Absa Cape Epic 2021 thread

[sellnit]

In reading all of the comments above it's clear that some would like a perspective from teams a bit farther back than the pros pace   We finished at the end of the top 1/3 of starting teams, or as one of our new pals called from team 95-110 the "hornets nest"  These notes include our tire changes, crash tally and time lost due to mechanicals.

 

Our teams Experience of the 2021 Cape Epic, hope you enjoy.

 

The 2020 Route (revised) for 2021

Pro-Logue: UCT Finished 35th Cat and 155th Overall, 20KM 600 Meters

We were able to pre-ride this a few times, but Plum Pudding can be slick after the rain, and really held some folks up, my partner Ed ended up with a front flat at the bottom of it, and had to ride a cushcore 5km to the finish as we could not seal the puncture on course.  1st tire down....and 7 minutes lost.  (replaced the front Kenda Booster Pro 2.4 tire with a Maxxis Rekon 2.4) (Crashes James 0 and Edward 1)

Stages 1 Ceres to Ceres 29th Cat and 121st Overall E batch Start 98 KM and 1850 Meters

The Ceres stages were a true surprise for us.  The amazing amount of flow and fun single track were a treat.  I had a front puncture near the top of one climb that cost a few minutes but we rallied well on Stage 1. (first tire down for James, replaced the front Kenda Booster Pro 2.4 tire with a Maxxis Rekon Race 2.4) two tires down for the team. 4 Minutes due to the puncture.

(Crashes James 0 and Edward 2)

Stage 2 Ceres to Saronsburg 23rd cat and 118th Overall D batch Start 96 KM and 2100 Meters (Queen stage?)

Ceres to Saronsburg was a real mental test, the trails were a treat, but a "bad" DT Swiss EXP ratchet cost us dearly.  The freehub would not engage and the first time we trouble shot this it cost us 12 minutes.  We had to physically remove the rear wheel, pop off the cassette ad freehub and pry the ratchet out with my 2.5 mm wrench.  This happened a total of 4 times, and cost us around 20 total minutes.  Lynwood cycles was nice enough to loan us an extra wheel until DT Swiss was able to replace the freehub with a new one.  Apparently this is a known issue, but we were not made aware.  Multiple people were impacted by this during the race, and it ALMOST cost one team a finisher medal...you can do better DT Swiss.  (thanks to our mechanic Danie for sorting us out) 20 Minutes lost to the DT Swiss Issue.

(Crashes James 0 and Edward 3)

The Ceres stages were a true surprise for us.  The amazing amount of flow and fun single track were a treat.  I had a front puncture near the top of one climb that cost a few minutes but we rallied well on Stage 1. (first tire down for James, replaced the front Kenda Booster Pro 2.4 tire with a Maxxis Rekon Race 2.4) two tires down for the team.

Stage 3 Saronsburg to Saronsburg 23rd Cat, 111th overall D batch Start 91km and 2100 Meters

No mechanical issues, and not crashes, wow what a ride, amazing trails, less jeep track than I'd imagined possible and so much fun.  We worked well as a team and had plenty left in the tank for Stage 4.  Rest and recovery went well, and the soft rear brake was brought to our mechanics attn to hopefully fix.  Highlight of the day, mandatory Covid test Our first day of Zero Mechanicals and Crashes

(Crashes James 0 and Edward 3)

Stage 4 Saronsburg to Slanghoek  22nd Cat, 104th Overall, C Batch Start 73KM and 1650 Meters

Well, it started out bad, as I'd forgot my bottles in the camper van, and had to run back and get them last second.  This led to us starting near the back of our group.  We then went out hot, and heavy, but after having a lead out by the overall Marathon World champ (his partner dropped out with GI issues the day before)  Ed had a rear puncture 8km in, and we lost that advantage.  We were rolling at 45km an hour when sealant sprayed all over me.  We had a quick fix of the puncture, but the damage was done.  To add insult to injury my rear brake had issues the day before and the interim fix of a shagura setup led to a wonkey AXS rear shifter that need 3 fingers to operate and a 25% power in the rear brake.  While this was challenging mentally it did not have an overall impact.  We fought back to the c batch and finished with our group.....damage mitigated.  Mechanicals are part of racing and definitely make better stories.  Danie (mechanic) and myself rolled to Stellenbosch to grab a replacement Magura lever to address the brake challenge.  (tire number two for Ed for the week, done and dusted)  4 total tires down, and Ed had his worst crash of the week, looked worse than it was and we flew on the day.  Mechanicals 4 Minutes today.

