Harryn Posted April 23, 2015 Share CL for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garthdv Posted April 23, 2015 Share 2nd Tour D'urban - AL for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadre Posted April 23, 2015 Share VC. Looks like a fast finish. Can't waitOn the nasty side, Venge. We go up an onramp and turn 90* west where fencing is placed between you and traffic in Argyle Rd. 60 meters on and another 90* turn north down another ramp towards Moses Mabida and the finish +- 600m up the road. You will approach this bridge at high speed. Be very careful. You will brake to an almost standstill. Happened to me last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garthdv Posted April 23, 2015 Share Just hope the cramps stay away this year, legs seized up after 85km last year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veebee Posted April 23, 2015 Share Also, for those who did the Emperors Palace Classic, that climb at 42km is very similar to the first section of the M7 climb. The M7 section is about 200m longer and a tad steeper. well if its similar then it should be "OK" I guess. I will cruise up at 10km/hr so I can make it up the rest. I really suffer on climbs so just need to make it into Pinetown and I should be ok to complete. I did the EPC in 3:50 with some serious cramping in the last 10km which threw me out by about 20mins as I had to get off the bike. What can I expect on TD ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieL Posted April 23, 2015 Share well if its similar then it should be "OK" I guess. I will cruise up at 10km/hr so I can make it up the rest. I really suffer on climbs so just need to make it into Pinetown and I should be ok to complete. I did the EPC in 3:50 with some serious cramping in the last 10km which threw me out by about 20mins as I had to get off the bike. What can I expect on TD ? 1) Pain. For the first bit.2) Then descent. Lots of it.3) Then flat coastal highway with smooth tar. Better this way than the other way around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombeej Posted April 23, 2015 Share well if its similar then it should be "OK" I guess. I will cruise up at 10km/hr so I can make it up the rest. I really suffer on climbs so just need to make it into Pinetown and I should be ok to complete. I did the EPC in 3:50 with some serious cramping in the last 10km which threw me out by about 20mins as I had to get off the bike. What can I expect on TD ? If cramps stay away I'm sure you can go inside 4 hours. Dissolve 3 Rennies into your second bottle (that's what I do) to try help prevent cramps later on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombeej Posted April 23, 2015 Share On the nasty side, Venge. We go up an onramp and turn 90* west where fencing is placed between you and traffic in Argyle Rd. 60 meters on and another 90* turn north down another ramp towards Moses Mabida and the finish +- 600m up the road. You will approach this bridge at high speed. Be very careful. You will brake to an almost standstill. Happened to me last year. Yip, best to be in the front of the group when you get to the turnaround. This is what you're talking about. We come down the M4 and take the offramp, then hard right and immediately another hard right to come back to the finish in front of the stadium: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazshell Posted April 23, 2015 Share Yip, best to be in the front of the group when you get to the turnaround. This is what you're talking about. We come down the M4 and take the offramp, then hard right and immediately another hard right to come back to the finish in front of the stadium:Year before last, some woman stopped ON the final corner to pick up her water bottle. Pandemonium! Why would you even be drinking at this stage of the race? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 23, 2015 Share Don't need a corner to crash. My first Tour Durban, I was in the bunch sprint (VA). Two or three guys moved left about 200m out, and I followed their wheels. All of them went down (not sure how) and I hit brakes, came to a complete stop, and was lucky to have missed it. I think one or two were behind me and also had to roll over the line content with a minor place. Happy with the result (15th), but obviously disappointed that I missed out contesting the final 200m and a possible top 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SL7 Posted April 23, 2015 Share On the nasty side, Venge. We go up an onramp and turn 90* west where fencing is placed between you and traffic in Argyle Rd. 60 meters on and another 90* turn north down another ramp towards Moses Mabida and the finish +- 600m up the road. You will approach this bridge at high speed. Be very careful. You will brake to an almost standstill. Happened to me last year.Thanks for the headsup. Will try and be at the front of my group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantc Posted April 23, 2015 Share DL for me7:26 start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harryn Posted April 23, 2015 Share To people who have not raced Tour Durban before and are looking at that big climb up the M7 with a bit of trepidation, look at it this way: It's a 12 - 14km climb depending on where you'd categorise the top to be. But it's not a solid/sustained climb, more like a series of smaller bumps with lots of opportunity to take a breather in between each one. It really is not as bad as it looks on paper (there are even a couple of little downhill sections). There is one sustained section that you need to plan your race strategy around, and that is the very first 2.5km of the climb. This section is a steady 6% ramp that doesn't relent. But there's relief at the top with a flat section where you can recover before the next little kick upwards. That's were you need your full focus. Be willing to dig deep to stay with the bunch there and keep telling yourself it's only 2.5km long and then it's over. If you are still with the bunch there, then 80% of the job is done for the M7 climb. You just need to properly commit to the first 2.5km ramp, that's it. Yes there are more kickers after that, but if you're still in reasonable shape after the first ramp then you should be just fine for the rest of the way.Awesome, I am gonna do my best to take this advice.! Just thought I would also mention that on Friday 1 May is the Delloites marathon, which has a 40 km cycle race from Ballito to Kings stadium. So its an opp to ride the Newly surfaced M4 twice in one week, with road closure. Should be an awesome funride ; entries on Championchip.co.za Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazshell Posted April 23, 2015 Share Awesome, I am gonna do my best to take this advice.! Just thought I would also mention that on Friday 1 May is the Delloites marathon, which has a 40 km cycle race from Ballito to Kings stadium. So its an opp to ride the Newly surfaced M4 twice in one week, with road closure. Should be an awesome funride ; entries on Championchip.co.zaAnd then there's the Hibiscus Coast Challenge on Saturday, 2nd May in Margate. 80km full road closure and only starts at 1.00pm so don't have to get up at crack of dawn to get there. Entries on www.roag.co.za . KZN is at last getting some racing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harryn Posted April 23, 2015 Share And then there's the Hibiscus Coast Challenge on Saturday, 2nd May in Margate. 80km full road closure and only starts at 1.00pm so don't have to get up at crack of dawn to get there. Entries on www.roag.co.za . KZN is at last getting some racing!Your'e gonna cause a divorce or 2 with this post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazshell Posted April 23, 2015 Share Your'e gonna cause a divorce or 2 with this post.Make a day of it. Lazy drive down the coast for late breakfast. Do the race. Missus can go shopping or lie on the beach for a few hours. Late lunch and home. It's all in the sales pitch! I've entered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.