Langebaan Lagoon Cycle Challenge

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Your results will show later in the week once they confirmed your Ppa membership.

Thanks will check on it later in the week then

[Denny Menchov]

Morning

 

Langebaan Race Report

by Dennis Lamminga

 

For some reason the world flipped upside down this weekend as we experienced European weather in the middle of November! What to do? Let’s escape the Cape Town Storms and head to a drier place 1 hour north, towards Langebaan.

 

I love the Langebaan Race, because:

 

· It rolls through the West Coast National Park

· No Vehicles are allowed during the race

· You get to experience the Weskus Nature

· There’s very nice prizes at the end!

 

Over 400 riders lined up to do the 80km Race. As most of the Outriders have bettered their seeding, it was great starting in the first group with my tjommas. Groups A-C were called forward and we wished our other half of the “Blue Train” good bye. They were starting in the group just behind us. We were also joined by City Cycling Club’s husband / wife team of Freddie / Bianca and 3 x more girls: Lolita, Desi and Maroesjke.

 

As the gun went off, I am happy to report that the “Neutral Zone” was actually neutral, and no one sped off. The race officially starts at the reserve entrance, but disaster!: my buddy Douglas’s chain came off and he had to stop to put it back on. I decided to hang back and the plan was this: together we’ll fight back to the peloton. Or so we thought.. That 200m gap didn’t seem to get any smaller. We really pedalled as fast as we could and my Heart Rate has never been this high, so glad to be able to push it over the 180’s again, so thanks Douglas!

 

Needless to say we didn’t catch the bunch. At the first 180 degree turn-around point we sort of gave up as I worked out the bunch had about a 1 minute lead on us. Luckily we saw the next group approaching at break-neck speed, so I decided to stop to try and help this rider with a back wheel problem. Unfortunately it looked like his bottom-bracket was completely seized up, so I waited until group 2 zoomed past with a “Haaak Vrystaat!!” from Daron spear-heading the front! Douglas and I had no idea what was going on in the first group now. All we could see was David Garrett and another younster maintaining their mini-breakaway and Angelo, Mario and Anton trying to chase them down with a very determined look on their faces.

 

I joined up with the 2^nd blue train and said a few quick hello’s to everyone I knew. Then off the the front we went and attacked every mini rolling hill, keeping the “through-and-off” technique going. At the next turning point at Kraalbaai we thought that we might actually be gaining time on the first bunch, so we attacked again on the way back towards the end. Quick Left Turn into the Northerly wind and the last 30km was just vasbyt as hard as you could.

 

And so the last little sting in the tail arrived: Mamba Hill. This is a 800 m bump right at the end of the race. It’s got a 7.2% average incline, but it’s just long enough to cause a bit of a headache, not a nice way to end a race! We did a bit of a lead-out for Outrider Esrick Bull, and he shot past me with renewed energy taking 1^st place of the 2^nd group. Very well done Esrick, nice climbing! Flashbacks of our Malanshoogte training rides shot through my head.

 

The rest of the peloton rolled over the finish line and we were pleasantly surprised to have a hearty welcome by all our Outrider and City Cycling Club friends. Thanks for the support guys! We heard that Outrider Angelo managed 7^th overall, and 1^st Vet in.

 

Langebaan Accolades go to:

 

· The 4 x girls that managed to stay with the 1^st group: Big medals to Lolita, Bianca, Desi and Maroesjke

· Angelo, Anton, Darren, Dane, Lukas, Mario, Freddie, Reinhardt: All finished with a terrific average of almost 36 kmph over a tough course

· Esrick Bull, finishing just 4 minutes after the first bunch, and claiming a group D-G win

· Douglas, Geno, Steve, Mike Guard, Andrew, James, Shaun, Daron, Philip – tremendous effort in Group 2 – you can be proud of yourselves!

· Last but not least: Hannes van Aardt who started in Group M-N. He was doing tremendous pulls up-front, and managed to finish in the top 25% of the field. Pragtig Hannes!

 

What a superb race. Well organised. Great camaraderie. And I won the biggest Lucky Draw prize as well: 4 nights in Club Mykonos! Whoohoo!

Bianca and Lolita also won fantastic prizes, so we’ll definitely return next year )

 

Rgds, Denny

[Denny Menchov]

Start of the 80km Race

Edited November 18, 2013 by Denny Menchov

[Denny Menchov]

End of the race - everyone gets podium!

Edited November 18, 2013 by Denny Menchov

[Aaron_B]

Did a 2hour 53min on the mountain bike - really need that road bike, as I ran out of gear ratio AGAIN...

[Micky Mouse]

Does anyone know where I will find the pictures taken?

http://bernardvoges.smugmug.com/Lagoon-Cycle-Race

[G...]

http://bernardvoges....goon-Cycle-Race

 

Thank you, don't see myself there.

 

[-cK-]

There are some other photos here as well

https://www.facebook.com/LagoonCycleChallenge/photos_stream

[b@ndit]

My first time and definitely not the last, did 302.Was expecting to do 330 so really happy... Mamba def took a bite at the end