Crashes James 0 and Edward 4)

Stage 5 Wellington to Wellington 25th Cat, and 106th overall, C batch Start 84KM and 2900 Meters

The REAL queen stage of the week......they said Stage #2 was, but this one tested more riders.  With a new brake lever installed and what felt like fresh legs we had high hopes for the day.  These were dashed quickly when after 5km into the 84km day my rear brake lever failed.  Ed claims I crashed today, but really it was a tight 180 turn that led to the front wheel washing out, I'll agree with him, but crash tally for the week is 1 James and 5 for Ed....he's taken a commanding lead!  Anyways, back to the brake.  Ed, remember that time we rode at the Cape Epic, and I had just a front brake for most of a stage, well I do.  It was a heck of an experience, and truly made me a better rider.  Ed was a great partner leading us into corners and calling out the challenges so I could manage them safely.  Unfortunately those legs that felt great at the start failed us in the middle.  Now Ed will say he "cratered" but no one finishes as strong as he did cratered, he had a rough middle 10-15km but rallied after that middle aid stop.  He'll credit the 3 bananas he shoved in his mouth in 10 seconds, but good training likely kicked in.  Missing a rear brake for me, likely led to a recovery like pace at times too.  Along comes our last 10-15km for the day and enter Gerald and Jerome, they passed us on one of the last climbs, and we found ourselves on their wheels descending.  That friggin Gerald was rolling hot, I mean hot.  I had one brake, and Jerome was hanging on for dear life.  Ed and I were able to sneak past Jerome, and then Gerald had to wait for him with 3km to go.....we were able to roll on, limit our damage on what felt like our most challenging day of the week.  Great fight to the end! (and embrace with the french team after the finish)  Bike straight to Danie the mechanic to address the brake issue.......found a lever of all places in the support village while joking with the guys from Lynwood Cycles from Pretoria.....they had a Magura Pro and voila, future days are saved.  Thanks again boys!  No idea if this mechanical really cost us though....so zero minutes.

(Crashes James 1 and Edward 5)

 

Stage 6 Wellington to Wellington 22 cat and 99th Overall, C Batch Start 81km and 1850 Meters

Rain, rain go away, man the torrential rain from the night before led to a reduced course length by 9 Km's.  James front tire swapped to an Ardet 2.4 to handle the Mud, tried to find another Rekon 2.4 in the village. The first 20km was a slogfest.  The mud was inches deep.  Chains/drive trains were abused to the point that we both lost our chains multiple times, as well as multiple minutes.  We were able to use our water bottles to sufficiently clean up the drive trains to roll to the first water stop, we quickly filled our bottles and pushed on.  The second stop had a solutions orientated farmer on site with a high pressure hose to clean up the bikes, and WOW what a difference.  The bikes were on point and the legs came alive and we finished HOT.  We had a tussle with the same french team from the day before.  Gerald and Jerome put in a heck of an effort up the last climb, but Ed dug deep and kept us in front for a "our own little battle" for the day.  9 Minutes of Mechaicals

 

(on the day, James 2 crashes and Ed 1, for the week, it's James 3 and Ed 6.

Stage 7 Wellington to Val De Vie 22 Cat and 103rd Overall, C batch Start 68km and 1850 Meters

 

Our Overall Finish Spot for masters was 20th in Category, and 101st Overall.  For us that's great, we are middle 40 somethings with 2 boys each, caring wives and heavy lifting day jobs......a true sense of accomplishment for us, and our second leg together of the Epic Series.  (we competed as a team this year in the Swiss Epic also)

 

The rest stops:

The Cape Epic team pulled this off well too. Distanced tables, food in cups, and east to access hydration was awesome.  As  team we used bottles, and we skipped every other one as needed.  LOVED the USN products, and really enjoyed their endurance blend.  Both blends agreed with our stomachs, and helped us across the line.

Course Markings:

Excellent as always, our two wrong turns on day 7 were self induced by following others.  The signs and blue course tape made the turns easier to spot.

