ROCKITRIDEIT

If that weather had come a day earlier...I don't even want to begin to imagine the carnage and chaos it would have caused. you needed your wellies in Swellies Sunday morning

i thought Anderson Transport were a 24 wheeler rolling obstruction (jokes)

My first DC and I absolutely loved it. Starting at 06h02 we had the pleasure of having the top teams all come past us at close quarters, and it was a great event to be part of. Our team deVere Investments South Africa endured 2 punctures, 2 dropped chains and numerous cramps, and we eventually finished in 7h54, with all 12 riders finishing together which was always our plan. The sub-7 didn't happen on the day, but there's always next year Anyone who took part can vouch there was no "tailwind" as suggested earlier in the thread, rather when we turned left at robertson with 80km still to go it was into the face of a south-easter. The high average speeds recorded are purely down to hard work and the ability the top guys have. Chapeau! Parts of the ride I loved the most were the climb over Tradouw Pass and descent through the valley (before Op de Tradouw), and also the roads around Montagu with the awesome scenery. The Jacaranda tree-lined roads near Bon Courage helped me forget about the headwind for about 30 seconds And then the elation at the finish after getting over those last 2 rollers, and finally cracking into the long-awaited keg of beer we'd brought with us to celebrate!! If anyone knows Riaan Joubert who I think maybe rides for the Cycle For Joy please kindly get in touch with him as he left his cooler box behind at the Swellies Showgrounds and I now have it. Ross

Cool, never knew that website, and I'm from the UK

Which team are you riding for Velouria?

DD and RD???

+1 Now say 50 "Pinarellos" and 20 "Colnagos" and never do it again!!

haha my tongue is still firmly in my cheek... in all seriousness we want to finish all 12 riders together (so praying no mechanicals/accidents) and sub-7 would be a bonus, especially as 2 of our riders have a wedding to attend in paarl saturday evening!!

Good luck for the fundraising and good luck for the DC! Will keep an eye out for the team that looks like Dutch football fans on tour!! Ross deVere Investments SA (Dark blue kit with white trim) roll out 06h02

Does anyone know the actual team rosters for DaikinGu, Anderson Transport and the other top teams? I know Chris Froome was supposed to be riding for DaikinGU but had to withdraw for sponsor/charitable reasons. And I know Dean Downing, Russ Downing and Dan Martin were in JB last w/e riding the 94.7 and so could maybe make a guest DC appearance???

Luke, is it me or are the other guys missing the point here...the Outriders are training together as a DC team, they are not doing this to "tow" friends up the PPA seeding ladder. The only way to start as a team is to drop down the seeding start groups to the lowest common denominator in your team, that is what the PPA marshals enforce and allow. It is then up to other riders (in G in this case) to know their own ability and limits and whether they get involved with the Outriders working as a team, I sure hope they have the courtesy to ask or even introduce themselves first (seeing as from other threads etiquette appears to be sorely lacking). I rode and worked with them at the Durbanville race and we smashed a 2h32m and I thanked each one of them individually afterwards, as the by-product of their DC training was a good time for me. You can't blame THEM for any group crashes or what happens behind them in the wheelsucking brigade....anyone who watches pro-cycling knows that the best chance you have to avoid crashes is to ride in the top 10 to 15 positions in the bunch. yes it is hard work but it has its benefits, avoiding crashes is one of them.

missed you Zula? Me and my DC teammates waited until 06h05 but then we had to shoot.

nah, the other one Guttergoat We're looking at sub-7, I think we have the advantage of having some strong guys who aren't seeded that high as they don't normally race, so we get to start 1 hour earlier than you Tiny K which could be beneficial if the the heat gets turned up

we roll at 06:02....watch and be in awe (and try not to laugh)

rubbish poll, the winner isn't even on the list

Happened to me yesterday as well, I crossed the line 2nd in the H/I/J/K bunch sprint but racetec has me as finishing 4th in H/I. I wasn't sure if the guy who legitimately finished ahead of me was H/I or J/K rider.

it seems lots of people need to work on their etiquette, cycling AND in general

Yep, I'll join you for a light pre-DC spin. 6am corner Beach & Marais?

+1 Well done MDK, Tiletoria, Outriders, Marshals and everyone else involved in the organising. Will definitely come back next year

Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow on the Road Fizik Gobi on my MTB

1944m of climbing in total over the 180km apparently

sorry i meant traffic-wise? didn't make myself clear....(the climbing doesn't bother me)

I hear you Tiny K, all good training for the Tradouw pass in the DC! With regards to the 4 passes ride, what's the deal with Sir Lowrys? Is it hectic at all? Is it best to ascend from S/West or descend into S/west?

I'll see if I can find out for you from one of the other guys, I only ride with a Cateye Strada for distance/time

With perfect weather conditions forecast and as part of our DC training, my team and I cycled 180km yesterday from Paarl to Worcester via the Du Toitskloof Pass, down through Villersdorp and then over the Franschhoek pass into Franschhoek then back onto Paarl. As we mostly all live in Town or Southern Suburbs we tend to conveniently stick to the well-ridden route along the Atlantic coast and the Peninsula, but we agreed to get out to some quieter roads and explore, what was for us, unchartered territory. So it was an early departure for a 6am roll-out yesterday from the Paarl Mall, but the lack of sleep was soon forgotten as we began to climb the Old Paarl Rd. If the climb up to 820m to the top of du Toitskloof pass wasn't awesome enough then the descent the other side down into and through the valley floor simply blew me away. Breathtaking views, sweeping bends, speeds of 80kph, and the tunnel section at the end of the descent finishes it off nicely. It was the absolute highlight of the ride for me! I think I would have enjoyed the Franschhoek Pass more if I hadn't bonked halfway up, and just trying to focus on staying upright on the descent! Nothing that wasn't soon put right with a coffee stop in Franschhoek and a BLT with chips! Nevertheless I can't wait to get back out on those roads again, hardly any traffic (apart from the N1 stretch of course) and spectacular countryside