tubed

Karoo riding: All the remaining riders are heading for home and are either in or exiting the Karoo for the Breede River valley, some images for those who were looking earlier to ride between Prince Albert and Cape Town - my advice: just do it.

The Six: The six finishers yesterday are quite a bunch and not unusual for this stage of the race, in there are some guys getting their blankets after starting before as well as a father and son pairing. For three of the guys in the photo (Andy, Peter and Philip) this is the achievement of something they had set out to do previously and had failed at. Failure is something we all do regularly, but actually not that often when it comes to a big thing, like deciding to try and finish the Freedom Challenge. Usually at these guys age they have had a measure of success and when they try something big, they all but eliminate the risks either by effort or by finance (lets be blunt for a moment), but when it comes to the Freedom Challenge, neither of those are really a guarantee of success. So when these guys fail and come back and try again, you know that they want it, and you know what it means to them to put themselves in a place again (publicly) where failure remains a real possibility. I am glad to say that they are all now finishers and for some it is a massive monkey off their backs and the relief will turn to joy and celebration. In time maybe another goal worth striving for - something neither money can buy, nor effort and influence can guarantee. Well done guys for going back and finishing that thing - you have my admiration for sure. The father and son: Again not unusual, as many of the current mountain bikers are riding because of the cycling culture instilled in them by their parents. Cycling is truly a sport where the camaraderie can be shared between the generations and the Freedom Challenge is all about perseverance and resolve. In some of the other stage races it is good to see these pairings, but I have seen quite a bit of frustration in those - mainly because of the obvious compatibility issues when it comes to flat-out racing and the fact that everybody around you is doing just that - it is hard then for these guys to stick to the plan of 'just riding'. The Freedom Challenge requires that you 'just ride', 30mins here or there makes no difference and ideally there are parts you want to share with someone significant - there are many such moments. There is also the fact that you need people to help you and its no shame for a son (or daughter) to carry something for their parent, because for sure in this ride there will be days where they will do the same for you. So if you ride with your dad/mom or child and this does appeal to you - I can assure you that you will create a lifetime memory of true significance if you can finish this together. PS: Guy - well done for doing it your way - respect on a single speed.

The part that she would have spent the night in is really really off the beaten track and that is saying something in the Baviaans as the main road is already wild. Things there definitely go bump and growl in the night, it might just be the porcupine or the aardvark, but leopards are curious by nature. The buffalo and the rhino there are seemingly quite meek. But huge respect Avril.

