[Event] Eroica South Africa & NOVA Eroica

[DJR]

First “water table” – more like a healthy breakfast feast. Koeksisters, melon, pomegranate, salad – you could even have a gin & tonic if 10am wasn’t too early for you.

[DJR]

Or watermelon – the perfect ratio of H2O and sugar! Pfffft energy drinks!

Edited March 16, 2020 by DJR

[DJR]

Long quiet dirt roads, but never lonely, because you are riding with friends. Daniel with his stylish Look / Mondrian shirt!

[DJR]

Of course, as roads in the grammadoela mountains tend to do, it got narrower and steeper, rougher and more twisty……..so much so that I later overheard someone saying that the big descent was “quite technical”! Meaning that your arms and hands cramped from rattling and hanging on to the brakes, rather than your legs!

[DJR]

Lunch break: Beattbox hiding from the sun and doing some emergency “carbo loading” compliments of Hey Joe beer. Lunch was provided by the Two Dams trout farm and consisted of a fantastic fresh roll with smoked trout and salad with a dash of mayo. You have never tasted something as good on any bike race!

[DJR]

Then it was onwards again, because there was some more heat, dust and pain-in-the-legs waiting. Look at where that white road disappears.

[DJR]

But sooner or later you get a moerse downhill…….and you let it go……..and you hit a rough patch at speed……..and you have to fix a snakebite! Daniel and I got one each but we won’t complain, because the break was welcome.

[DJR]

The last stretch home I unashamedly wheelsucked Beattbox and Daniel. I was TIRED, but sublimely happy. Happy to be there, happy that my still weak shoulder held up and didn’t shake any of its screws loose, happy that the end was in sight! Back at the Finish / Traguardo, I scoffed the best ice cream I have ever had, and that includes real Italian Gelato in Italy!

[DJR]

Sunday 15 March: Eroica is not over when you get to the finish line, because on Sunday morning there is a casual ride around town for anyone who stayed over and it seems to me most people do. It starts in front of the church and I think we outnumbered the church goers two to one.

[DJR]

The Merckx at Kanonkop, overlooking the town of Montagu.

[DJR]

As the storm clouds gathered, the faithful gathered on Kanonkop, giving thanks and wishing for another great Eroica SA in 2021. One of the locals showed us around and shared some of the towns history, including where the 1918 flu pandemic victims were buried in a mass grave. Perhaps it was as good a reminder as any to wave good bye and not shake hands or high five on a fantastic weekend.

[DJR]

When the final gathering dispersed, the heroes hit the coffee shops hard (washing hands like the best obsessive compulsives) before hitting the road home!

['Dale]

This is what Eroica is all about. Long lonely roads of the beaten track. Beautiful landscape. Tough riding with like minded people. No stinky attitudes, only friendly brothers.

What an awesome pic ????????

[RocknRolla]

Thanks for sharing DJR. I simply HAVE to make a plan for this trip next year.

 

Do you have any more pics of the yellow Zeus?

[DJR]

Thanks for sharing DJR. I simply HAVE to make a plan for this trip next year.

 

Do you have any more pics of the yellow Zeus?

Unfortunately that's the only one. 

[Shebeen]

alright, that's it. I'm going again in 2021.

 

thanks DJR for being such a great 'ambassador' here