Hi Guys, Having done a couple of Jocks as the race was "in my backyard", I have experienced the following preps. do work: Dress for a normal warm day's ride, arm warmers come in handy especially at the beginning because of the wind-chill factor. Once you enter Nelspruit, the temperature change drastically and I took my armwarmers off long before Boulders, I would not bother with legwarmers unless you are prone to easy chilling, The old T-shirt regime works well, but becomes a bother after Hilltop as you start to sweat seriously, The route from Barberton is quite undulating, so catch a bunch as soon as possible and minimise your energy output as the hills will surely tap it, Depending on your climbing ability, the Hilltop climb might be difficult, as it has switchbacks and the tar may not be in a good condition due to the heavy traffic it carries normally, so watch out for uneven surfaces, Boulders is a long, steep climb and again, if your climbing is good, it should not be too difficult. The dowhill should be trated with caution as it calls on your ability to control the bike a-la Savoldelli!, The last 68-70 calls for true endurance riding as it remains a constant climb back to Barberton- relax, do your bit in the bunch and do the wheelsuck- thing... The last 2kays are only hard if you exceed yourself too much during the race, thus ride well within your 60-70% capabilty for long times. Check the road surface, as this road is also used by heavy lorries, Make sure that you have enough water after Nelspruit exit as the humidity can suddenly demand more hydration- you will notice the change in vegetation, suggesting real Lowveld temperatures and humidity- don't forget the sunblock!!! The gels and other"muti"-supply must be in accordance with your typical one-day stage classic's energy requirements. I am prone to hyerglycemia and with the combination of the humidity, I use the gels in well diluted form. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!! one of the real"classics" on the SA calendar!
