The Munga - The Toughest Race On Earth

[Prince Albert Cycles]

Still watching dots .

Don't know her but thought that Katja would sleep over at last check point , but no she is moving . She has 50 to go how brave alone on the Ceres road .

Go Katje go !

[shaper]

Just spoke to my mate Garth who is in Sutherland, says the wind was brutal again today and is why many back markers are struggling. He is aiming to be up at midnight for the last 300 km push to the finish!

[Guest]

This guy... well done.. damn does anyone know how long he had to walk after his spokes broke

 

One thing I didnt mention before about Sbu. I rode a few times with him past his house in Swayimana. We were met with derision each time. He has  had to put up with a lot of mockery from the locals to do the sport he has chosen,

I say this not to put a bad light light on the local guys but to highlight the determination of a young guy who has gone against the norm in his social situation and persevered for years to get  to where he is.

 

Well done Sbu

I am proud of you.!

[Gen]

One thing I didnt mention before about Sbu. I rode a few times with him past his house in Swayimana. We were met with derision each time. He has had to put up with a lot of mockery from the locals to do the sport he has chosen,

I say this not to put a bad light light on the local guys but to highlight the determination of a young guy who has gone against the norm in his social situation and persevered for years to get to where he his.

 

Well done Sbu

I am proud of you.!

Incredible... he is one determined young man.

 

We went for a mtb ride today and just before we got home a guy rode past us on a old road bike.. (gears still on the frame) in his blue overalls with safety boots and a big Qhubeka logo painted on the back of his overall top.. really gave me a big smile. And I thought of your friend Sbu and how far he has come and what he has gone through to get to where he is[emoji4]

[Bat]

That is Sbu in the top photo. He is from a very rural area outside Wartburg About 5 years ago he pitched up at the Wartburg classic 45Km MTB race on an old road bike. After about 10 punctures the sweep brought him home ,we all  smiled at his naivety but acknowledged his determination. The following year he pitched up on a borrowed MTB and did ok. He then started joining us on a few MTB rides in the area, always with an old pair of army boots for shoes.

He organised a bike from a local farmer and started doing very well in the races. He would sometimes come past my house exhausted and I'd ask " hey Sbu where you been?" " Mr.Mark I went to Muden dam"  he'd say.( thats about a 200Km ride.) on pap and water. After a chow he'd ride another 30km home. I gave him a lift to a few events and always noticed he never ate. I had to force him to accept a meal after the races because he said he did not want us to think he was there just to get a hand out.

 

The first 2 races he podiumed he came to my house to give me his medal that he won.  I refused because I did not do the race. I found he then left the medal at my door later that day. He did the same for the farmer, Guy,  who also helped him.  By then he had hooked up  with Martin and joined the Change a life academy where he now excels.

 

 Another time after Hill2hill he offered to buy me a coke. When we got to the team vehicle they told him they were leaving. He said I must take the money he was going to use to buy the coke- it was R200 note. When I refused he was very upset and said I was hurting his heart because he wanted to gift me, R200 is a lot of money for someone who has very little, I was really humbled.

 

I hope he does well in his race.

Chainsaw, I just had to go back and find your post on Sbu again, and for my wife to read. What an inspirational story, and when you see him again, please let him know many people were wishing him well on this extreme challenge and how well he has done.

[River Rat]

Looks like CV is running behind schedule and will arrive at Sutherland at approximately 4:00 am  this is cutting it fine but a finish is still on sans 2 hours of rest. I hope the run in from Sutherland is as quick for them as it was for the guys from last year, if not well.....

[Gen]

I see Katja is now in the no tracker update area.. ride to the finish line safely..

[River Rat]

Okay let's consider the options for the guy in last place Mike Glover who has adopted an interesting strategy of riding fast but stopping often (1 day 23 hours moving time versus 1day 10 hours of rest) . He's stopped in Fraserberg (693km) with 418km left at his moving average of 14.6kph he has 29 hours of riding left with 33.5 hours available . I can't see him managing this but watch him prove me wrong.

 

I'm still backing CV and what seems to be his partner in crime Dirk Griessel to be our last finishers simply because of their strategy of consistency ( sounds like an Allan Gray ad!). But damn after 700km I'm rooting for all of them go MG go!

[90 Inch]

Some photo's posted here 

 

https://www.facebook.com/pg/TeamIntellibus/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1280194635364825

 

If you know the riders, please Tag...

[River Rat]

Okay let's consider the options for the guy in last place Mike Glover who has adopted an interesting strategy of riding fast but stopping often (1 day 23 hours moving time versus 1day 10 hours of rest) . He's stopped in Fraserberg (693km) with 418km left at his moving average of 14.6kph he has 29 hours of riding left with 33.5 hours available . I can't see him managing this but watch him prove me wrong.

 

I'm still backing CV and what seems to be his partner in crime Dirk Griessel to be our last finishers simply because of their strategy of consistency ( sounds like an Allan Gray ad!). But damn after 700km I'm rooting for all of them go MG go!

As I check back on this MG goes off piste at 60kph which in dot speak usually means he's in car and race over. Damn, I could be wrong and I hope I am.

[SwissVan]

One thing I didnt mention before about Sbu. I rode a few times with him past his house in Swayimana. We were met with derision each time. He has  had to put up with a lot of mockery from the locals to do the sport he has chosen,

I say this not to put a bad light light on the local guys but to highlight the determination of a young guy who has gone against the norm in his social situation and persevered for years to get  to where he is.

 

Well done Sbu

I am proud of you.!

 

And thank you for the awesome background info on Sbu...really humbling to see how some persevere and overcome real issues to participate in their sport.

[90 Inch]

Chainsaw, I just had to go back and find your post on Sbu again, and for my wife to read. What an inspirational story, and when you see him again, please let him know many people were wishing him well on this extreme challenge and how well he has done.

I chatted to him when his back wheel collapsed on the last climb into Sutherland and told him how the guys on the Hub were rooting for him, he smiled, picked up his bike and started running into town

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[River Rat]

This is the graveyard shift for those at the back of the field and having just put the mockers on MG  I'm hesitant to even talk about Christiaan Palmer and Pieter van Hoogdalem lest I come cross as the grim reaper. The back of the field is really struggling and what looked like a comfortable finish yesterday is not looking too rosy today let's hope conditions improve for them. 

[rvdm1]

Some photo's posted here

 

https://www.facebook.com/pg/TeamIntellibus/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1280194635364825

 

If you know the riders, please Tag...

Awesome!

[Gen]

I chatted to him when his back wheel collapsed on the last climb into Sutherland and told him how the guys on the Hub were rooting for him, he smiled, picked up his bike and started running into town

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What a champ[emoji122] [emoji122]

[Gen]

KATJA is almost at the finish line.