And just like that Glenn obliges with the profile I was waiting for, (nicely written Glenn): http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com/ 2013 Rider Profiles - Avril Metelekamp If there's one person who'll have some stories to tell after this year's Freedom Challenge, it has to be Avril. She started out with Batch B and made good progress to Rhodes, relying on a pre-dawn start time. A few hour's riding in the early morning darkness seemed a good way to ensure she would get in comfortably before nighttime. Two days out of Rhodes, she came a bit unstuck on the two big portages of Slaapkranz and Bontehoek and only made it to Moordenaar's Poort for the night. The following day, after stopping in at Brosterlea for lunch, she set off to conquer the Stormberg, still hoping to get to Romansfontein that night. The wind had picked up and the light was fading, so she made the first of many wise decisions and turned back to Brosterlea. She faced a similar situation again after leaving Grootdam a bit behind schedule but this time pressed on and found herself coming down the Struishoek in the dark... the white rocks must have helped because she found her way down without incident and then continued on to Pearston. Exhausted now and with flat batteries in both her tracker and phone, she found accommodation in the little town instead of pushing on to the next support station at Gegun, nearly 2 hours away - another wise decision. The remarkable thing about her ride is that she had been riding mostly on her own since Moordenaar's Poort. Added to this were the various bike troubles she was having, first the rear brakes went, then she lost a cleat. Although she met up with other riders now and then at support stations and they helped where they could - John and Barry managed to sort out the brakes - she was riding big days and taking on the tricky navigation with nothing but the wind for company. The Hout Bay Boys tried to help by leaving a few crucial arrows in the sand for her to follow, which she was really grateful for! "Now I'm scared. Alone in Baviaans valley and don't know which way to go, please can you help..?" The message came through a few hours after she had sent it - the race office was on the road from Rhodes and signal was patchy - we tried to reach her but by then she had gone into the dark zone. The story that emerged the following day was one of true courage. Avril had found her way to about the sixth river crossing, by which time she was exhausted and thrashing about with no real idea of where to go. She still had the good sense to stop, find a place to rest and light a fire, hoping that in the morning she could continue or at least keep a look out for other riders coming past. Morning came and with it the sound of birds - also eventually, the sound of voices - her 'rescuers' were the guys and gal from Batch E and when she saw them, they were greeted with tears of joy and relief. She had survived a dark and cold night in a cold, lonely kloof. They all made their way through the remaining river crossings to Cambria, to hot food and a warm bed. She then latched onto her new-found friends and rode all the way to Willowmore, a long 170km double up, which meant she had caught up a day on her schedule. The next day the party continued as she tailed them across to Prince Albert: "Yeowsers! flew with racing snakes today, was so lekker to have company. Going to leave an hour before them and try make Rouxpos - hope it works..." Well it did work and she went all the way to the finish with this group. They were not the only riders who commented on the tenacity of Avril, others who had finished earlier had also been impressed by her efforts. The Freedom Challenge produces it's fair share of war stories every year, the adventures and misadventures along the way. It also produces it's fair share of heroes, people who when faced with the hardships, stand up and take it on the chin. Occasionally it also produces legends, people who do all these things and more - whose fighting spirit inspires everyone they encounter on their journey and touches their lives in a positive way. This lady is one of those legends. Well done Avril! Avril half-wheeling her husband John

As an aside, probably going to head through to diemers this afterrnoon, depending on how late then okes take to get there. if they hurry, then the boss isn't going to look kindly at me knocking off at lunchtime! Enjoy the Pinotage and fireside chat - the twitter account is very quiet today - they must be up to something...

very sad to say he withdrew - read the profile and story here http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com/2013/07/2013-rider-profile-roy-mottram.html

Chasing records: As if the Freedom Challenge wasn’t tough enough, there has been a trend over the last couple of years for guys to chase these unofficial records, I say unofficial because for the Freedom Challenge it is not really in the spirit of the race to recognise any one particular rider, even the record breaking Dreyers will receive nothing additional to any other finisher. Allow me to explain, because in the world of what we have become, the Strava chasing sub- three defining cyclists, we need places where we can go where a subtle acknowledgement that you finished is enough. When I say that you finished, you should be very grateful for just that, because you are extremely fortunate to have done so. This is not an event for fist pumping, “bro, you dominated that stage!” language, no this is where you pass through quietly and humbly, grateful that you made it. So when Charles set out at being the fastest rookie in 2013 – he had no idea that he was going to have to maybe pay his dues – I mean that in the kindest way, because he will know what I mean and only he will know what he had to go through in Stettyns just to finish. Likewise Tim James – who certainly has paid his dues and was in search of the record to Rhodes this year, he had to succumb humbly. Even Glenn will probably be reticent tell you that his attempt at the record to Rhodes this year was his goal – because he sure knows that records are a sideshow to being able to finish what you started. So if you had to ask Glenn you would probably get it out of him that he does hold the tandem record and the single speed record, but he knows he got lucky too. The one acknowledgement that there is, remains the stone saddle award – this is given to the rider who embodies the essence of the event in that particular year and it is worth reading why Dino received it last year – when you read his remarkable story you will realise just why he was unquestionably the worthy recipient. http://www.doitnow.co.za/content/racing-freedom-challenge-7 So if records and acknowledgment is your thing – that’s cool, but here is something equally as cool – just finishing.

