Patchelicious

Yeah I saw that, sorry read the post as a sarcastic chirp…. But I’m glad to see it’s not more technical. It seems, as with Gallows too, many “gravel” races are evolving back to old school MTB races.

Can you share this with the rest of please?

Can't make it anymore so, there's an entry free to a good home. Just ping me and I will send you the registration for substitution. Not sure how it works. Edit: Taken

Super chilly Spring morning in Richmond Park.

Yeah, that Stage 5 was a pretty long day out. It was basically the Karoo to Coast route plus some. 126km with 2000m climbing. The first 25km of gravel was nice and fast, with some good racing and a few steep little pinches. Then there was a long 30km tar road section where I got stuck between two groups. I didn’t want the embarrassment of being caught by the group behind, but I also wasn’t quite able to catch the group in front, so that was pretty fun. Prince Alfred Pass on the way down actually wasn’t too bad. There’s a very rocky section in the middle, but manageable. The sketchiest part was between the climbs on the way to Knysna. That section was really, really rough, especially on the descents. From about kilometre 50 through to 126, it was basically non-stop bumpiness. Either potholes on the Knysna Forest road or corrugation. The roads also weren’t closed, which added another layer of risk. I know there were some pretty scary moments on those descents. There was one accident where a guy hit a car head-on. He seems to be okay, but his bike’s completely wrecked. Overall, it was a very bumpy stage. It took more out of the body than the legs, just from hanging on the whole time. Suspension, or at least some form of front compliance, is definitely a worthwhile investment for roads like these.

9am

That section to De Rust wasn’t actually that bad. There was a big descent, last 30 km. It was a bit “gnarly” in some places, but overall not too bad. There were a couple of steep 15 to 18% bumps coming in. The stop and go was fine because they neutralised the race for that 10 kilometre section, so it didn’t affect us. I think we ended up stopping for a couple of minutes on one side, but I think we got lucky. It did create a nice group again. Everybody kind of backed up there, so for the next section we had formed a good group. The section from Swartberg to the stop and go was pretty tough because everybody was spread out and I was trying to make up time there, so that’s probably where I pushed the hardest.

Yeah I guess it depends on which social media “influencer” is there on a “collab”. Amongst the riders there was certainly less talk of “champagne gravel”, day 2 and 3 was definitely more MCC, some Cava and a few sections of JC Le Roux, late harvest. Today was a good day. Going up and down Swartberg from Prince Albert side is much better than the other way around. Was worried about the 44/46, but worked out well enough. Surfaces was mostly great. Some sketchy sections on the dip between the two peaks. Top notch day 👌🏼 Tomorrow is a big day out. 126km with 2100 to Knysna…

Today was tough day too, rained all the way up Swartberg, and the decent down was “gnarly” (seems to be the word to use). I lost about 10mins on the decent. Had lekker gees chats with Dawie about midway through.

In the white shirt, yup that’s me.

Today was NOT a good route. Rooiberg up and down is a proper MTB route. First 60km was great, but the second 60km was ***

Great route today, nice and fast.

Think Im good: "Hi Andre, My apologies for the delay. Thank you for your payment and providing us with the requested info. I can confirm that everything is in order with your booking. Feel free to let me know of any queries you may have leading up to the event. Have a great evening further. Kind Regards"

Originally yes. It all started with the idea that my friend and I would ride together. He originally wanted to do the Epic, but I am not a fan of mountain biking, so I declined. He then convinced me to enter this event instead, which is ultimately why I bought a gravel bike. Our plan was to ride as a two-man team, and we have been training together for the past three months since I returned to South Africa. Over that time, it has become clear that while our fitness levels are fairly close, but there is still a noticeable gap. My FTP is currently around 320 watts at about 77 kilograms, with a VO2 max in the mid-60s. His FTP is around 290 watts, he weighs about 78 or 79 kilograms, and his VO2 max is in the low 50s. He started to worry about being the weaker rider in the partnership, especially since he had previously always been the stronger rider in the several Epics he has completed. I think, in an effort to remove that pressure, he did not want to hold me back, and equally, I did not want to push him to a point where he was struggling. As a result, we decided to "ride" at our own pace rather than as a strict team. That said, riding at our own pace does not mean taking it easy. I still intend to enjoy the event, but I rarely go out on my bike without pushing myself hard for at least certain sections.

Yeah, I only got my bike service and vehicle transport confirmations yesterday...