W.A.C.T 19/03 - Malmesbury PPA ride

['Dale]

Lekka weekend there, mamil

Pity about the dudes who won't afford you some grace at the toilets.

[Thor Buttox]

As noted - this was tough.

 

A disorganised start with 4 toilets and a queue a mile long. Stood in the queue until I could see that group H was about to leave at which point I was No 5 in the line. I asked the oke in front and the guy behind him (one in X and the other in W - and two other people behind them both in M) if I could go first because H was about to leave. Mr X and Mr W both rudely and patronizingly declined my request and so instead of giving them a lecture drawn from one of my favourite pieces of research which talks about altruism and evolutionary stable strategies I told them both they were pr1cks and overweight to boot.

 

I got to the start 30 seconds before my group left but actually I needn't have bothered. After plummeting down Voortrekker and making the turn at the bottom in the middle of the group I tried to accelerate to stay with them and my legs declined as abruptly as the two chops in the toilet queue. To be fair, they'd been telling me I was insane since I swung them over the edge of the bed at 5am. (My legs that is, not the two chops)

 

That'll teach me to insist on starting with H when I can barely keep up with them when I'm rested let alone recovering from a hard MTB ride the day before.

 

My Garmin flashed up a message saying my recovery was fair - a clear lie because I was now toiling up the hill to Riekeeck Kasteel alone and fantasizing about pulling off at that lovely vlllage where my S.O. and offspring were having breakfast.

 

Halfway down the descent, the next group caught me and seemed in the process of splitting but actually they were just dropping me and I ended up with a PPA marshall who was at Breede on Saturday too and another chap from H with whom I exchanged a friendly greeting of mutual recognition. "I think I've been dropped with you before" we observed to each other and rode to the 60k mark in our little group of stragglers. Thank the maker for the first mercy of the day because solo-ing in that wind would not have been pleasant.

 

After 60 I was on my own again - the group fell apart at the water point and on the climb out of Wellington I started really wishing for this to end. At 75k I got a puncture, my second since switching to gatorskins, and that cost me 10 minutes because, as I've observed elsewhere, those things are tough to squeeze over the rim.

 

Then it was just hanging on to the end.

 

What a weekend of biking - 100 miles, 60k on the mountain and 2000m of climbing. Quite proud of myself. Puts the fitness, strength and just plain courage the guys riding the epic have into perspective.

 

Next race ... Philadelphia MTB I think. Yippeee

Not nice when noone will give a crap for you. I believe I have told you before not to be overly enthusiastic about your ambitions, but it appears my words are but a salty pinch to you.

[Mamil]

Ni I've taken your words to heart - won't do the 76 at Philadelphia because it'll hurt and I'm not yet strong enough ... 

 

Enjoyed my weekend - even repairing my first race puncture yielded some satisfaction. If I could go back to Friday I'd do it again! And I'm hoping that the Malmesbury sportif series that the PPA advertised comes together because I definitely want to tackle that route on fresh legs.

 

You riding Darling TTU again Thor B?

 

Not nice when noone will give a crap for you. I believe I have told you before not to be overly enthusiastic about your ambitions, but it appears my words are but a salty pinch to you.

[JonoZA]

Very very tough conditions today. First the head winds and then the extreme heat. Just glad I finished

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Karman de Lange]

Was actually lekker day, i arrived at 7:05, one of those mornings.. Stood in registration queue, then thought try the loo queue, of course My group already left by this time, stood around pondering if not quicker to just go and cycle to first waterpoint with loo or hang about in queue.. Decided waterpoint is doable so rushed back to get dressed.. (Ja was still in slops)

 

Eventually got away with u-v group, helped few back markers with some wind brake and pushing up the hills, dropped them somewhere at hermon were they would survive the wind on their own... Some group on sunday ride caught us and I latched on till they turned off at wellington.

 

Solo from there, nice wind up the arse home, that last 3km was hell, never looked at route/profile so did not realise finishing on a small everest..

 

Finished ~140 th, not to bad for sunday solo, helped few wheel suckers, pushed few people.

 

All and all great day, next time, will try be on time

[Sparki 1]

What a lekker w'end. Enjoyed today as much as yesterday. See u guys at Phily...

[renburg]

PPA should increase water points to 5 over the distance similar to the 99er and have sufficient ice available at the water points especially in the conditions of yesterday where we encountered an initial head wind and extreme heat.     

[Halfdoesyn]

What a tough ride. But, made my best time so far.

 

The wind was a bit of a struggle down to Wellington, and the heat and seemingly never-ending uphills around the last water point. For the first time in a race I've spent more time in groups than solo, perhaps helping my time.

 

Did really enjoy the flying downwind back to Malmesbury. Also spent a lot of time in the drops, slowly getting used to it and finding it less uncomfortable.