Day 22: Another large group finished yesterday, with exceptional heroes in it for me, Charles Mansfield and Avril Meterlerkamp (I do hope we have a rider profile on her in the next couple of days). I have posted Glenn’s rider profile on Charles below – an inspirational guy. http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com/ - see Glenn's race wrap up here. 2013 Rider Profiles - Charles Mansfield To say Charles had a tough Freedom Challenge this year would be an understatement. He faced many physical setbacks on his journey, first serious knee issues and later on his neck muscles just stopped working - towards the end he was only able to ride by holding his head up with one hand, while steering with the other. These physical difficulties made the last three days of his ride a bit of a nightmare and when he finally did get to Diemersfontein, there were tears of relief on the finish line. (He's not the only rider to show some emotion at the end - this year's race winners are members of the same club.) Apart from sheer grit, one of the things that kept him going was also a deeper purpose to his ride - he was raising money for Project Rhino KZN, a group co-ordinating the anti-poaching efforts within KZN. His ride has raised in excess of R60 000 for the fight against rhino poaching, a fantastic effort! Coming into the race, Charles had set his sights on the rookie record and was aiming for a sub-15 day finish. He rode hard on the first day, a bit too hard and when he got to Allendale, wisely opted to take a 2-hour break to recover. His plan was still to get to Centocow though, so he rode out into the late afternoon sun to test his navigational ability - a few hours later he was there, having found his way through this tricky forest section in the dark. This was a small personal victory and gave him the confidence to push on in the dark if necessary. Not long after that, he hit a low point in his race - the knee trouble had started and while crossing the Knira floodplains, he encountered mud and slush all around him. He knew that not far away was a perfectly good dirt road but he had to follow the race route and wade through the mud or face a time penalty. Why? What for? It was one of those moments which could have signaled the end. But he dug deep and went on. Later that night he got into Malekholonyane where Jack's Army were all asleep - when they made an early move the next morning, he went with. That arrangement lasted for a good few days, only coming to an end when Charles hooked up with Scott James near Slaapkranz. Scott was racing hard and knew the route and when Christo joined them, the newly formed trio stuck together for most of the rest of the race. Some of the highlights of his ride were going over Lehana's in the gale force wind and the beauty of the Baviaanskloof. One of his most memorable moments was stopping to look at the sunrise with Scott - they saw the sun rising on one side, the moon setting on the opposite side and the silhouette of mountains in between. Despite the racing, these moments forced them to stop and look on in awe. For Charles, this race was very different to the usual mountain bike stage race - as a veteran of many such races, he knew about riding hard and suffering. Only a few years ago he was a workaholic who weighed 140kg but riding bikes had reshaped him into a lean, strong rider. By his own admission though, that speed and strength didn't help much on the Freedom Challenge because it's such a different kind of event. Mentally, the other events are a drop in the ocean according to him and being able to deal with adversity is the crucial difference. He described it as "an unbelievable journey of endurance" which often had him "facing his own personal demons and fighting off the evil forces that wanted him to quit." Clearly, he's learnt a lot from his journey and redefined the limits to which he can push himself physically, mentally and emotionally. Considering the hardships he faced, his finishing time of 15days 19hours 5min is not far off his original goal. But on reflection, his journey has been such a positive experience that the time will be of little importance. Well done Charles, when the aches and pain are gone you'll think back and remember more of the good than the bad and you can be exceptionally proud of what you've achieved.

Die Leer at the Hel/ Gamkaskloof: there has been a LOT of talk about this spot, this is the best photo I can find, its pretty much straight up to get out

You are right - buts that's not roadside coffee, that's like vetkoek and biltong too See the 'other thread' for sign details.

the welcome to the Leer from the Boschluiskloof side

As I suspected, Erics brew after he climbed up and out of the Hel via the Leer.

