Amashova 2013

[BMXER]

Rode my 12 shova, despite the wind I rode my best ever race. Averaged 37kph and finished with a healthy sub 3.

 

And yes the shova is harder than the 94.7. A sub 3 94.7 is definitely easier.

[Rob K]

Hi All,

 

My first (and best) Amashova.

 

We left Durban at 4:00 am to drop my girls at their 65 km start.

The marshals were already at their stations and I think in light of their long long day - they did a great job.

 

I found the route a lot more challenging than anticipated - loved the quip that Durban is actually higher than Maritzburg - a lot more climbing than expected - but overall a great route and fantastic event.

 

Having everyone's first names on their number board was a stroke of genius and the level of spirit and camaraderie was second to none.

 

We had a lot of laughs despite the wind and were extremely lucky the rain held off.

 

I'll definitely be there next year.

 

Rob

[Harryn]

Started in P batch and was basically on my own the whole way. I really enjoyed the cool weather considering the punishing heat, humidity and wind that we often have to ride in here. Those were great riding conditions, I don't know what folks are complaining about.

 

Started strong: by the bottom of Inchanga at halfway I was going through D batch and just before Hillcrest I started seeing bits of B batch. That's when the wheels fell off a bit. Cramping in both legs from about 30km out, to the extent that I couldn't stand at all, and was forced to just spin the rest of the way home.

 

Was on track for a sub-3hr solo ride (on my own the whole way), but limped in at 3h12.

 

Still, I had a blast. Lovely course and great organisation. .

 

Fantastic achievement, well done. I am interested to know if you rode "carb free".

[Daxiet]

This was the first time I have ridden from a seeded group, D.... I must say that it was the funniest thing ever.

These guys take it SOOOOOO seriously. Attacking here and then shuffling and pushing for positions there. ITS GROUP D man!

 

The group splintered up the hills in the middle and reformed on the drag down to Durban.... heres my question as a newbie. Why on earth do the people not work together in these groups? Instead they jocky for position in a large group at speeds over 50km/h, causing the entire group to get nervous and slow down...

 

If you are still 30km out, making up 2 positions in a group of 100 plus is not going to change your result, but you are slowing the group down which will.

 

Talk about motivation to get to faster groups!

 

Speaking of the wind, I see 50 odd guys from group D sub 3h last year, only guys 3 did it this year, not sure if thats an indication of how the wind effects the middle guys..... So not too unhappy with a 3:15.

 

Does anybody have an idea on the Beta value of this ride?

 

I was in D at my first Amashova, a couple guys must have snuck off the front at some stage (1st 6 places), clearly they did a great job in breaking away and achieving a good result. Each batch is its own race (sort of a race of "equals or close to equals" thanks to seeding), one of the things I love about road racing is the cat and mouse games. On each turn the batch speeds up, on each climb the leaders keep the pace up trying to fracture the group, it's all part of the fun (active effort to drop the fat from the bunch). The leaders often do work together in a united effort to shake it up. Without the games it wouldn't be fun, just sitting in what would best be described as a bus until the finish line. Also think it is more risky when the bunches remain very large which is typical of flat races, so thinning them out is safer. All in all it remains a race, not just for the elite men, but for each batch.

 

All that said I think what sort of messed up D batch's progress was us catching a large contingent of C batch that had been dropped as well as some riders from other earlier batches (collecting more as we progressed through the race). We seemed to lose drive because of this and sub 3 vanished from our grasp, don't think the wind is all to blame, just complacency set in....

 

I finished in 3:05:09, would have prefered a sub 3, but can't complain, I should have put in more effort at the front of the bunch to try achieve it like the 6 riders who finished ahead of us (3 of which achieved it, actually 4 if you consider we had close to 1 min added to our actual times).

 

Great race, the profile is very deceptive, plenty climbing which was great, worth the trip down and I'll definitely do it again next year.

Edited October 14, 2013 by Daxiet

[Chopper Jr]

It was a tough race. At about the 60km mark, there was a 20 man breakaway in the A group. By the time I noticed, they already had a 40m lead. Pedaled my butt off to bridge the gap, but without success. When i checked behind me, there were 3 of us in no-man's land. We worked together for the next 30km, only to be swallowed up by a 30 man group, with just over 10km to go. Didn't have a lot left in the tank for the final sprint, and finished in the middle of the group in 2:47. I was gunning for 2:45, but considering the headwind for most of the race, i probablyshouldn't complain.

I think I was one of the three... on the red SWorks... we flipping pedalled forever on our own until the rest of A group caught us coming into Durbs. What was quite disturbing was the accident the 2 ladies had trying to tail us at 60km/h - hope they're not seriously injured. Looking at the results only 15 of them broke away. I had a bit left for the sprint which is always fun, managed 3rd in that... all that after riding 450km to Pietermaritzburg from Kroonstad.

[tombeej]

Fantastic achievement, well done. I am interested to know if you rode "carb free".

