With Sub-7 on the brain and legs full of dangerous optimism, Team Cellucity rolled up to the start line(06h08) looking questionably confident. Preparation? YES. Morale? YES. Questionable life decisions? Also YES.
We fired out of the blocks like a team who definitely knew what they were doing… at least for the first few kilometres. Somewhere before Suurbraak I hit my “frustration wobble,” but I kept the faith — Captain had a plan, and apparently I had no choice but to stick to it. We eased the pace when no one wanted to help pull, which lasted all of five kilometres before everyone collectively decided, “Nah, we’re racing again.”
At the top of Op de Tradouw I glanced at the computer and saw 28 km/h average. Honestly, I thought my Wahoo was pranking me. But nope — that’s when the fun officially began.
Rolling into the first feed zone, our support crew looked at us like we’d arrived a full day early. Shout-out to the ladies: they regrouped with Formula 1 pit-stop energy. I even told my wife she could take her time getting to feed zone 2… but of course that one came flying at us just as fast.
The team was still firing well — okay, fine, one or two of us were touring the dark place, but hey, character is built there. The last 40 km though… yoh. Those 3 Sisters with a block headwind felt personal. That’s when I realised: I’d put together one hell of a team. The strong hauled the broken, and somehow, all of us — legs, lungs and questionable language included — crossed the line together.
Final time: 7h02.
Bright side: we chopped 47 minutes off last year.
Less bright side: I may never emotionally recover from those last 40 km.
But the true win? We didn’t just race — we rode for something bigger. Our mission was to raise funds for a home of safety and crèche in the north, and we did exactly that.
Team Cellucity riding for Shifting Hearts — mission accomplished.
And yes… let’s absolutely do it again in 2026. Preferably with less wind. And maybe a tailwind clause in the entry form. @BuffsVintageBikes Lets do it again in 2026...