Day 22: The now customary link to birthday boy Glenn’s race update – wow what a large bunch of finishers. http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com/ Another biggish batch set to finish today too – things are busy down at Diemersfontein. Daily ritual: Yesterday I mentioned coffee at McGregor, coffee is an essential part of our daily lives, we are loyal to our local, addicts, snobs, aficionados and many other things when it comes to coffee and this simple ritual makes its way into the FC in a number of ways. Coffee represents a moment of pause and the Freedom Challenge offers many of those worth taking. This is unfortunately the one area where the racers miss out on, they eschew the weight of the brew and the time it takes for the relentless pursuit of seconds and daylight time, the rest of us indulge our senses and appreciate the pause. It is difficult to describe a brew made on the side of some non-descript piece of gravel road in South Africa, but when your hands clasp that mug, the steam fogs your glasses and the aroma hits your nostrils, the world and its pain ease for a moment. If you are lucky enough to have the sun on your back - well that’s just nirvana. This ritual takes place at about 11am and for quite a few it defines part of the day which may be a slog, when the call is made to stop you know you have deserved it. Bags get dropped and the anticipation mounts as the kit is unpacked and the boil begins. I will add that we are not talking about a special Arabica blend discharged under immense pressure from some fancy Italian machine; nope it is likely to be a sachet of something as luxurious as Nescafe cappuccino or perhaps even a Ciro basic from some hotel room. But in that moment, it is about the moment. This ritual is of course a personal one of may represent that adopted by groups, Trevor Ball and Ugene Nel had their own daily ritual which at times became a survival one more than a moment, (see Ugene next to the fire). Chris and Julie Fisher have added rusks and enamel mugs to their honeymoon ritual. Sean with the big grin waited about 1800km before he showed us his prowess and technique in the Karoo. Eric Tollner will no doubt be choosing his spot (with Pete – that the name of the stove) this morning, I would bet good money it will be at the top of the Leer, looking back at the Hel and forward to the majestic Towerkop above Seweweekspoort – knowing he is ‘home’. Back to the race, although it too has a coffee angle, Robbie Mac was greeted by Johann Rissik and lovely young lady out in the veld yesterday en route to Prince Albert, Johann was taking coffee and rusks out to Robbie, who was finally in the big blade and down on the tt bars, it proved a difficult task to stop him at 45km an hour it is reported, but given his recent escapades in the Hel, when Johann says halt, you obey, Robbie obliged was served his coffee and is on his way through the Hel this morning. So to all of us having a brew somewhere this morning – raise your mug, you are in good company.

Hi there I wonder if someone can help, I know its late, but I have sent 3 emails to admin over the last 2 weeks and no reply at all as far as I can see and certainly no action, this thread now has 17000+ views and part of the daily insights was to try and feature the race beyond just its normal following so if anybody knows how to change its listing or feature it in the NEWS thread rather than the EVENTS thread to get it on the front page I would be most grateful perhaps I am just missing a trick here thanks (PS: it just irks me a bit to see the fantastic BC race featuring better than our homegrown one)

this should be read: http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com/2013/07/2013-rider-profile-roy-mottram.html

I see that - I have shamelessly been stealing some of their publicly shared stuff, the angles and composition hint at the talent (one the bike and behind the tripod). Eric at the rear of the field has been commenting about having all his batteries charged for today, he has comfortably settled into riding alone and he knows all the roads home from where he is - so I expect from both of these guys some decent pics and maybe videos. That would really be very welcome. Its actually quite pleasant to have competent people at the end of the race - doing it their own way and showing a very different side and approach to riding the trail - one I am sure appeals to a lot of the guys who may want to tour this 'easier' part of the trail and experience its beauty.

Karoo riding:

Coffee and a chat: This photo is just great, there is something quite special going on here, let me try and explain. Andy and Pete have ridden more than 2000 km together, they are about 100 km from home. They have ridden into McGregor after having had a glorious ride through the Breede river valley from Montague this morning. They know now they are going to finish and it is a sense of accomplishment tinged with not wanting it to end. They have a fantastic gourmet lunch at Kasra in store a bit later today. But first, there is a proper cup of coffee and maybe a toasted sarmie in MacGregor at this coffee shop. McGregor is full of city dwellers enjoying the school holidays and these guys will get the “hey, where you guys riding to today?”. Pete and Andy will say “oh we are off to Trouthaven tonight”, then the guy has a look at the number board on the bike and it all falls into place – it is hard then not to come across as windgat (which they are not) as they try and explain what they have done so far. In most cases, it is a great conversation – one that leaves both parties inspired to get out and ride. Enjoy the decent coffee guys.

