Jock Cycle Classic

[Gerhardc]

You starting a bit earlier than what I'll do. I'll be the poked lab rat on a Red RC2000 frame waving goodbye at A bunch at each start

 

I am seriously thinking of moving down.....actually wanna ride it together with a female partner and just wanna enjoy it....will hear what organisers say tomorrow in Barberton!! Maybe rather AL or BL start.... ...I'll looking out for the "poked lab rat on the RED RC2000!! .....me....red cross (Swiss) Assos shirt on grey Scott CR1 Pro....

[Wrigs]

Hi guys, picked up my race number today (AL), but unfortunately can't do the race on saturday. If you know anybody who wants to do the full 3 stages get them to PM me. They can have it for R150.

[DJG]

might be a bit short notice but if anyone is looking for an entry, you can have mine for free and mahala ... bit of paying it forward. Planning just hit disaster after disaster so wont make it. Ah well, there is always next year. Let me know if anyone is keen (VA batch, but you can drop back if the pace is a bit hot for you).

[ASG]

Jock cycle classic news:

 

"Welcome to the Lowveld. We hope you enjoy your stay." It's with these words and a wry smile that cycling locals welcome hopeful Jock finishers to Barberton annually.

 

The outstanding feature of the Jock still surprises novices every year - the mountains. Riders from Johannesburg, Pretoria and surrounds don't train on climbs that feel like they never end - and that's why most of the field suffer; really suffer, to make the 17:30 Jock cut-off in Barberton.

 

Many finishers collapse as they cross the line and have to be helped to the medals table. But in their agony they're all inspired by the fact that they have completed the Comrades of cycling.

 

On 21 July 1500 brave souls will again take to the roads between Barberton, Nelspruit and Kaapmuiden for the 29th staging of the Bestmed Jock Cycle Classique.

 

Among the starters will be many riders battling a personal setback or disability, and many more that would just like to show themselves that they can.

 

Any rider who finishes will know that he or she can be counted as one of the toughest in the sport - and he, or she, will have serious bragging rights for the rest of their existence.

 

Boulders and Hilltop have become part of South African cycling folklore. Boulders, on the second stage between Nelspruit and Kaapmuiden, is the main monster on the trip. It is 7km long with an average gradient of nine per cent. For about 3km it goes up to 14 per cent.

The backmarkers always battle to the top, but the big reward is an alpine like decent all the way to the finish in Kaapmuiden.

 

The parents’ committee of Bergvlam High School, who have been in charge of catering for the past three years, will again be on hand to spoil cyclists during the breakfast and lunch stops and they have promised to lay it on thick once again. Cyclists usually complain that they eat too much and battle to get up the climbs on the last stage!

 

The three-stage, 154km Bestmed Jock Cycle Classique is the biggest winter road event in the country, and is growing at a rate of more than 50% in entry totals annually. It seems riders love the three-stage format. The locals treat them really well before and after the racing. The food and hospitality just couldn’t be better.

 

The only change to the originally advertised race is that the second stage will commence at 9:00 for the first bunch, and not 8:30 as the entry form reads.

 

Mpower FM is following the Jock this year and will provide entertainment at each venue. They will also do live crossings during the day to keep listeners updated.

 

The Jock will be broadcast on SuperSport, so keep a look-out for programme guides.

 

Bestmed Jock Cycle Classique

Date: 21 July 2012

Venue: Coronation Park, Barberton

Starting times:

Stage 1: 6.30am; Stage 2: 9:00am; Stage 3: 12.30pm

Stage distances: Stage 1: Barberton to Nelspruit via Hilltop – 42km; Stage 2: Nelspruit to Kaapmuiden via Boulders – 58.8km; Stage 3: Kaapmuiden to Barberton – 54km

 

With every Jock medal worn, again a cyclist is born!

[ASG]

Have your family and friends track & monitor your race tommorow at JOCK!

 

ag trackers are available for rent or to purchase

 

Contact Ettienne on 083 276 7554 to get yours!

[2 X 2]

Hi ASG

 

Did the race yesterday. congratulations on a well organized race, it was very hard with the tandem, seat post broke twice, chain got caught between the blades, and the heat was extremely high.

 

One suggestion. The last stage became very dangerous with the afternoon traffic and the narrow road between Kaapmuiden and Baberton. Wouldn't it be better to run the race in the opposite direction? we would then go out on the narrow road to Kaapmuidem in the early morning and avoid most of the traffic. The second stage then from Kaapmuiden to Nelspruit over Boulders and the third stage fom Nelspruit to Baberton. The road fom Nelspruit is nice and wide and would be much safer traffic wise

 

What does the other people that rode the race think?

[Agteros]

Hi ASG

 

Did the race yesterday. congratulations on a well organized race, it was very hard with the tandem, seat post broke twice, chain got caught between the blades, and the heat was extremely high.

 

One suggestion. The last stage became very dangerous with the afternoon traffic and the narrow road between Kaapmuiden and Baberton. Wouldn't it be better to run the race in the opposite direction? we would then go out on the narrow road to Kaapmuidem in the early morning and avoid most of the traffic. The second stage then from Kaapmuiden to Nelspruit over Boulders and the third stage fom Nelspruit to Baberton. The road fom Nelspruit is nice and wide and would be much safer traffic wise

 

What does the other people that rode the race think?

Downhill down Boulder? (OK, there is a hill on the other side as well....)

Downhill from Nelspruit to Barberton?

 

Sounds like a race for downhill MTBs!

 

I was more concerned about the veld fire than the traffic on the last stage!

