as I get to a place that allows outside internet access. Sending these updates from a Blackberry is challenging.

Not much more to add here, super article, follow the link: http://glennharrison.co.za/

FC 2014 Day5/6/7 (Fri/ Sat/ Sun Wrap) So much to say, but very difficult to get it into anything coherent as I have found the race to be a bit all over the show – and the ‘contenders’ only start tomorrow. So I will try and make some sense of all of it because I do think finally it has settled down into some sort of pattern. Mike Woolnough: Have to start with Mike Woolnough’s ride which ended in Rhodes late last night, he rode almost non-stop to Rhodes and finished in a time of 64hrs10mins, which for 505km of the most arduous terrain, cold and howling winds is a phenomenal achievement. The fact that Mike is over 50 and is not a racer by his own admission just goes to show the strength of his will and mind and his body for that matter. Pics of Mike below. Retireees: There have been a number of retirees well before Rhodes, these are a result of fatigue, chest worries?, crashes, flu (seems to be a common one, and totally understandable given that any hint of illness is likely to be exacerbated by walking out the door in the dark with a 16kg bike for 12 hours of extreme exercise) and then there are those that just realize that for them this is no fun – nothing wrong with that, kudos for trying. Soldiers: Clint (trailwarrior) and Fanie seem to be pushing on and Lise and Tracey have found a good group and a decent rhythm – hats off to all of them, still on the trail means you are still in the game. Racers: Bruce (Percyzn) and Ryan (Ryanpmb) had the ride of their lives, looking forward to some pics and comments when they get back into normal mode. What I personally liked about their ride was that from the start the embraced the FC as it should be, preparation was key, a good partnership and most of all a great attitude. Bugs du Toit and Allen Liversage, an apple farmer from Elgin and a Pretoria Advocate (useful skills for the Leer later) are blazing the trail this year and making deep inroads into the Eastern Cape, I think both are novices, but clearly they have strength, intellect and a good partnership, let’s see how they go through the portages sections, it seems like they got into Slaapkrantz nice and early so they nailed that tough day. Sadly reports are that Mike du Toit a day behind set out from Rhodes probably with a hope of catching them at some stage, but Meryl reports he is back at Rhodes drinking coffee. Then there are a about 3 other biggish groups between Ongeluksnek and Rhodes as I can make out, these groups all have very experienced riders in them and some novices, Dave Bell, Scott James and Steve (he of the clanging coffee pot at most big races) and Di of Daytrippers. These are great groups to be in if you like company, have a plan to get to Rhodes or Paarl, well then these guys are happy to have you along for the ride. We need to mention Jacques Swart’s army, it’s an interesting one going to Rhodes this year, there doesn’t seem to be the cohesion of the previous years and some may in fact be conscripted, but for sure they will be having fun. A late entry to this group is Marcel Joubert, he doesn’t appear on the rider sheets or in the start lists and is going to Rhodes. (Marci is responsible for all the Aca Joe kit the Sani folk are wearing everywhere right now – bet he wears his FC top with pride by the time the trail is done with him. Also the only Hout Bay entry this years which is strange). Gawie may or may not be in that group on his belt driven single speed – will try and get a pic of that later – Crazy! Complexion of RASA 2014: Its probably as clear as the non-existent mud on the trail this year as to what is going on, but in essence we have some riders getting to Rhodes now and finishing there, we have the RASA guys pushing on past Rhodes in small groups into the E Cape en route to Paarl and we have quite a few biggish groups making their way to Rhodes at normal sensible race pace. Tomorrow sees the start of the final batch (no group start today) and these have the contenders for the fastest time to Paarl, more about them later, there are some BIG names in there. Finally Marnitz should by rights be in the last group as a contender, but this year he has decided to try and race, but not sleep at the support stations, so the pic below is of Marnitz’s first night out in the Boshilweni forest last night, looks cozy Marnitz, NOT! Remember he’s not the first to sleep there this year, but his is by choice, follow his charity drive here: http://www.afreedome...e.blogspot.com/ Enjoy the rest of your Youth Day. Pic 1: Marnitz's sleeping bag on the forest floor Pic 2/3: Mike Woolnough after his epic ride Pic 4: Steve Thomas of Daytrippers fame

Quick Hubber Update: Ryanpmb and Percyzn Ryan and Bruce rode into Rhodes at 12:30 to finish their fantastic ride. Huge congrats guys, what a ride! Given the conditions described at the top of Lehanas Pass today as they hiked over the the Drakensberg (+2900m and +100km/hr winds) these guys finished in style. Huge respect and soooo chuffed that this thread played a small part in planting a seed over a year ago. Trailwarrior: Clint is showing real guts, it seems between illness and a pretty bad crash he is soldiering on, respect to you Clint. Couple of us online and down in CT watching with great angst as you proceed. We know you can do it!