Day 21: Yesterday was a busy day, Glenn sums up the race here: http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com/ Notable for me was the vasbyt shown by some of the guys (pics below): Charles – apparently in world of pain for the last couple of days finished just after midnight – not much to say other than, well done and huge respect to you – it must have been tough losing your riding buddies as they rode on after a couple of thousand km together, but you stuck it out and that blanket remains yours forever. Only you will know what you went through in Stettyns Kloof yesterday. Roy – he quit the race yesterday, but let’s not forget that this gentleman has celebrated his 70th birthday, to have gotten as far as he did was simply amazing, but I will leave it up to race winner Jeannie to say something about Roy, after all even race winners need to get their inspiration from somewhere: “Roy, you have blown apart the meaning 'of living life to the full'. You are just too amazing for words!” The Hout Bay boys: John, Barry and George, making us proud from the Valley, such camaraderie I am sure there will be some stories swapped in the local coffee shops in the months to come, that’s of course if Barry doesn’t swap his bike immediately for his board, as it is high season for the rhino chargers – that’s what the big wave boards in this neck of the woods are referred to, this is what Barry does for relaxation. (http://www.on-the-ed...s/caught-inside) Finally there was Marnitz, the pic sums it up best for me, his wife who has supported him through a lot, that’s his 4th blanket! and one of his three kids sprinting up behind him – that’s the way you inspire your kids – well done Marnitz.

Robbie Mac: This pic deserves its own short post. This is Robbie getting ready to leave the support station in the Baviaanskloof at the farm Golden Crust this morning, this is a new support station but they have very quickly established themselves as a must stop place with superb choc cake on offer, and the warm soft beds also getting several mentions. What I like too is the mutt in the background (we continue with that theme), he's found a sunny spot on the grass and gives no heed to the cycling legend on his turf. Back to Robbie, he still looks (check those thighs) as determined as he did in his road racing days when he did things the hard way as the hardman in the SA peleton. There is still a lingering thought that when Robbie is able to forget about the navigation he will put it in the big ring and get down on those tt bars - I just hope he is prepared for the corrugation of the road between Willmore and Prince Albert tomorrow - he may loose his teeth in the tt position if he gets one of those infamous corrugated stretches. Robbie's been doing a lot of walkabout and as part of his initiation spent a night out in the Grootrivier kloof - has hasn't missed an opportunity to really experience the FC. What I have enjoyed about his tweets is that he still has his sense of humour and despite his pedigree, he has submitted himself to the spirit, soul and essence on mountain biking for the past 2 weeks. Robbie is in Willowmore tonight. I must say I am quite tempted to find myself in the bar at the Montague Hotel in a couple of days time when he overnights there, I sure would love to buy him a beer and hear what he has to say - that should be Wed or Thurs this week, hmmmmmm........ PS: latrinus I see you are following, a reunion of ex pros? I know you have been on the trail before.

Day 20: Read the wrap here: http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com/ The blankets and a pizza are 'all' you get. That smile you see was earned. As I understand it only 114 people have done so since the race started in 2004 - two more were added today, but 50% of the finishers thus far in 2013 are returnees looking for more therapy, that tells you something. A quick comment on the pizza photo - its Jeannie's birthday there, looks like all Martin got to do was take off his skew helmet and then was given some chores while she went freshened up and got ready for her birthday celebrations. In his stinky state I suspect she asked Martin to make sure the bikes were cleaned before he had his shower. Marital bliss right there. The one good thing about the slower riders at the back of the field is that some of them are handy with a camera - and probably carrying too much camera equipment, so some decent shots are finally coming through. Finally well done to all the finishers today and thanks for the enthralling race - most of the guys are still out there and there are some real stories emerging which is hopefully what a lot of this thread is about.