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/616899_10150957568066342_1432585970_o.jpg

[2 X 2]

Not really, all the downhill on the clockwise route would be uphill and there are plenty

[Agteros]

I am seriously thinking of moving down.....actually wanna ride it together with a female partner and just wanna enjoy it....will hear what organisers say tomorrow in Barberton!! Maybe rather AL or BL start.... ...I'll looking out for the "poked lab rat on the RED RC2000!! .....me....red cross (Swiss) Assos shirt on grey Scott CR1 Pro....

 

Never saw you, nor your shirt. Guess that means you stayed ahead of me!

 

I started stage 3 with the cleat on right shoe being walked into oblivion on Boulders. Had to cable tie my foot/shoe to the pedal for it not to fly off at the top of each stroke. Rode stage 3 just to finish on an empty stomach, was not fun at all!

[TheCuban]

Hilltop was a good taste of the Jock. Boulders was a nice sucker punch and actually thought that the worst was over during lunch as I still felt strong. Then came stage 3 and 15k's into it, BHAM, those hills start to kill you. With the last 20k's to go my whole cardiovascular system was failing me miserably... man I was suffering, even breathing was a challenge(6 months training for the Jock is a joke and def not enough so next year I'll be prepared). At least the legs had the juice. A well organised race thanks to the organisers and marshals. Vowed never again but I'd most likely sign up tomorrow.... we are such Suckers hehe. A big thumbs up to all the riders, the encouragement and good attitude made it worthwhile!

[Joe Low]

The suggestion of going round the other way is interesting. Do you think, though that it is better to get through Nelspruit and off the N4 earlier rather than later in the day?

 

I've done the last leg four or five times and theres never been a traffic problem, except sometimes support vehicles causing long tailbacks for regular users nearer to the start of stage 3.

[ASG]

A big thanks to all Jock participants this past weekend - SA's toughest 1day race!

 

Latest news: Burger shows peak form to win Jock

 

Lynette Burger continued her run of peak form when she won the overall Elite women’s title at the 2012 Best Med Jock Cycle Tour in Barberton on Saturday.

 

Widely considered South Africa’s toughest one-day race, ‘The Jock’, now run over three stages, totaling 153km, is a coveted race on the South African professional race calendar. And for Burger, who races for the Toyota CSA Academy team, it turned into a challenge both on and off the bike, but ultimately gave the 31-year-old her first ever win in the iconic race.

 

Once again, the women raced with the 50-plus veteran men. The first stage, a 48km leg from Barberton to Nelspruit, saw MTN Qhubeka’s An-Li Pretorius and Karien Alberts make a strong start, claiming first and second places respectively. Burger, who was dropped on the famous ‘Hilltop’ climb, just failed to reach the lead group by the finish, but managed to claim third place, a few seconds adrift.

 

The demanding second stage, a 58km haul from Nelspruit to Kaapmuiden over the testing ‘Boulders’ climb saw the field splinter dramatically. An eager Pretorius raced aggressively from the start and only Burger and Lee-Zaan Henrichsen (EOH) were able to stay in contact with her. Pretorius then moved clear over the top of Boulders and it required a hard effort for Burger to rejoin the leading group just before the start of the descent.

“None of the 50+ men wanted to help me get back, not making it easy at all but I managed to claw my way back to the front and got back on just before the descent. And I immediately attacked on the first corner of the descent,” explained Burger.

 

“I am very comfortable going downhill especially with loads of corners, so I managed to open a gap and stayed away till the finish, making up for the time I lost on the first stage and gaining a couple of seconds,” added Burger.

 

Pretorius finished the stage in second place and Henrichsen was third.

 

The final stage, a 53km leg from Kaapmuiden to Barberton, was started under a cloud of confusion. The race officials had Pretorius as the overall leader by five seconds over Burger on elapsed time. But according to Burger’s team manager, David Pieterse, it was Burger who should have been leading into the final stage.

Alberts won the final leg ahead of Burger with Pretorius in third, giving MTN Qhubeka their second stage win. But it was Burger who was declared the overall winner. Once the officials had examined the finish line camera footage of Stage 2 – at the request of Burger – they determined that Toyota CSA Academy rider had actually won the overall title from Pretorius by two seconds.

 

“I guess over three stages and 153km, two seconds is like a couple of metres, but a win is a win. I am so happy, I’ve always dreamed about winning The Jock but never thought that it was possible. I guess anything is possible as long as you set your mind to it,” smiled an elated Burger, who will now focus on winning a medal at the Masters World Championships in Pietermaritzburg next month in the 30-34 age category.

[Falco]

This was my first Jock.

Stage 1 no problem, stage 2 challenging but no major problem, then came stage 3.

I nearly died. I have NEVER suffered so much on a bike.

I have no idea how I finished, but somehow I did.

Next year? Probably, we never learn

[EggsBox]

Yes, finally I can say, I managed and finished the Jock, but only "ook maar net". Funny, up Boulders my heart rate was fine, but I just did not have the legs! The heat also did not help. And I just could not get going (legs were dead weight) the start of stage 3 for the first 10km, until the body start kicking in again and you count down the last kms But also did very little training (due to work pressure); so happy to have finished. Kremetart is a walk in park, compared to this race. Excellent organisation!!!

[Agteros]

Would love to know how many DNS' and DNFs there were!

[EggsBox]

Would love to know how many DNS' and DNFs there were!

 

Saw quite a few SUVs (wives/girlfriends) stopping next to road, loading up the bike; And the guy's just simply calling it a day!