Seems like the madness has stopped for a bit tonight, except for the Nutty Professor ( Mike Woolnough) all are in and settled as far as I can establish. Mike may well set a new benchmark tonight - we know he is capable and it has been on the cards for some time. Go Mike! It seems the Du Toits have some ailment and hunkered down in Vuvu. There is a huge group at the intermediate stop at Tinana Mission set to descend on Vuvu and Rhodes tomorrow. Not sure where John and Paul got to. To my real surprise Kevin Davie seems to have mucked up Politique and only got to Glen Edward, that's a real pity as he probably could have/ should have got to Masakala. Cmon Kevin! The bos slaapers (Clint and Fanie) have made a wise decision and are regrouping at Ntsikeni. Lise has gone on her own in the late afternoon - eech maybe she's just brave, what she doesn't need now is a second night out. There is a biggish group saying prayers at Centacow. Stu Brew is making the most of the Waddilove hospitality at Allendale. Stu may be a racer, but he would never ever be so rude as to refuse good food and a chat - good man!

"I have got the 3 that slept in the bush" mr ngcobo Ntsikeni What this means is that that they are safely in at Ntsikeni Lodge and Mr Ngcobo and his wife will give them a hot shower, a warm bed, hot food and wash their clothes. As Marnitz says he wont trade those nights out for anything - you cant buy those, you earn them. Well done to the three of them for persevering this far.

Some bikes: Pic of the bikes against the wall are of the the lads Con, Bruce and Ryan, they are passing by Masakala community lodge (some of the best vetkoek going down there right now), lovely morning sun. Now those Pyga's are legitimate, they will have been through a number of rivers, been on the shoulder and collected some cow dung and dust - proper Pyga's now. The other pic is of Con's bike before the start, looking all race ready.

Stu Brew - what a character, loves SA as much as he does NZ, loves the people and his afrikaans pronunciations are a treat. He has many many friends along the trail and more supporting him - because when Stu's not riding he is one of the best supporters you can have at the end of a connection from the Isle of Man. From strategy, to weather, to priceless words of encouragement and most importantly keeping your family in the loop - Stu's the man. Looking forward to returning the favour bud.

For some insight into another of the legends, Mike Woolnough, who started today have a look here http://www.mikewoolnough.blogspot.com/