 

Thanks Harry.

Not 100% carb free... more like low carbs.

 

Eggs & bacon for brekkie. Then a banana on the start line a few seconds before the gun, and a packet of 32GI chews on the road. Besides that, water only.

 

The cramping was not from lack of nutrition/water, more like a lack of fitness and also the legs not being used to that sustained intensity for such a long time (my first bike race in years).

[fabs]

Well, what can I say about my first Amashova.

 

I found out its not downhill from PMB to DBN.

A clever optical illusion at best.

 

Well done to the organisers, everything went smoothly.

A great idea to have your name printed on the race number, there was opportunity to shout out some good chirps.

 

I started in the E group, and considering the bad weather, I was fortunate to get into some good groups,

there was a small fast one where the lead out man had a camera on his helmet.

Thanks to you guys, I am very impressed with my 3h19

 

I did believe that this is harder than the 94,7 and Argus, mainly because there are less people on the route to spur you on.

 

Sorry, i'm not familiar yet with the geography and place names, but there were some nasty hills out there.

Some of them seemed never ending.

Not knowing or having seen the terrain before, wasn't sure how hard to push on some uphills,

fearing there would be another lurking just behind it.

 

I really appreciated the scenery, with lots of rolling hills and greenery.

There were are lot of keen youngsters along the way in the rural areas wanting to "high 5" with the riders.

 

Compliments to all, now I just need to work on shaving 1 minute every 5 km's, to go below the 3 hour mark

[Kallie.]

This was my 3rd Shova and I was very happy with my ride in B bunch, kudos to all the guys in the Compendium kit, they spent a lot of time in the front of B.

 

I heard one guy come down very hard behind me as we went over a speed bump, he must've not seen it but it sounded eina, I hope he's ok!!

 

This is definitely one of my favorite races, one of the better events on the calendar. I'll be back next year. Well done to the organizers!!

Edited October 15, 2013 by Clay

[Harryn]

 

Thanks Harry.

Not 100% carb free... more like low carbs.

 

Eggs & bacon for brekkie. Then a banana on the start line a few seconds before the gun, and a packet of 32GI chews on the road. Besides that, water only.

 

The cramping was not from lack of nutrition/water, more like a lack of fitness and also the legs not being used to that sustained intensity for such a long time (my first bike race in years).

 

Amazing. I ate nothing save for one bananna at the first water point. But was carbed to the gills with Hammer Perpetuem in one bottle, and water in the other. The stuff is da bomb, and all natural. Allegedly.

[ricochet_rabbit]

This was my 3rd Shova and I was very happy with my ride in B bunch, kudos to all the guys in the Compendium kit, they spent a lot of time in the front of B.

 

I heard one guy come down very hard behind me as we went over a speed bump, he must've not seen it but it sounded eina, I hope he's ok!!

 

This is definitely one of my favorite races, one of the better events on the calendar. I'll be back next year. Well done to the organizers!!

 

The boys in the compendium kit are all from the Tri-X Multisport Club in Durban North / Umhlanga.

[Kallie.]

The boys in the compendium kit are all from the Tri-X Multisport Club in Durban North / Umhlanga.

 

Ah ok, thanks!! Well done and thanks to them, they did plenty work!!

[Prozac]

Well done to all !

 

Great race without any incidents for me ( )

Same old . . . could not stay with A bunch up fox hill ( What does the fox say ? . . . )

 

Worked with a +- 10 rider group , Stayed out of trouble at inchanga , B bunch caught us and left me behind up botha's. A new group formed and got bigger till the end.

 

Managed a 2:55:51 - my deep sections did not work . . .

 

Thanx

[Garfield2010]

There was a pool of blood in the city centre about 5km from the end. Anyone know what it was about?

[jimmycool]

There was a pool of blood in the city centre about 5km from the end. Anyone know what it was about?

yes I saw that too. I thought it was perhaps road kill from the night before like an alley cat or stray dog.

[Lone Rider]

I think I was one of the three... on the red SWorks... we flipping pedalled forever on our own until the rest of A group caught us coming into Durbs. What was quite disturbing was the accident the 2 ladies had trying to tail us at 60km/h - hope they're not seriously injured. Looking at the results only 15 of them broke away. I had a bit left for the sprint which is always fun, managed 3rd in that... all that after riding 450km to Pietermaritzburg from Kroonstad.

Hey Rob, you were a machine out there. I was on the Scott. Yeah, I'm not sure what happened to the ladies behind us. I hit a pot-hole just before I heard them crash...maybe the pothole was to blame

[Skott5]

Are the hills really that bad ?

I dont do many road races - actually it's my first road race in over 6 years, but there didnt seem to be much climbing /

Sani day 2 has 1600m odd of ascent, with some brutal climbs, so maybe by basis for comparrison is a bit off.

 

This is a genuine question by the way. I was just wondering how the Shova rates against other races.