[Event] Tour Durban

[bobbie]

It was an awesome race as always and even more special as I did it with my little girl on the back of the tandem!

 

Highlight of the event was definitely meeting Harry (Harryn) - an honour to meet you at last!!

 

See you all at the Shova!

[Harryn]

It was an awesome race as always and even more special as I did it with my little girl on the back of the tandem!

 

Highlight of the event was definitely meeting Harry (Harryn) - an honour to meet you at last!!

 

See you all at the Shova!

 

Thank you Bobbie, it Was fantastic meeting you and your kids

[Stiglitz86]

Started AL batch, got spat out at the bottom of the 2.5km climb, battled the whole way up and over, snuck into a BL batch at the bottom of the hill the whole way to about 5km from the turn around point and then i was spent(burnt my last match stick trying for dear life to stay with them), battled with the little headwind all on my own after the turn around point for 15km, got caught by a batch and latched on for dear life for the last 15km as i was looking at a 3:30 finish but burnt the matchbox with the small group to finish 3:21..... Very happy with the event....

Edited April 29, 2014 by Lock4

[jimmycool]

Started AL batch, got spat out at the bottom of the 2.5km climb, battled the whole way up and over, snuck into a BL batch at the bottom of the hill the whole way to about 5km from the turn around point and then i was spent(burnt my last match stick trying for dear life to stay with them), battled with the little headwind all on my own after the turn around point for 15km, got caught by a batch and latched on for dear life for the last 15km as i was looking at a 3:30 finish but burnt the matchbox with the small group to finish 3:21..... Very happy with the event....

 

My race panned out almost exactly the same as yours. I managed to stay with the bunch that picked me up at the bottom of the M19 up until Durban north and from there I was on my own all the way to the circle and then coming back into the wind was a killer as I could see a bunch about 250m ahead of me and I burnt all my matches, the match box and even my finger tips trying to get back in touch but to no avail. Finally with 8km to go the next bunch swept me up and we all whizzed along to the finish in a 3h20 time.

Having started out in mountain biking 2.5 years ago I must admit that I am really enjoying this roadie thing a lot! Don't get me wrong, I still love the dirt but there is something special about the speed and the sound and the rush of the group that I love about riding on the black-top.

[Daxiet]

My second Tour Durban, first was in 2009, finally made it down to Durbs to give it a go again. Just as great a race as I recalled from 2009. Sad that the race doesn't get the turn out it deserves. Brilliantly organised and an entertaining route. If all goes to plan I will make the 700kms trip down again next year.

 

Brought 3 riders with for their 1st Tour Durban and all 3 loved the event.

 

Went off in AL and completed in 2:48:01.

[bmw1za]

My race panned out almost exactly the same as yours. I managed to stay with the bunch that picked me up at the bottom of the M19 up until Durban north and from there I was on my own all the way to the circle and then coming back into the wind was a killer as I could see a bunch about 250m ahead of me and I burnt all my matches, the match box and even my finger tips trying to get back in touch but to no avail. Finally with 8km to go the next bunch swept me up and we all whizzed along to the finish in a 3h20 time.

Having started out in mountain biking 2.5 years ago I must admit that I am really enjoying this roadie thing a lot! Don't get me wrong, I still love the dirt but there is something special about the speed and the sound and the rush of the group that I love about riding on the black-top.

 

Was this the bunch of guys on MTB's ? with a couple of roadbikes? If yes then bloody well done... I too spent lots of matchsticks on that last 15kms holding on for dear life... guys were flying like moto GP!

[bobbie]

This race deserves to be supported much better.

 

The route is fantastic and fast! The race was brilliantly organised, registration was swift with efficient staff and the marshalls were superb too.

 

My only worry was at the bottom of the M19 having to turn sharp left before the bridge. As we had turned a big truck also turned and took down the steel barriers in the process causing a cyclist behind us to almost hit the deck. If it had been us on our tandem we would not have stayed upright - but said cyclist seemed fine and with the adrenaline now pumping flew past us.

 

My little one on the back giggled all the way as she said: "Mom, that cyclist showed the truck his middlefinger" hahahahaha

 

anyway, roadworks is nothing the organisers could do anything about and hopefully we can fly straight through down the M19, through Springfield Park and join the M4 again like previous events.

 

Thank you for an awesome event as always!