The CTCT in under 3 hrs - By the numbers

[Bosbrommer]

 

OK, so, not bragging (much), but I did my targeted sub 3 in the 2020 Cape town cycle race (2:57:12)

 

I am writing this to encourage people who have the ambition to go sub 3 but are not sure if its doable. I am 46 and not particularly athletic. I did my first Argus two years ago after pottering around on a mountain bike for a few years. So I dont exactly want to say that if I can do it anyone can... but I am certainly not a "naturally talented" cyclist.

 

My tips would be:

• Order a perfect day, like 2018 or 2020 - if its like 2019 the tips below will NOT hack it in getting a sub 3.

• Get a good seeding ... this year 79% of 1A got sub 3, 59% of 1C, 25% for 1E, 18% for 1H, 10% for 1J, 4% for 2A... So your odds of getting a sub 3 goes down as the capabilities of your fellow riders get lower - I was in group 1G (was 2H last year) so in the "tough but doable" zone

• You do NOT have to be at 4W/Kg to do sub 3...I am 84 kg, FTP before race of 270*, so 3.2 Watt/kg -  For me, without my indoor trainer (Wahoo Kickr) and a structured training program (I use Trainerroad) there is no way I would have been able to put in the time (6-7 hrs a week for the last year) to get fit enough - it also helps with motivation somehow. To improve road skills I did a few Cycle Lab (Fourways, B1,2 groups) and ICG morning rides plus I did the 94.7 which perhaps also helped with seeding (who knows?).

• You need to be fit enough to do ~4W/kg (or perhaps a bit less) in the 4 decisive climbs. But luckily they are not that long, and any good structured program will take care of that with some hill climbs or VO2 max sessions. See below my splits for key climbs...

  Gradient Time Distance Speed Power Power/kg Cadence HR Average 0% 2:57:12 108.9 36.9 184 2.2 95 167  - Edinburgh drive (steepest part) 7% 0:02:38 0.75 17.1 300 3.6 98 185  - Smitswinkel 5% 0:03:41 1.25 20.4 309 3.7 102 179  - Chapmans peak (excl little Chappies) 6% 0:04:59 1.49 17.9 278 3.3 104 184  - Suikerbossie 6% 0:06:47 1.84 16.3 266 3.2 99 185                   Net power           2.27               IF           0.84              

 

• Become a wheel sucker - this made a HUGE difference on the day. Except for the 4 climbs, and a few turns at the front, the rest wasn't that painful, tucked in 30 cm behind the biggest oke I could find. Finding a good (i.e big) guy or tandem to draft behind is especially important after the big climbs and worth expending the energy on. A shoutout to "Dennis" from 1H, you rock...
• Train your cadence - spinning faster will leave you with fresh(ish) legs for the last two climbs and help you catch passing wheels
• Get nutrition right - everyone is different, but I had 2 bottles of cadence carbo fuel, 2 bananas and 2 hydro gels with caffeine (used before the last 2 climbs)- I also had an extra bottle of carbo fuel that I drank while waiting to start  and I ate normally the day before... no carbo loading
• Have a good bike - I have a 2015 Specialized S-Works Tarmac, Corima 30mm profile rims - not the newest, but light and has good handling

 

Thanks again to Verandapanda, tyboy0406, Long Wheel Base, Skubarra, Milky4130, Jewbacca for the tips they had in my previous post, it was very useful

 

* Tested on my Wahoo Kickr using Trainerroad ramp test, confirmed by my power meter. Test was done in Jo-burg, where I live, so given 1700m altitude my effective FTP may be a bit more at the coast

 

 

Thanks for this! Gives me hope...have not yet cracked the sub3 target. Rode with my wife this year (her first one) so next year will be my goal. This post at least gives me stuff to think about and how to possibly approach. I also have a trainer so might finally do a training plan!   

[DieselnDust]

I didn't - you guys murdered me... Race report on other thread

 

 

Sorry bro. Wasn't me

[fanievb]

My next goal is to do a 160km ride.

 

http://www.el100miler.co.za/

[Andreas_187]

Glad we get someone out of bed, this morning there were only 5 people at coffee!

 

Massive congrats on your sub 3! Pull through for a stage or two of tour de bootlegger. Someone who can do a sub 3 will easily hang on.