The Village 

The experience was so intimate compared to 2019.  The field being smaller was a HUGE win in my opinion.  It felt relaxed and fun.  We stayed in a caper van in the support Vilalge with Peak 2 Peak our massage team, and across from Danie our mechanic.  This setup was a huge plus over the tent city from 2019.  It allowed us more time to recover and relax.  Daily temp check and mid week covid test was a new twist, but added to the challenge.  The addition of Thirsti water was a massive plus, we inhaled them.  The Woolies recovery tent was awesome, as was the mobile coffee stand, we hit that twice a day!  Support Village internet would be a cool add on, I'd pay more for that privilege. 

The chill Zone was massive, and due to the limited field felt like there was plenty of room.

Normally the nightly event update and awards are live on stage.  This always adds to the intimacy of the event, but it was nice to be able to access the pre-recorded info as needed.

The showers and bathrooms were in the main village and support village.  Both were cleaned regularly and we had plenty of hot water in the showers.

The Cape Epic team really nailed this event, well done.  There was not any dust left on it at all.  We had shortened stages, weather challenges, "alternate race villages" big wind, and torrential downpour didn't dampen the mood.

 

The food and Beverage

Breakfast and dinner were served via 2 buffet lines in the dining tent..  Water was to be found in chillers in the dinner/breakfast tent as well.

Woolworth's Coffee stand was used thoroughly by us.

2 Food Trucks were available too for Thai and Wraps.

The Equipment

We both used the 2021 S-Works Epic with Roval Control SL wheels, AXS Reverb Droppers and AXS Drivetrains.  Ed used the SRAM Level Ultimate brakes, and I was on the Magura MT8 SL.  Pedals were TIme XC12's, tires were Maxxis from Stage 1 Forward.  Grips were ESI Chunky, computers were the Wahoo Elemnt Roam.  Helmets by POC, Tectal Air Spin.  Shades by ROKA, and Ryders, both photochromatic.  Shoes the S-works Recon, and all of our Kits were by Love the Pain in Los Angeles.  Nutrition was provided by Infinit, and Massage by Stephanie Sawyer and Peak 2 Peak.  Our mechanic was Danie (an independent from the Cape)

To all that finished GREAT WORK!!!!  You all deserve that medal and the stories that go with it!  To those that an an issue that prevented you from finishing, hope you are able to make it back someday!

Ed and I are half way across the Atlantic as I am writing this and we both are really looking forward to seeing our families.  Work of course is waiting too.

If you've read all of this, kudos to you, but wanted to share our experiences with you!

IMG_4706.HEIC

[sellnit]

On 10/27/2021 at 10:01 AM, Cookie88 said:

When are we going to see some back marker stories emerging - keen to hear some tales!

Just submitted a lengthy one.....enjoy!

 

 

Edited October 31, 2021 by sellnit

[ChrisF]

14 minutes ago, sellnit said:

In reading all of the comments above it's clear that some would like a perspective from teams a bit farther back than the pros pace   We finished at the end of the top 1/3 of starting teams, or as one of our new pals called from team 95-110 the "hornets nest"  These notes include our tire changes, crash tally and time lost due to mechanicals.

 

Our teams Experience of the 2021 Cape Epic, hope you enjoy.

 

The 2020 Route (revised) for 2021

Pro-Logue: UCT Finished 35th Cat and 155th Overall, 20KM 600 Meters

We were able to pre-ride this a few times, but Plum Pudding can be slick after the rain, and really held some folks up, my partner Ed ended up with a front flat at the bottom of it, and had to ride a cushcore 5km to the finish as we could not seal the puncture on course.  1st tire down....and 7 minutes lost.  (replaced the front Kenda Booster Pro 2.4 tire with a Maxxis Rekon 2.4) (Crashes James 0 and Edward 1)

Stages 1 Ceres to Ceres 29th Cat and 121st Overall E batch Start 98 KM and 1850 Meters

The Ceres stages were a true surprise for us.  The amazing amount of flow and fun single track were a treat.  I had a front puncture near the top of one climb that cost a few minutes but we rallied well on Stage 1. (first tire down for James, replaced the front Kenda Booster Pro 2.4 tire with a Maxxis Rekon Race 2.4) two tires down for the team. 4 Minutes due to the puncture.

(Crashes James 0 and Edward 2)

Stage 2 Ceres to Saronsburg 23rd cat and 118th Overall D batch Start 96 KM and 2100 Meters (Queen stage?)