FC 2014: Day4 (Thurs Wrap) I struggled yesterday to follow the race with Jumpertrax being down, some trackers off/ batteries fading and general Eskom antics. At this stage the twitter feed seems to be the most reliable source of info, if you can discern the facts from the chatter. Rather than try and keep up with the very rapidly changing race at the moment, I will try and comment on some of the other stuff going on. My takeouts from yesterday: The Race to Rhodes is hot and these guys are really serious about the honors for this. At the front of the race the DuToits who seem to hail from Elgin are setting the pace, they are being hotly followed by Bruce and Ryan the newbies gaining some serious cred at their first outing. Then there are John Loos (FNB’s economist – I think he seems to regularly disappear on the FC during strike season when most other economists are blowing hot air anyway with their crystal balls), he is riding with Paul Erasmus and these two seem quite determined to be the first tracks out on the trail if they can catch the front guys. Yesterday saw the start of Kevin Davie, he gets his own paragraph out of respect, Kevin’s one of our most seasoned journalists and an even more accomplished endurance rider. His book stands as one of the most inspiring accounts of getting people in the growing touring culture in this country. Kevin usually tweets up a storm – his silence since the start must be an indication of the fact that he is not messing around. He arrived at Ntsikeni at about 3am this morn and left not long after that. Kevin is old school and as such he rides alone, probably the same could be said of Tim James, Glen Harrison, Marnitz Nienaber and a few others like Alex Harris – these are the guys who are totally comfortable with the occasional companion, but in reality there are few that can keep their relentless pace. Contrast this with the pairs and small groups who ‘race’ nowadays, just different strategies, each to their own. One thing about the solos is that they are at times hard to follow and disappear into radio silence. Contrast the solos with some other happenings: it seems we had the first group sleeping rough last night somewhere near Bosholweni, they are Lise, Clint and Fanie. Now before you start feeling too sorry for them, please let me assure you that they are in absolutely no danger whatsoever. The trail is the safest place they could be and the fact that they are in each other’s company just means they have someone to verify their story. These guys are struggling on the trail, but they are making the memories of a lifetime. (perhaps Lise has too many of these as she is a returnee and I think has seen this movie before), but for Clint and Fanie – that will go down as one for the grandkids. With the sun on their backs and the climb up to Ntsikeni in front of them they should be good to go this morn, if not a bit hungry, but if I recall they will be smashing anything they can see at the spaza shop as they start the big climb. A comment regarding the jumpertrax feed: this is a newish system, (the old one wasn’t much better), but a lot of the time it is probably down to the fact that the riders are not stopping to charge their trackers or they haven’t got somewhere to charge their trackers. In terms of their priorities, they are riding, food and sleep. So this means us sitting here have to do with the lack of pictures, tweets, trackers etc etc. The race office will be trying their best, largely via sms as there are large patches of trail where there is no signal at all, especially not data. As a result sometimes the only time you might hear of someone is when they have checked in our out of a Support Station (SS) as this is compulsory and hopefully they send the race office an sms when they do so. (Although I assure you that when its time to go, you are batting with cold fingers, gloves, lights, maps and generally making sure you are good to go and the last thing on your mind is an sms to Mery). Similarly when you get in somewhere, it is food, your boxes and warmth which are your priorities – the sms may come much later). So if your dearest or favourite is not responding, they may be a host of reasons for this. I can assure you that where there may be danger, Dave knows precisely where you are and what state you are in, he will take action if needs be. Lastly the weather – nobody is talking about it, perhaps they don’t want to jinx it, but its fabulous and it means the riders have one less thing to worry about, ie mud, wet and wind. Let’s leave it there for now.

Agreed, its not great, the twitter feed seems to be about the best and that seems to be sleeping. Seems like Clint (TW), Lise and Fanie were headed for a night out somewhere, that's part of the deal and they will be in good company and safe, probably find themselves a school hall or a 'spare' home somewhere. I am sure we will hear from them soon as the sun starts coming up. Those guys need a lot of encouragement a this stage - if you have mobile nos for them, make sure they get some good strong sms's. If they are going to make any decisions they should phone Dave first and make those decisions when the sun is shining.

FC2014: Day 3 (Wed) Wrap: Things got quite hectic yesterday, there were three main talking points as I see it. The Race to Rhodes factor: Trying to follow on jumpertrax or elsewhere is a bit confusing, hopefully as the race goes on things will settle down, although I think we have a new dynamic at play. Last year saw some of the experienced guys taking a shot at getting to Rhodes in 3 days or less, now this year we have the Race to Rhodes, for most normal people that is a solid 6 days riding. In this ‘category’ we had hubbers Ryan and Bruce as newcomers blazing a trail yesterday, they are from PMB and got bitten by the bug here last year, subsequently they have spent a lot of time on the trail between Pmb and Rhodes, so they are riding like old hands on a mission. They made it to Centacow yesterday it seems. The ride of the day (if there is such a thing) goes to John Loos and Paul Erasmus who joined a very elite club of riding all the way through to Ntsikeni (SS2), arriving at 2:15am, that’s just over 20 hrs riding in one go. (Shebeen probably has the distance and altitude, to properly put it in perspective). We will talk more in days to come about the Race to Rhodes factor as I imagine it will prompt the discussion on Alex’s Munga race. To my mind this is the best local proxy for what I expect Alex has in mind and there are some serious contenders lurking in the this race this year. The guys doing the RASA 2014: For the guys riding through to Paarl or simply trying to get to Rhodes, there is another dynamic at play, for them it is getting the body and the mind used to the rhythm of the trail, for them it is making the support station before nightfall, taking photos and taking it all in. These guys are not playing it safe – they are really doing a very hard days riding each day, but finishing is the goal, definitely not “go until you blow strategy”. The good thing is that if they just keep trucking and conserve they will reach their goal. Trailwarrior seemed to do some off route touring yesterday, but I am glad to say he is rested and out of Allendale en route to Ntsikeni – hope he finds his rhythm and a good riding partner. What’s ‘going on’ at this stage: At this stage of the race it is so important for the riders who are newish to this to settle down, by that I mean the following: · The pace of this type of riding – steady is better than, race, ride the hills and rest on the downhills. · The risks you are prepared to take, especially if you have a heavy pack, get used to the different weight distribution · The fact that your bike is your main asset – if you stupidly break it, then you have to carry it - very stupid! · Your bum – this is not like Epic or Sani, you are not riding 4-6 hours and resting for the rest, most are riding at least 12hrs a day and some a lot more, with a heavy pack. The effect of this is that your bum by day 3 is in a whole new place and as you leave Ntsikeni you try and ride over those grasslands, each little bump is a very painful one. · Navigation: I hear the maps are much improved, but confidence in your decision making still has to built and if you take a wrong turn or two on day1 or day2 that takes a bit of a knock. · Riding partners: many people arrive as solos, few ride as solos. So the partnerships and friendships are being formed – this is critical and can be a massive asset if you find someone who you share stuff in common with and if you complement each other. Finally, its still early days and the race will settle down, there will be lots of changes before Rhodes, although as mentioned above we could see a new dynamic in the first week.