I come over Kloof Nek down to Bakoven so will try and hang on on Thursday. The last time I waited for you guys you flew past me at 50km/h on the stretch before the 12 apostles but that was a pretty quick ride (11th Feb)

[SwissVan]

Similar Friday night for me camping on my kid's school grounds.

Not ideal prep but she enjoyed it. LOL

 

Funny enough 2 nights (Friday) before an event on sunday is the crucial night to get a good nights sleep. A lot of people think it would be Saturday... I've seen mates do a PB on sunday after a howler on Saturday nights

[Warrenlee]

I remember last year there was some info put out that showed the comparison of the amount of rides under 3 hours, under 4 hours etc year vs year. Anyone seen anything like that for this years event? 

 

Conditions for this year appeared much better than last! Last years wind was hectic. 

[andydude]

Glad we get someone out of bed, this morning there were only 5 people at coffee! 

 

Massive congrats on your sub 3! Pull through for a stage or two of tour de bootlegger. Someone who can do a sub 3 will easily hang on.

 

Yes, but where were you guys?! You definitely didn't go to Suikerbossie this morning 

[andydude]

 

OK, so, not bragging (much), but I did my targeted sub 3 in the 2020 Cape town cycle race (2:57:12)

 

I am writing this to encourage people who have the ambition to go sub 3 but are not sure if its doable. I am 46 and not particularly athletic. I did my first Argus two years ago after pottering around on a mountain bike for a few years. So I dont exactly want to say that if I can do it anyone can... but I am certainly not a "naturally talented" cyclist.

 

My tips would be:

• Order a perfect day, like 2018 or 2020 - if its like 2019 the tips below will NOT hack it in getting a sub 3.

• Get a good seeding ... this year 79% of 1A got sub 3, 59% of 1C, 25% for 1E, 18% for 1H, 10% for 1J, 4% for 2A... So your odds of getting a sub 3 goes down as the capabilities of your fellow riders get lower - I was in group 1G (was 2H last year) so in the "tough but doable" zone

• You do NOT have to be at 4W/Kg to do sub 3...I am 84 kg, FTP before race of 270*, so 3.2 Watt/kg -  For me, without my indoor trainer (Wahoo Kickr) and a structured training program (I use Trainerroad) there is no way I would have been able to put in the time (6-7 hrs a week for the last year) to get fit enough - it also helps with motivation somehow. To improve road skills I did a few Cycle Lab (Fourways, B1,2 groups) and ICG morning rides plus I did the 94.7 which perhaps also helped with seeding (who knows?).

• You need to be fit enough to do ~4W/kg (or perhaps a bit less) in the 4 decisive climbs. But luckily they are not that long, and any good structured program will take care of that with some hill climbs or VO2 max sessions. See below my splits for key climbs...

  Gradient Time Distance Speed Power Power/kg Cadence HR Average 0% 2:57:12 108.9 36.9 184 2.2 95 167  - Edinburgh drive (steepest part) 7% 0:02:38 0.75 17.1 300 3.6 98 185  - Smitswinkel 5% 0:03:41 1.25 20.4 309 3.7 102 179  - Chapmans peak (excl little Chappies) 6% 0:04:59 1.49 17.9 278 3.3 104 184  - Suikerbossie 6% 0:06:47 1.84 16.3 266 3.2 99 185                   Net power           2.27               IF           0.84              

 

• Become a wheel sucker - this made a HUGE difference on the day. Except for the 4 climbs, and a few turns at the front, the rest wasn't that painful, tucked in 30 cm behind the biggest oke I could find. Finding a good (i.e big) guy or tandem to draft behind is especially important after the big climbs and worth expending the energy on. A shoutout to "Dennis" from 1H, you rock...
• Train your cadence - spinning faster will leave you with fresh(ish) legs for the last two climbs and help you catch passing wheels
• Get nutrition right - everyone is different, but I had 2 bottles of cadence carbo fuel, 2 bananas and 2 hydro gels with caffeine (used before the last 2 climbs)- I also had an extra bottle of carbo fuel that I drank while waiting to start  and I ate normally the day before... no carbo loading
• Have a good bike - I have a 2015 Specialized S-Works Tarmac, Corima 30mm profile rims - not the newest, but light and has good handling

 

Thanks again to Verandapanda, tyboy0406, Long Wheel Base, Skubarra, Milky4130, Jewbacca for the tips they had in my previous post, it was very useful

 

* Tested on my Wahoo Kickr using Trainerroad ramp test, confirmed by my power meter. Test was done in Jo-burg, where I live, so given 1700m altitude my effective FTP may be a bit more at the coast

 

 

Nice write up, Braam. And well done 

 

To add some data, average power (from Garmin Vector pedals) on the climbs for me starting in @. I weigh 84 kg. In or near the front group over most except for dropping off just before the top of Chappies and Suikerbossie, but getting back on.