Ceres to Saronsburg was a real mental test, the trails were a treat, but a "bad" DT Swiss EXP ratchet cost us dearly.  The freehub would not engage and the first time we trouble shot this it cost us 12 minutes.  We had to physically remove the rear wheel, pop off the cassette ad freehub and pry the ratchet out with my 2.5 mm wrench.  This happened a total of 4 times, and cost us around 20 total minutes.  Lynwood cycles was nice enough to loan us an extra wheel until DT Swiss was able to replace the freehub with a new one.  Apparently this is a known issue, but we were not made aware.  Multiple people were impacted by this during the race, and it ALMOST cost one team a finisher medal...you can do better DT Swiss.  (thanks to our mechanic Danie for sorting us out) 20 Minutes lost to the DT Swiss Issue.

(Crashes James 0 and Edward 3)

The Ceres stages were a true surprise for us.  The amazing amount of flow and fun single track were a treat.  I had a front puncture near the top of one climb that cost a few minutes but we rallied well on Stage 1. (first tire down for James, replaced the front Kenda Booster Pro 2.4 tire with a Maxxis Rekon Race 2.4) two tires down for the team.

Stage 3 Saronsburg to Saronsburg 23rd Cat, 111th overall D batch Start 91km and 2100 Meters

No mechanical issues, and not crashes, wow what a ride, amazing trails, less jeep track than I'd imagined possible and so much fun.  We worked well as a team and had plenty left in the tank for Stage 4.  Rest and recovery went well, and the soft rear brake was brought to our mechanics attn to hopefully fix.  Highlight of the day, mandatory Covid test Our first day of Zero Mechanicals and Crashes

(Crashes James 0 and Edward 3)

Stage 4 Saronsburg to Slanghoek  22nd Cat, 104th Overall, C Batch Start 73KM and 1650 Meters

Well, it started out bad, as I'd forgot my bottles in the camper van, and had to run back and get them last second.  This led to us starting near the back of our group.  We then went out hot, and heavy, but after having a lead out by the overall Marathon World champ (his partner dropped out with GI issues the day before)  Ed had a rear puncture 8km in, and we lost that advantage.  We were rolling at 45km an hour when sealant sprayed all over me.  We had a quick fix of the puncture, but the damage was done.  To add insult to injury my rear brake had issues the day before and the interim fix of a shagura setup led to a wonkey AXS rear shifter that need 3 fingers to operate and a 25% power in the rear brake.  While this was challenging mentally it did not have an overall impact.  We fought back to the c batch and finished with our group.....damage mitigated.  Mechanicals are part of racing and definitely make better stories.  Danie (mechanic) and myself rolled to Stellenbosch to grab a replacement Magura lever to address the brake challenge.  (tire number two for Ed for the week, done and dusted)  4 total tires down, and Ed had his worst crash of the week, looked worse than it was and we flew on the day.  Mechanicals 4 Minutes today.

Crashes James 0 and Edward 4)

Stage 5 Wellington to Wellington 25th Cat, and 106th overall, C batch Start 84KM and 2900 Meters

The REAL queen stage of the week......they said Stage #2 was, but this one tested more riders.  With a new brake lever installed and what felt like fresh legs we had high hopes for the day.  These were dashed quickly when after 5km into the 84km day my rear brake lever failed.  Ed claims I crashed today, but really it was a tight 180 turn that led to the front wheel washing out, I'll agree with him, but crash tally for the week is 1 James and 5 for Ed....he's taken a commanding lead!  Anyways, back to the brake.  Ed, remember that time we rode at the Cape Epic, and I had just a front brake for most of a stage, well I do.  It was a heck of an experience, and truly made me a better rider.  Ed was a great partner leading us into corners and calling out the challenges so I could manage them safely.  Unfortunately those legs that felt great at the start failed us in the middle.  Now Ed will say he "cratered" but no one finishes as strong as he did cratered, he had a rough middle 10-15km but rallied after that middle aid stop.  He'll credit the 3 bananas he shoved in his mouth in 10 seconds, but good training likely kicked in.  Missing a rear brake for me, likely led to a recovery like pace at times too.  Along comes our last 10-15km for the day and enter Gerald and Jerome, they passed us on one of the last climbs, and we found ourselves on their wheels descending.  That friggin Gerald was rolling hot, I mean hot.  I had one brake, and Jerome was hanging on for dear life.  Ed and I were able to sneak past Jerome, and then Gerald had to wait for him with 3km to go.....we were able to roll on, limit our damage on what felt like our most challenging day of the week.  Great fight to the end! (and embrace with the french team after the finish)  Bike straight to Danie the mechanic to address the brake issue.......found a lever of all places in the support village while joking with the guys from Lynwood Cycles from Pretoria.....they had a Magura Pro and voila, future days are saved.  Thanks again boys!  No idea if this mechanical really cost us though....so zero minutes.

