Freedom Challenge: Race on!

[Shebeen]

The scariest mofo of a race profile you'll ever see

 

he's at about the 500 part for now.

[Shebeen]

In 62-63 hours, 560 kms ridden, and +13,174 metres cumulative climbing up until Chesneywold, by Dreyer and Harris (Author: John Loos)

 

 

 

Alex Harris arrived at Chesneywold support station to rest and sleep shortly after Martin Dreyer. So for the 3rd day it was Martin that arrived ahead of Alex, showing himself to probably be the faster of the 2 riders, assuming he isn't pushing harder than Harris. Unlike stage races, however, arriving ahead of the other at the same support station doesn't count for anything if you both stay the night in the same place. In the morning you're "all square". The rider arriving later does get less rest. But what we don't know is which rider can get by with less sleep - Dreyer the adventure racer or Harris the Everest climber. Both have serious "lack of sleep credentials".

 

The official estimate if distance ridden to Chesneywold by the 2 riders is 560km in about 62 -63 hours. The total climbing over this part of the race has been +13,174 metres and the cumulative descent -11,968 metres according to my calculations based on the race route profile charts. Sitting in my lounge in Jozi getting tired thinking about it.

 

As a matter of interest. During last year's Race Across South Africa, we found an article published on the web regarding distances and cumulative ascent of the Tour de France, Epic and Freedom Challenge. Makes for interesting reading:

 

 

Riding 2300k’s in 26 days sounds quite achievable to your average road cyclist but to ride / hike-a-bike, this distance on footpaths, tracks and trails in the middle of winter whilst climbing a cumulative altitude of 47000 metres is a remarkable accomplishment and one realized by the 28 riders who competed in the 2010 Freedom Challenge Race across South Africa. Only 16 finished!

 

Freedom Challenge

Tour de France

Cape Epic

Distance

2300km

3600km

650-1000km

Vertical Ascent

47km

25km*

14-18km

Tar

<100km

3600km

?

Gates

>100

0

0

*Only includes all the category climbs

 

 

source: http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com/2012/06/in-62-63-hours-560-kms-ridden-and-13174.html

[cat-i]

Glenn's blog has very regular updates. Here's a post about the slower riders that i particularly enjoyed this morning - it gives you insight into how hard this race is ... and then about the spectacular performance that we see out there from Martin and Alex, Tweet, Mike, Trevor and everyone else riding.

 

http://glennharrisonsa.blogspot.com/2012/06/for-slower-riders-in-race-across-sa.html

[Chro Mo]

Big up to the folks doing the RASA.

 

On my bucket list for my fiftieth!

 

Respect!

[cat-i]

Alex broke a seatpost.

[GLuvsMtb]

Any updates on the racing? What about Alex and the seat post? Would be a great shame if he had to withdraw.

[slabs]

Lots of updates on Twitter and also on the blog already mentioned. Guys are putting in huge days and little sleep. By all reports there is some horrible weather approaching for the next few days.

[slabs]

Final stretch - seems like they will be in Cape Town Friday or Saturday. They started in the last group and will be in Cape Town first!

[Tumbleweed]

Final stretch - seems like they will be in Cape Town Friday or Saturday. They started in the last group and will be in Cape Town first!

 

Looks like Dreyer will take it according to some of the latest tweets.

[slabs]

Looks like Dreyer will take it according to some of the latest tweets.

 

He is more than a day ahead of the record pace.

[Tumbleweed]

He is more than a day ahead of the record pace.

 

Yeah, I was rooting for Harris, but Dreyer will be a more than worthy winner!

Edited June 27, 2012 by Tumbleweed

[slabs]

Yeah, I was rooting for Harris, but Dreyer's will be a more than worthy winner!

 

No here is the clincher - Martin will ride with his wife next year and she will smash the ladies record by a number of days.

[Kranswurm]

Remarkable....true hero's all who finish this journey.

 

I think it would kill me now :-(

[eddy]

 

 

Yeah, I was rooting for Harris, but Dreyer will be a more than worthy winner!

 

I think Martin is one of the all time good guys around and the work he is doing in the KZN rural valleys on a shoestring is more likely to produce an Olympic medal than the billions of taxpayers money spent by the official "development" structures.

 

Go Martin !

 

.

[Tumbleweed]

I think Martin is one of the all time good guys around and the work he is doing in the KZN rural valleys on a shoestring is more likely to produce an Olympic medal than the billions of taxpayers money spent by the official "development" structures.

 

Go Martin !

 

.

 

Heard many good things about him.

 

Just read that Harris has left Willowmoore.

[Shebeen]

No here is the clincher - Martin will ride with his wife next year and she will smash the ladies record by a number of days.

dunno about that. might be his turn to look after the kids(he's got a six week old now, helped prep him for sleep deprivation) and his wife is no ordinary wife. she's the artist formerly known as Jeannie Bomford - won pretty much every multisport race out there.