Historical public right of way as recognised by law, (not registered in the title deed), but there long before you ever set foot there. Do yourself a favour and read the legal opinions offered in the posts above. You say you are not going to debate the legality - but then you keep wading into that domain...... If you want to keep people off your property who had been going there for decades as you acknowledge on your website selling your services, then go to court and get an order to stop them - you choose not to do this why?.

Day 19: Glenn’s super daily wrap up here: http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com "Tough times": Then you have this below, it is an account of how things unfold when they go wrong – I am glad to report that since this they have been and seem to be getting better for this rider, but in the moment it was raw and touch-and-go. It is worth remembering this if you are thinking of doing the race as it is like this for more people than you might think, not all of the time, but it does happen. “Days x, y, and z. I've stopped numbering them as I've lost count. Can't quite recall which day things officially fell apart but it was shortly after a reasonably good days riding to Toekomst, a farm in the Karoo alongside the Darlington dam and nearing the mountains that would ultimately lead us into the Baviaanskloof. Not a wink of sleep that night as the entire time was either spent vomiting or writhing in agony hugging the toilet. And that's how it stayed until sunrise. The group I was riding with the previous day left at 5am, around the time I had purged my system for the umpteenth time and it was only around 8 that I eventually managed to drag my weary carcass over to my backpack, shove my belongings inside, and start pushing the bike towards the next stop. It was the start of another day in hell, with no energy at all, and having to navigate up mountains and down valleys, getting lost repeatedly simply out of a sheer lack of concentration. By nightfall I was over the worst of it and had arranged to stay at a place called kleinpoort, a tiny settlement in the middle of nowhere. As it turned out it was a magnificent old house and I slept in warmth and peace, something which I'd been longing for the whole day. The next day proved another weary challenge just to get going, still feeling very weak from the previous days events, but slowly the pedals ticked over to Bucklands (which should have been the previous nights stop) for breakfast, then carrying on to a farm called Hadley on the northern side of the baviaanskloof mountains. This isn't an official stop but the organizers recommended I move to here rather than stay at Bucklands to break up the following day. While quietly pedaling along selfishly absorbed in my own world of pain and exhaustion a car drove up alongside with the usual question - where are you going? After a brief conversation I learned that I was about to be swept up by a group of 45 cyclists- far from what i ever thought would happen out here in the middle of nowhere! I quietly looked forward to the company for a few kms, it was a 5 day Karoo MTb tour event and they were overnighting on the farm next to where I was due to stay. The end result was that the race snakes caught me with ease and left me in their dust, but I did get a chance later that afternoon to go across and see the festivities - thanks to Carol who made a complete stranger feel so welcome! I generally hovered around the food table (no surprises there), and left a few hours later happy to have had some good company for a few hours. My night was spent again in complete solitude in a very rustic farm cottage, with a donkey for hot water, paraffin lamps for light and a fireplace inside for warmth. Peace is sometimes found in the most unexpected places, and I was in those few hours quite glad not to be part of a big group riding across our country. Another slow start to the next day and still weak but managed to get going by 5 in anticipation of the Osseberg track that would ultimately take me over the mountains to the south and into the Baviaanskloof. The beginning sections on the deteriorating dirt road dropped down into the Grootrivier Poort with a steep climb back out, followed by some undulating hills along a ridge before the steep descent down in the very overgrown valley to follow the river through the mountains. There are no words to describe this section - only those who have travelled through there will know of the beauty, and the equal carnage it leaves. It is an isolated, desolate, forgotten world down there, the tracks soon become one, then none, and you are left to fight through overgrowth and head high reeds, clambering downstream, pushing, shoving, anything to get one or two metres further. The constant cold and rain made the isolation seem even more desperate and there were tears and blood shed in equal doses. I cursed and hit the bike, shouted and screamed, anything to get the anger and frustration out, but it didn't help. No one was coming to help. It was move forward or spend the night there. By late afternoon I had finally emerged onto a track that was running in the right direction and made it through the final section and out to the farm at Cambria before nightfall, beaten, absolutely exhausted, hungry, cold, wet, filthy, and desperately in need of sleep. Another night on my own at the overnight stop and another slow weary start to the day today. I had by all accounts thrown in the towel last night after yesterday's carnage - I have given absolutely everything to this race and am fighting daily to stay within reach of it, but yesterday was the final straw. I slowly packed my belongings again, hoisted the backpack and opened the door in two minds about what to do - to stay, or ride on. My leg was swollen and bruised from the bashing in the valley and bike not looking any better for the experience. But I got on, and slowly drifted out of sight from the farmhouse and into the cold morning mist hovering in the valley. I was moving and that was all that counted and I resorted to focusing only on where today would take me - I'm here, I might as well see what's down the road, go for a ride or something. It's better than sitting around. The route over the Baviaanskloof is tough but beautiful, some very steep passes and more river crossings but it was a peaceful day, the sun came out and I saw more game today than ever in my life - maybe the joy of being on a bike and not in a car is that you're less noisy (despite my bikes rattles!) and less of a threat but I saw loads and had big kudu passing across the road right in front of me hardly frightened off. It was beautiful and today felt like a blessing, like some desperately needed soul food in amongst the madness. My bike computer speedometer thing is now toast (another of yesterday's victims) and I have no way of measuring distance so I have been using the maps and the markers on the farm fences to get an idea of how far I was traveling. Back to basics. It bought me safely mid-afternoon to tonight's stop, and I'm in the very hospitable company of a super family at Damsedrif, halfway through the Bav valley. It's really a day at a time now, every new day cycled is a gift and every support station reached is one more than I would have. Tomorrow is another opportunity...”