Lots going on out on the trail today. Hubbers Ryanpmb and Percyzn being locals in that part of the world have breezed into Allendale for a late lunch, Trailwarrior is hot on their heels too. Looks like the first two will push on to Centacow as Rhodes is their destination. The three that pushed past the Support Station 1 last night were out of Centacow the intermediate stop just after 3;30am and blitzed through Ntsikeni and on to Glen Edward and to overnight late tonight at Masakala, which will put them a day ahead of their start group. Sadly, we may have the first abandon at Glen Edward of one of the members of Batch A, but lets see if he can be persuaded by the race office before we make any call here. As with last year it seems if the weather is good and there are no issues the guys are keen to race and make the most of the conditions, certainly the pace is hot this year.

Coffee rituals and deep bonds: Quite a lot going on in this photo. Pete Button,a RASA2013 finisher is the midlands farmer and owner of the Landy. John, the rider, is the husband of Avril (read about her legendary exploits here last year (http://glennharrison...telekamp_3.html). As I mentioned earlier, these are proud people and when the race passes through their area they pop up along the route with coffee, soup, rusks, biltong and sometimes vetkoek. These moments of sharing on the side of the road are priceless and what inspires current and future riders, these are what make our rural communities so great. That must have been one special coffee John is sharing with Pete.

"Don't rush to Rhodes guys. Only -13 C In Barkly/Rhodes this morning" - Ray Sephton ‏@barklyboy Not much more needs to be added to this post....

Very chuffed to see you riding,look forward to following your exploits, all the very best and look forward to commenting on your progress.

thanks Deanbean - got to be nice and cold in your neck of the woods already, the guys will be headed there in about a week, look forward to your insights again too this year

As predicted, that didn't take too long, we have a whole bunch exploring the grasslands of Ntsikeni tonight, I believe 3 are in, for the rest it is going to be a very cold, dark night - hopefully not too late. One thing they can guarantee is a hot shower and first class hospitality from the headman and his wife. Make no mistake these guys and girls will now know this is no mean feat they have tackled and from here it gets a lot tougher for a day or two. News too is that the first three riders have bucked the trend and headed past Allendale, probably for Centacow, which is all good and well, but what do you do the day after that?, its either an easy ride to the next support station or a very tough second day to the next intermediate stop or even the next support station. What it does mean, is that you are taking risks and putting an enormous amount of pressure on a body battling to adapt to fatigue, foreign food, foreign rhythms and heat/ extreme cold. Its a massive gamble in my books if you are not 100% sure of what you are doing. Look forward to catching up tomorrow, it could be a long night for some.

