Mike Woolnough

It’s always best to not second guess Martin. He operates on a completely different level.

Martin got there at 12:10 in 2017. I don’t expect him to repeat that time this year. I’m expecting the front guys to make Allendale by 12:45-13:00.

If a gate is supposed to be open it will typically be fully open as in 90 degrees or more to allow a bakkie to get through. If it’s any less than that then I assume it’s supposed to be closed. Even more so if it’s barely open enough to allow a bicycle through. I had other riders near me say “leave it open the next guys are almost here.” Sorry that’s nonsense. Unless you physically hand a gate to another rider then you have a responsibility to close it even if it means closing the gate on a rider who is only 20 or 30 metres away. I don’t buy the narrative that goes, “Well I found it slightly ajar so I left it the way I found it.” Alex did say at race briefing that if you weren’t sure then default to closing gates.

I load up a whole load of podcasts as well as audiobooks to supplement my music collection.

You’ll notice that Mr Munga - Alex Harris - is on the list but he won’t be racing hard. He will be chilling midfield mingling with the other riders.

Here is the line up for this year’s race: Mike Woolnough Christopher Palmer Jerrard Le Roux Andrew Gowans Gus Pauw Mickael Da Matha Sant'anna Jean Biermans Denzyl O'donoghue Pieter Strobos George Van Maanen Gerrit Pretorius Neville Higgs Willem Brits Darrell Breetzke Fietie Rocher Johannes Smit Mark Blewett Karina Britz Daryl Wilson Sean Shaw Max Menzies Freek Van Tonder Marcus Maree Jacques Swart Clinton Halsey Gerald Cele Sarel Louw Gavin Robinson Andrew Eve Dawie Van Rensburg Steven Wolhuter Marco Martins David Cubbin Kobus Barnard Frank Masson Wade Mosterd Pieter Venter Riccardo Stermin Joggie Rautenbach Kevin Benkenstein Lonnie Tiegs Stefan Le Roux Janine Stewart Pieter Gerrit Du Preez Leonard Martin Wayne Mac Farlane Hendre Terblanche Greg Irvine-smith Ryno De Kock Bruce Biccard Casper Venter Braam Nel Dave Mitchell Justin Colling Jade Mynhardt Pieter Hugo Guy Jennings Joe Theron Alain Broglia Martin Bain Venn Paul Krynauw Riaan Potgieter Acto Cargo Simon Rollo Tom Armstrong Dion Guy John Mark Beckley Dirk Coetsee Edgar Stafford Piet Van Der Linde Johannes Griessel Gavin Horton Jane Horton Mark Harris Colin Anderson Tim Lotz Philip Van Der Merwe Stefano Migliore Lazarus Mashishi Jaco Cromhout Johannes Hermanus Fourie Arno Crous Louis Fourie Wynand Van Vuuren Giuseppe Adreani Edward Holmes Matthew Miller Daniel Alikisente Conraadt Van Den Heever Lester Tait Piet Laubscher Dale De Kiewit Fanie Venter Tracey Campbell Rion Goosen Jako Wolmarans Dirk Griesel Michael Twyman Kobus Steenkamp Jeannie Dreyer Anton Maybery Paul Fouche Bruce Campbell John Exley Sthembiso Masango Alex Harris Rafeeq Safodien

I've been a tad lazy this winter. Got busy with this and that and targeted the beginning of August to start training for this year's Munga. I took advantage of the midweek holiday on the 9th August to go for a spin. Early into the ride I took a silly slow speed tumble and hurt my thigh. A sonar revealed a haematoma that'll keep me off my bike for at least 6 weeks. It's been almost 3 weeks and the improvement is low to negligible. Going to be interesting getting into shape. Hopefully I can get back on my bike early October. 8 weeks should be enough if I stick to a proper programme. One things for sure, come November 29 I'll be on the start line in Bloemfontein. The plan was to ride a sub-70 hour race this year. Might be a big ask now but I'll still give it a whirl.

A story well told in words and pictures. Benky looks well whipped in some of those pictures but he hung in and endured. That's one winners medal that isn't going to tossed in the man drawer. It deserves a place where it can be seen often and bear mute testimony to the challenges faced and overcome.

I think this is a really dumb idea unless a major sponsor wants to toss away $1m for some coverage. It will take 100 teams to enter to cover the prize money. There will only be a handful of teams with a realistic chance. The vast majority of teams will be there simply to fund the purse the handful are racing to win. This looks like a glorified Epic with the minions funding the few. I wouldn't fork out over R100k to just be another rider without a clear chance of winning. Besides, as a Freedom Challenge veteran I am more than happy to ride a race that is more about my own personal achievement and experience. I lack the talent to challenge for a $1 million purse but that does nothing to diminish the rich experiences represented by the 3 Freedom Challenge blankets I have been handed over the years. Might just be blankets but they represent experiences that transcend money.

Don't confuse the Epic with the Freedom Challenge. Kevin Vermaak runs a profitable business. Freedom Challenge trades in pennies by comparison. It's a pity the access issue has got to this point. This is one of the most beautiful sections of the race and riders want nothing more than to pass through quietly leaving nothing but tyre tracks and footprints. It's not like they are coming through in their hundreds. 50 racers a year and a few dozen others throughout the year.

If there is a legitimate public right of way then permission does not need to be sought. The problem is the manner in which the law operates. Ask permission and you undermine your legal assertion of your right. This may well be a good case to test the robustness of South African law in respect of public right of way. If the land owners believe they can Legally refuse access then they should mount a legal challenge. Win or lose the matter is settled.