 

Edinburg Drive 1.7 km at 5% - 366 watts

 

Smitswinkel 1.6 km at 5% - 357 watts

 

Little Chappies 1.4 km at 4% - 356 watts

 

Chappies Main 1.7 km at 5% - 367 watts

 

Suikerbossie 1.9 km at 7% - 377 watts

 

Average power for the whole ride was only 186 watts! Shows how important intervals are!

[Pure Savage]

Yes, but where were you guys?! You definitely didn't go to Suikerbossie this morning 

12 apostles is the traditional post Argus ride. 

 

Then arrive at Bootlegger as it opens.

[andydude]

12 apostles is the traditional post Argus ride. 

 

Then arrive at Bootlegger as it opens.

 

Now I know 

[Jehosefat]

 

• You need to be fit enough to do ~4W/kg (or perhaps a bit less) in the 4 decisive climbs. But luckily they are not that long, and any good structured program will take care of that with some hill climbs or VO2 max sessions. See below my splits for key climbs...

  Gradient Time Distance Speed Power Power/kg Cadence HR Average 0% 2:57:12 108.9 36.9 184 2.2 95 167  - Edinburgh drive (steepest part) 7% 0:02:38 0.75 17.1 300 3.6 98 185  - Smitswinkel 5% 0:03:41 1.25 20.4 309 3.7 102 179  - Chapmans peak (excl little Chappies) 6% 0:04:59 1.49 17.9 278 3.3 104 184  - Suikerbossie 6% 0:06:47 1.84 16.3 266 3.2 99 185                   Net power           2.27               IF           0.84              

 

• Become a wheel sucker - this made a HUGE difference on the day. Except for the 4 climbs, and a few turns at the front, the rest wasn't that painful, tucked in 30 cm behind the biggest oke I could find. Finding a good (i.e big) guy or tandem to draft behind is especially important after the big climbs and worth expending the energy on. A shoutout to "Dennis" from 1H, you rock...

 

Just to back you up on the second point specifically about wheel sucking, I did very similar numbers on most of the climbs (in W\kg) but didn't have a group going up Chappies or Suikerbossie. I also spent a lot of time on the front trying to close a gap after Smits (only managed to close it just before Misty) so my power was a bit down on Chappies and Suikerbossie. Overall my average W/kg was 2.5 (normalised was 2.85) and yet I did just under 3:04 as opposed to your 2:57.

 

This was from 1D although I got shelled on the way up to the hospital and went up Edinburgh with the front of 1E.

[JohanDiv]

 

OK, so, not bragging (much), but I did my targeted sub 3 in the 2020 Cape town cycle race (2:57:12)

 

I am writing this to encourage people who have the ambition to go sub 3 but are not sure if its doable. I am 46 and not particularly athletic. I did my first Argus two years ago after pottering around on a mountain bike for a few years. So I dont exactly want to say that if I can do it anyone can... but I am certainly not a "naturally talented" cyclist.

 

My tips would be:

• Order a perfect day, like 2018 or 2020 - if its like 2019 the tips below will NOT hack it in getting a sub 3.

• Get a good seeding ... this year 79% of 1A got sub 3, 59% of 1C, 25% for 1E, 18% for 1H, 10% for 1J, 4% for 2A... So your odds of getting a sub 3 goes down as the capabilities of your fellow riders get lower - I was in group 1G (was 2H last year) so in the "tough but doable" zone

• You do NOT have to be at 4W/Kg to do sub 3...I am 84 kg, FTP before race of 270*, so 3.2 Watt/kg -  For me, without my indoor trainer (Wahoo Kickr) and a structured training program (I use Trainerroad) there is no way I would have been able to put in the time (6-7 hrs a week for the last year) to get fit enough - it also helps with motivation somehow. To improve road skills I did a few Cycle Lab (Fourways, B1,2 groups) and ICG morning rides plus I did the 94.7 which perhaps also helped with seeding (who knows?).