Crunch time: pictures, a table and a blog - well worth the look at The picture = the unbelievable couple. The table = the top two names have been on the road for the same number of days as the bottom two, being the two extreme triathletes who are no slouches, but ladies and gents that is a 1000km gap! The blog - make up your own mind. http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com/

Now that the distraction seems to be over - back to the race - thanks for staying with us. Day 18: Rain, Mud, Cold. It has taken us 18 days to say those words - hard to believe. But this is now the Cape after all and it is mid winter, so welcome home chaps, albeit that they seem to be catching the tail of a front and the rest of the weekend and into next week looks good. It is possible that some riders may not see a drop of rain for the entire race. The leaders have thankfully continued their relentless march and for the Dreyers the question seems simply to be where do they want to peg this record. They by all accounts has a pretty miserable and wet day though the Gamkaskloof and Anysberg, past Rouxpos where they thawed out for a bit and appear to be headed for the civility of Montague, they are getting close now. Christo, Charles and Scott headed into the Hel and may be spending the night there, or resting up a bit before heading on to Anysberg.' Elsewhere there doesn't seem to much other than regulation stuff. I did like the comment that the men and Avril, (who has shown she has serious 'cred') were delving into plate sized steaks at Willowmore. That's understandable as when you exit the Baviaanskloof you feel like you are back in civilisation for a bit, your phone works, there is a TV in the room, you have your own room! and hell you can order from the bar! 3 Star has never felt soooo good. Interesting aside is that while Johann Rissik was being detained elsewhere, literally and figuratively, riders had none other than racing legend, master trail builder and now bike mechanic - Glenn Harrison attending to their bikes - that's a first. By the way I suspect that Glenn will be riding past Rhodes next year as I am sure he is sick of people stripping his kit and bikes when he stops at Rhodes and they carry on. Correct me if I am wrong - but last year it was the computer, the saddle and something else (Sean and Casper), and this year he was relieved of his shoes (Guy). Perhaps he should open a bike spares service in Rhodes as a sideline to his writing. PS: Robbie seemed to make it through a day without any navigation issues. PPS: Anyone seen or heard of Marnitz? - its not like him to be quiet - maybe a stealth move on the go. Looking forward to a normal day tomorrow with concentration on this thread..... lekker slaap Geo.