Day 1: 2014 Day one saw a touring group headed to Allendale (right near Mackenzie club for Sani2C), they were all in by about dinner time, with some getting in by tea. I say a touring group because we have become so used to at least one or two dark horses shooting on to Centacow and Ntsikeni in recent years. It seems like it was a regulation day out, hell there were even reports of the race director swimming in the Umkomaas and having a braai on the rocky shores as the rider passed (pics to follow). With this sort of behaviour one could be forgiven for thinking this was Sani2C, what with good farming folk offering them soup at Minerva at 11am, after which they would have descended into the Umkomaas Valley. After crossing the Umkomaas it would have been a rude introduction to Hela Hela to get up and out of the valley. Hela Hela is a district road, no problem there – but it would have probably been the first time some of these folk got off and walked and pushed – something they are about to become very very familiar with – soon they will lose all sense of shame in doing so and will find that pushing a bike is almost as nice as riding it, except for riding downhill. The only time you push downhill on a road – yes it happens! – is when it is so cold that riding is too painful and you need the circulation in your feet that walking brings. I think this year these riders will experience that. So after arriving at Allendale and enjoying the race director’s family farm hospitality, it would have been a repacking of their backpack, an adjustment of anything which could have been improved on in terms of packing the kit, perhaps dumping something too heavy and a good night’s sleep. I am seeing on twitter that it was a latish start for them, perhaps the cold has put them off – but I don’t think you want to be out of Allendale late, because the first half of the day is beautiful riding through the Gqumeni indigenous forests and pine plantations, even suing some of the Sani2C manicured tracks. After soup/ early lunch at Centacow they will find that the day has a sting in the tail and the massive climb up to the freezer at Ntsikeni Nature Reserve world heritage site. Getting to Ntsekeni in the dark is not a problem if you are used to riding at night in total darkness with no bearings at all. It may well be a late evening for some and real introduction into navigating at night, trusting their preparation and using their cold weather gear. The sad thing is that they will also miss a spectacularly beautiful place as they leave in the dark the following morning. To follow during the day - the twitter feed is abuzz and it seems like the jumpertrax software is working really well, all the links can be found at www.fredomchallenge.org.za

Tomorrow 6am in front of the town hall in Pietermaritzburg the first riders are off, by now they should be fast asleep or trying as best they can with the nerves going crazy. Their bags and bikes will be next to them in their room and this will become their ritual for the next 2/3 weeks. At this stage there is surprising little left to do, for most the preparation has finally come to an end and its time to get the show on the road. Earlier in the day they would have assembled their bikes, got to meet one or two of the other riders in their group and generally tried to pass the time. The race office would have given them their tracker and race number board with a number that either belongs to them as a previous finisher, or as a first timer their name is written in black ink, (the ox red colour rider name denotes a previous finisher). After a simple and sufficient dinner there is a race briefing by the race director, again a simple affair, with some helpful advice, but by now most of the riders have everything figured out with a clear strategy of how they will ride. Its a jovial affair with an emphasis on encouragement for every rider to finish, for some it has been months of selfish and sacrificial preparation - the very last thing anyone wants is a DNF, so the role of the race office becomes one of support to get the riders to Paarl, it will be hard enough with what the elements and the trail throw at them. The one thing which hasn't been discussed as much so far is the weather, last year saw ideal conditions and some riders hardly used their rain gear, indications this year are that it could be very different. More about that in the days to come. Wishing the riders all the best, let the games begin....

Event Name: Freedom Challenge 2014 When: 9 June 2014 - 30 June 2014 Where: Pietermaritzburg to Paarl, Western Cape Category: MTB The Freedom Challenge 2014 incorporates the 2300km Race Across South Africa (RASA) and the Race to Rhodes (RTR). Hopefully this thread like last year will provide those interested in the race with some insight into this unique event which showcases what it is like to race your mtb across our magnificent country. In our hearts we are all proud South African's, proud of our country and proud of our people - this event enables ordinary riders to traverse the country, to experience its terrain, the winter elements and most of all the people who will enrich their lives. From random acts of kindness when one is failing, to lifelong bonds forged with fellow 'competitors', the Freedom Challenge is not staged, it unfolds each day as the riders literally battle their way to Paarl. The hub has proven to be the best place to reach the largest number of people enthusiastic about the event, please do contribute whatever you can. The ethos of the Freedom Challenge is that it is owned by the community it touches, please think and take care in posting as the idea is to uplift and promote mtb to a broad section of the community, including the farmers, rural communities and hosts who proudly embrace the riders. Lastly, to the riders, some of whom were inspired and took up the challenge while reading this last year, all the very best!, see you in Paarl. Go to Event Page

Very envious.....