(Crashes James 1 and Edward 5)

 

Stage 6 Wellington to Wellington 22 cat and 99th Overall, C Batch Start 81km and 1850 Meters

Rain, rain go away, man the torrential rain from the night before led to a reduced course length by 9 Km's.  James front tire swapped to an Ardet 2.4 to handle the Mud, tried to find another Rekon 2.4 in the village. The first 20km was a slogfest.  The mud was inches deep.  Chains/drive trains were abused to the point that we both lost our chains multiple times, as well as multiple minutes.  We were able to use our water bottles to sufficiently clean up the drive trains to roll to the first water stop, we quickly filled our bottles and pushed on.  The second stop had a solutions orientated farmer on site with a high pressure hose to clean up the bikes, and WOW what a difference.  The bikes were on point and the legs came alive and we finished HOT.  We had a tussle with the same french team from the day before.  Gerald and Jerome put in a heck of an effort up the last climb, but Ed dug deep and kept us in front for a "our own little battle" for the day.  9 Minutes of Mechaicals

 

(on the day, James 2 crashes and Ed 1, for the week, it's James 3 and Ed 6.

Stage 7 Wellington to Val De Vie 22 Cat and 103rd Overall, C batch Start 68km and 1850 Meters

 

Our Overall Finish Spot for masters was 20th in Category, and 101st Overall.  For us that's great, we are middle 40 somethings with 2 boys each, caring wives and heavy lifting day jobs......a true sense of accomplishment for us, and our second leg together of the Epic Series.  (we competed as a team this year in the Swiss Epic also)

 

The rest stops:

The Cape Epic team pulled this off well too. Distanced tables, food in cups, and east to access hydration was awesome.  As  team we used bottles, and we skipped every other one as needed.  LOVED the USN products, and really enjoyed their endurance blend.  Both blends agreed with our stomachs, and helped us across the line.

Course Markings:

Excellent as always, our two wrong turns on day 7 were self induced by following others.  The signs and blue course tape made the turns easier to spot.

The Village 

The experience was so intimate compared to 2019.  The field being smaller was a HUGE win in my opinion.  It felt relaxed and fun.  We stayed in a caper van in the support Vilalge with Peak 2 Peak our massage team, and across from Danie our mechanic.  This setup was a huge plus over the tent city from 2019.  It allowed us more time to recover and relax.  Daily temp check and mid week covid test was a new twist, but added to the challenge.  The addition of Thirsti water was a massive plus, we inhaled them.  The Woolies recovery tent was awesome, as was the mobile coffee stand, we hit that twice a day!  Support Village internet would be a cool add on, I'd pay more for that privilege. 

The chill Zone was massive, and due to the limited field felt like there was plenty of room.

Normally the nightly event update and awards are live on stage.  This always adds to the intimacy of the event, but it was nice to be able to access the pre-recorded info as needed.

The showers and bathrooms were in the main village and support village.  Both were cleaned regularly and we had plenty of hot water in the showers.

The Cape Epic team really nailed this event, well done.  There was not any dust left on it at all.  We had shortened stages, weather challenges, "alternate race villages" big wind, and torrential downpour didn't dampen the mood.

 

The food and Beverage

Breakfast and dinner were served via 2 buffet lines in the dining tent..  Water was to be found in chillers in the dinner/breakfast tent as well.

Woolworth's Coffee stand was used thoroughly by us.

2 Food Trucks were available too for Thai and Wraps.

The Equipment

We both used the 2021 S-Works Epic with Roval Control SL wheels, AXS Reverb Droppers and AXS Drivetrains.  Ed used the SRAM Level Ultimate brakes, and I was on the Magura MT8 SL.  Pedals were TIme XC12's, tires were Maxxis from Stage 1 Forward.  Grips were ESI Chunky, computers were the Wahoo Elemnt Roam.  Helmets by POC, Tectal Air Spin.  Shades by ROKA, and Ryders, both photochromatic.  Shoes the S-works Recon, and all of our Kits were by Love the Pain in Los Angeles.  Nutrition was provided by Infinit, and Massage by Stephanie Sawyer and Peak 2 Peak.  Our mechanic was Danie (an independent from the Cape)

To all that finished GREAT WORK!!!!  You all deserve that medal and the stories that go with it!  To those that an an issue that prevented you from finishing, hope you are able to make it back someday!