 

What was really annoying is the chop on a training ride shouting for me to "keep left!" while I was in the process of passing another racer.

 

Don't know how many people spotted the mistake:

 

All in all a successful, albeit hard day in the field.

[Karman de Lange]

What a tough ride. But, made my best time so far.

 

The wind was a bit of a struggle down to Wellington, and the heat and seemingly never-ending uphills around the last water point. For the first time in a race I've spent more time in groups than solo, perhaps helping my time.

 

Did really enjoy the flying downwind back to Malmesbury. Also spent a lot of time in the drops, slowly getting used to it and finding it less uncomfortable.

 

What was really annoying is the chop on a training ride shouting for me to "keep left!" while I was in the process of passing another racer.

 

Don't know how many people spotted the mistake:

WACK Crop.jpg

 

All in all a successful, albeit hard day in the field.

 

Think might have been wheel sucking that chop when we passed you, I was thinking the same thing, why keep shout keep  left if there whole road to pass.

[Gravity]

I was a chop that was shouting "passing right" to people going 12kph hugging the yellow line, so it couldn't have been me.

If it happened to have been me (fat guy in white kit on a blue bike) take solace in the fact that i had bonked by 70km and had given up fixing punctures by 90km and got a DNF.

[Halfdoesyn]

I was a chop that was shouting "passing right" to people going 12kph hugging the yellow line, so it couldn't have been me.

If it happened to have been me (fat guy in white kit on a blue bike) take solace in the fact that i had bonked by 70km and had given up fixing punctures by 90km and got a DNF.

I think calling "passing right" is a very acceptable warning to unsuspecting cyclists up ahead. Couldn't have been you. It was a guy on a training ride - no number.

 

Like I said, I was passing someone else, so couldn't move further to the left as was "instructed" by said chop.

 

Bad luck on your DNF. Never a nice outcome.

[Sparki 1]

I was a chop that was shouting "passing right" to people going 12kph hugging the yellow line, so it couldn't have been me.

If it happened to have been me (fat guy in white kit on a blue bike) take solace in the fact that i had bonked by 70km and had given up fixing punctures by 90km and got a DNF.

sorry about ur misfortune there mate. dont think it was u they calling a chop. the chop in question was shouting "keep left" and not "passing right"

[pk007za]

Saw a guy taking photos at the finish line, I put on my most professional out of saddle push up the hill, would love to see that - anyone know where they posting those ?

[Halfdoesyn]

Saw a guy taking photos at the finish line, I put on my most professional out of saddle push up the hill, would love to see that - anyone know where they posting those ?

Would also like to know.

[Pure Savage]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Shebeen]

As noted - this was tough.

 

A disorganised start with 4 toilets and a queue a mile long. Stood in the queue until I could see that group H was about to leave at which point I was No 5 in the line. I asked the oke in front and the guy behind him (one in X and the other in W - and two other people behind them both in M) if I could go first because H was about to leave. Mr X and Mr W both rudely and patronizingly declined my request and so instead of giving them a lecture drawn from one of my favourite pieces of research which talks about altruism and evolutionary stable strategies I told them both they were pr1cks and overweight to boot.

 

I got to the start 30 seconds before my group left but actually I needn't have bothered. After plummeting down Voortrekker and making the turn at the bottom in the middle of the group I tried to accelerate to stay with them and my legs declined as abruptly as the two chops in the toilet queue. To be fair, they'd been telling me I was insane since I swung them over the edge of the bed at 5am. (My legs that is, not the two chops)

 

That'll teach me to insist on starting with H when I can barely keep up with them when I'm rested let alone recovering from a hard MTB ride the day before.

 

My Garmin flashed up a message saying my recovery was fair - a clear lie because I was now toiling up the hill to Riekeeck Kasteel alone and fantasizing about pulling off at that lovely vlllage where my S.O. and offspring were having breakfast.

 

Halfway down the descent, the next group caught me and seemed in the process of splitting but actually they were just dropping me and I ended up with a PPA marshall who was at Breede on Saturday too and another chap from H with whom I exchanged a friendly greeting of mutual recognition. "I think I've been dropped with you before" we observed to each other and rode to the 60k mark in our little group of stragglers. Thank the maker for the first mercy of the day because solo-ing in that wind would not have been pleasant.

 

After 60 I was on my own again - the group fell apart at the water point and on the climb out of Wellington I started really wishing for this to end. At 75k I got a puncture, my second since switching to gatorskins, and that cost me 10 minutes because, as I've observed elsewhere, those things are tough to squeeze over the rim.

 

Then it was just hanging on to the end.

 

What a weekend of biking - 100 miles, 60k on the mountain and 2000m of climbing. Quite proud of myself. Puts the fitness, strength and just plain courage the guys riding the epic have into perspective.

 

Next race ... Philadelphia MTB I think. Yippeee

YES! what a great race report. keep it up MAMIL