• You need to be fit enough to do ~4W/kg (or perhaps a bit less) in the 4 decisive climbs. But luckily they are not that long, and any good structured program will take care of that with some hill climbs or VO2 max sessions. See below my splits for key climbs...

  Gradient Time Distance Speed Power Power/kg Cadence HR Average 0% 2:57:12 108.9 36.9 184 2.2 95 167  - Edinburgh drive (steepest part) 7% 0:02:38 0.75 17.1 300 3.6 98 185  - Smitswinkel 5% 0:03:41 1.25 20.4 309 3.7 102 179  - Chapmans peak (excl little Chappies) 6% 0:04:59 1.49 17.9 278 3.3 104 184  - Suikerbossie 6% 0:06:47 1.84 16.3 266 3.2 99 185                   Net power           2.27               IF           0.84              

 

• Become a wheel sucker - this made a HUGE difference on the day. Except for the 4 climbs, and a few turns at the front, the rest wasn't that painful, tucked in 30 cm behind the biggest oke I could find. Finding a good (i.e big) guy or tandem to draft behind is especially important after the big climbs and worth expending the energy on. A shoutout to "Dennis" from 1H, you rock...
• Train your cadence - spinning faster will leave you with fresh(ish) legs for the last two climbs and help you catch passing wheels
• Get nutrition right - everyone is different, but I had 2 bottles of cadence carbo fuel, 2 bananas and 2 hydro gels with caffeine (used before the last 2 climbs)- I also had an extra bottle of carbo fuel that I drank while waiting to start  and I ate normally the day before... no carbo loading
• Have a good bike - I have a 2015 Specialized S-Works Tarmac, Corima 30mm profile rims - not the newest, but light and has good handling

 

Thanks again to Verandapanda, tyboy0406, Long Wheel Base, Skubarra, Milky4130, Jewbacca for the tips they had in my previous post, it was very useful

 

* Tested on my Wahoo Kickr using Trainerroad ramp test, confirmed by my power meter. Test was done in Jo-burg, where I live, so given 1700m altitude my effective FTP may be a bit more at the coast

 

 

--Snip--

 

Last year winter I got the Kickr and the structured indoor programs helped a lot with not just maintaining, but actually increasing my fitness! Especially in the 5min hard 120-150% FTP efforts department where I could sustain power for longer..helped a lot on the climbs this Sunday!

 

Edit: That first bit sounded too much like bragging, sorry.

Edited March 11, 2020 by JohanDiv

[Thomo]

This was from 1D although I got shelled on the way up to the hospital and went up Edinburgh with the front of 1E.

The added advantage of a good seeding ... there are still fast groups to pick you up should you come unstuck.

[braamverster]

Nice write up, Braam. And well done 

 

To add some data, average power (from Garmin Vector pedals) on the climbs for me starting in @. I weigh 84 kg. In or near the front group over most except for dropping off just before the top of Chappies and Suikerbossie, but getting back on.

 

Edinburg Drive 1.7 km at 5% - 366 watts

 

Smitswinkel 1.6 km at 5% - 357 watts

 

Little Chappies 1.4 km at 4% - 356 watts

 

Chappies Main 1.7 km at 5% - 367 watts

 

Suikerbossie 1.9 km at 7% - 377 watts

 

Average power for the whole ride was only 186 watts! Shows how important intervals are!

Thanks Andy, and thanks for the data! So you were at a consistent 4.3 W/kg on the climbs, while I was at 3.3-3.7 (and pretty maxed out at those levels) - I would have gotten dropped by your group, so perhaps starting a bit further back may have actually helped me. 

[braamverster]

Orrrr..buy a mountainbike, pedal that thing up a mountain for 2 and a half years, drop 40kg in the process, buy a road bike 4 months before the CTCT, do two PPA events to improve seeding, get a sub 3 on your first try..

 

Just kidding, that's oversimplifying things, but that's essentially what I did. Last year winter I got the Kickr and the structured indoor programs helped a lot with not just maintaining, but actually increasing my fitness! Especially in the 5min hard 120-150% FTP efforts department where I could sustain power for longer..helped a lot on the climbs this Sunday!

Well done man - thats one for the record books. What training app did you use? 

[JohanDiv]

Well done man - thats one for the record books. What training app did you use?

Thanks! I use Zwift. Sometimes use their training programs, other times create my own structured interval workouts.