Ed and I are half way across the Atlantic as I am writing this and we both are really looking forward to seeing our families.  Work of course is waiting too.

If you've read all of this, kudos to you, but wanted to share our experiences with you!

f9da6587c53b477c9af3cf297dd8456c.MOV

IMG_4706.HEIC 2.35 MB · 0 downloads

 

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

 

Having followed most of the broadcasts (part at work, and catching up the rest at night), your post adds a nice extra to the Epic 

[SwissVan]

6 hours ago, _David_ said:

What's #2 carrying in his mouth...or is it a camera  mounted on the bars optical illusion?

[BaGearA]

1 minute ago, SwissVan said:

What's #2 carrying in his mouth...or is it a camera  mounted on the bars optical illusion?

Camera on bar, had to look closely earlier when I saw it 

[Cookie88]

15 hours ago, sellnit said:

Just submitted a lengthy one.....enjoy!

Great Read - Thank You!

[DieselnDust]

Seems like the Kenda Booster Pro is bit of a notorious tyre for bead compression punctures. I've puncture 2 in this way and they're difficult to repair but I do like the cornering grip vs rolling friction compromise. 

But you guys did have more than your share of bad luck!

[eala]

11 hours ago, copperhead said:

What happened to Max Mensies? The steel rigid, single speed man? My kind of style ????????

We saw them at the start everyday  .They looked fresh and strong 

[BuffsVintageBikes]

11 hours ago, copperhead said:

What happened to Max Mensies? The steel rigid, single speed man? My kind of style ????????

He and his young partner Fakes managed to finish it. I got to follow them for a short while most days on the motorbike as my camera man is hoping to put a documentary together on their Epic challenge ????

[JohanDiv]

Any idea or rumors yet of what the 2022 route will look like? I just accepted an entry from a client/friend.. guess I'll have to start training now!

[DieselnDust]

lucky you!! I need more friends clients like this and not have all these compliance hoops to jump through

Edited October 28, 2021 by DieselnDust

[babse]

15 minutes ago, JohanDiv said:

Any idea or rumors yet of what the 2022 route will look like? I just accepted an entry from a client/friend.. guess I'll have to start training now!

that's great news Johan, all the best with the prep... 

['Dale]

41 minutes ago, JohanDiv said:

Any idea or rumors yet of what the 2022 route will look like? I just accepted an entry from a client/friend.. guess I'll have to start training now!

Your network is your nett worth, baby yeah

[DJuice]

https://www.bikeperfect.com/news/cape-epic-andreas-seewalds-canyon-lux

[DJuice]

https://www.bikeperfect.com/news/cape-epic-ben-zwiehoffs-specialized-s-works-epic
 

looks like a brand new, hardly used bike.

[eala]

On 10/27/2021 at 4:01 PM, Cookie88 said:

When are we going to see some back marker stories emerging - keen to hear some tales!

Ok ! Now that you mentioned our team ,I will give a short summary .We ride in the grand master category .After three false starts and having the option to ride in October or next year ,we sort of decided we will give it a go this year .I have one medal from 2019 and my partner has three .We have not ridden Epic together yet .Preparation was difficult for both of us .No events to measure or push yourself leading up to the date and training consisted mainly of IDT ,spinning classes, and free riding .I need to mention that we would have done Maluti double ninety and used the cancelled weekend to do a 140km mini Maluti and a 70 km the next day on our own with a group of friends  .That was the longest ride we did before Epic and we dearly needed time in the saddle  .

We stayed privately and barely saw the race village at start and finish .The prologue was wet and slippery and the initial climbing surprised us once again .Our aim was only to finish and ride up dead man's tree .We managed that and walked  muddy plumb pudding after my partner fell .

Tulbagh valley was stunningly beautiful where we stayed .Stage one was a round trip to eselfontein and back .It was a cool perfect day and we rode all that eselfontein had to offer and then some detour trails coming back .Lots of technical single-track at eselfontein that slows you down and saps energy. My bottom bracket with only 80 km of use started making terrible noises and had to be replaced that evening .I also had an over the handlebar when my handlebar rotated  down  .Note .Check everything yourself .Mechanics don,t !

Stage two started calmly and was another perfect weather day .The climbs were all manageable but the sting was the technical rocky section after du toit,s drop that is also used in the Tankwa trek .Everybody around me had heard my full vocabulary of swear words' by now .The climb up the Witzenberg brought back memories of the 42 deg Celsius day during the tankwa trek when we i stood at the top ,cramping and looking back at devastated riders suffering from heat exhaustion .Today was pleasant and we proceeded to the hell of all descents on Tulbagh side .My calves and upper body  cramped and my partner fell lightly on a switchback ,narrowly missing a twig eye injury that cut skin just below his left eye .Another stage completed but little time for rest as we finished around four pm .Our bodies were aching  everywhere .Pain meds brought light relief. 

Stage three was going to test us and it did .Our average speed was slowing from sore legs and bodies ,but we managed to get to Fanties,s pass .my back was killing me from pushing it up the impossible to ride pass .It just kept going up and getting steeper ,up to 20 % .Getting to the top was a relief and  we thought a quick easy decent and some well earned rest waited for us .NOOOO!!!!!! we we wrong .Another hiking trail  through the cool forest and into the open mountain side ,only to find the next section of switchback climbs going up once more .I had energy for this climb but not for any more .Thankfully the trail turned downwards and we thought we were home safe with 25 minutes to cutoff and the last few km to ride ,only to find that forest single-track was now our next obstacle to the finish and both of us got stung by bees riding through a fruit tree orchard. My partner is allergic to the little buggers ,so i was expecting him to come to a stop pretty soon .Luckily he takes antihistamine every day   We used all our remaining energy and talent to blitz the last few km ,ignoring paining bottoms, arms ,legs and backs .We made it with less than 10 minutes to cutoff .+

Stage four was a welcome easier day with good weather and flowing single track .We both felt good and needed some more recovery time .We used the shorter day well and knew the next day was going to test us .

Stage five started well for us .Well rested and energized we rode the first 50 km and 2000 m of climbing well and even caught the next group .We were positive and left the top water point as it started raining harder and it was getting colder as the wind picked up .No reason to worry we marched on until my rear tire started slipping and i noticed that slime was bubbling from the valve .I inflated it and bounced the wheel .It held pressure for a while and then the same thing repeated .It was not sealing even with ample amount of sealant bubbling out so we put a tube in . With cold slippery hands and equipment it took some time to get the orange indestructible tube in .There was still copious amounts of sealant in the tire and no other sharp items  .I noticed that the the area of the valve was large and stiff and did not fit nicely into the rim .But it is the indestructible tube so if it did not fit flush it should not be a problem .We got going again with now cold stiff bodies and the pace was slow .At the last proper water point i bought three more bombs if we needed them and we were of .We had a 35 minute time buffer still but there was still 800 meters of climbing in the last 30 km .Barely 20 minutes later ,making good time and warming up the rear flat repeated again .As i inflated it i could hear the air leaking from the valve .A passing rider gave us her tube and we put that in and started from scratch with cold bodies up the remaining climb .Another 15 minutes gone .At that point i already new if the remaining 600 meters were going to be technical our stage was over .we had to average at least 15 km/h to make it .The rest of the climb was muddy ,technical and our legs were dead by now .The pace was too slow .I watched my GPS and hoping that the organizers had made a mistake with the ascent as we were still going up and up .At 2850 meters we reached the top .Downhill all the way ! We could still make it .I dropped my seat post and started the flowing descent through the pine forest .It was slippery with trees, rocks and sharp turns .My partner rode above his comfort zone and very nearly had a massive crash .We weren't going fast enough .I noticed my partner had slowed down and i glanced at my watch .Cutoff was two minutes ago .So we slowed down and leisurely rode the last few km home .Myself with a stuck dropper at the bottom

No finisher medal for us ,but we could still ride the next two stages .We were disappointed ,but also relieved that it was up to us if we wanted to start the next day's mud fest. The decision was almost instantaneous  and both of had had enough .

The next day we visited the village to return our electronics and watch the leaders at the finish line .We spent the weekend with our families at the wine farms and had a memorable time .We rode from Sunday to Friday ,500 of the 650 km .The experience was wonderful ,but the riding was harder than previous epics ,especially the technical single track ,hiking trail, sections .

    

 

 

Edited October 30, 2021 by eala