[Event] Karkloof Gravel (SA Gravel Champs)

[Dobri]

On 3/31/2025 at 9:11 PM, Gav.S said:

An update while on the route check this weekend is that no major issues with the revised routes. These were again revised today as the Karkloof river burst its banks and put one of the private roads under water.

These are expected to remain the final routes and have the V250331 date on the file names.

Riders were doing well on route on Gravel bikes and this was after 1 day of good sunshine after 2 weeks of rain.  Lots of cheerful training went on this weekend.

Our bespoke rustic tin cups and embossed decals have arrived for all riders taking part. 100km and 160km riders get an additional Karkloof Gravel branded garment and a decent steak roll at the finish line

See you guys on Sunday!

Very nice, but that's bit ageist Fine, I'll buy my own "Karkloof Gravel branded garment and a decent steak roll at the finish line" ! 😉

[Jbr]

I'm sure it will be fine, Benky shared a bit of the course yesterday and it looked mint, but I can't stop obsessing about my 2.2 and the clearance, so I ended up playing it safe and reverting back to gravel tyres in the end 😜

Edited April 3 by Jbr

[MongooseMan]

3 hours ago, Jbr said:

I'm sure it will be fine, Benky shared a bit of the course yesterday and it looked mint, but I can't stop obsessing about my 2.2 and the clearance, so I ended up playing it safe and reverting back to gravel tyres in the end 😜

If only we could find 2.1 Thunder Burts anywhere in SA...

[W@nted]

So how was the race?

[ajnkzn]

Savage / amazing day out. 
 

In spite of my comments earlier in the week, 3 days of rain caused carnage. 
 

Most of the route was great but 4/5 spots looked like the worst CX mudbath you’ll find this side of Belgium in December. 
 

Except the humidity. That was more Durban. 
 

Marco Joubert and Tristan Nortje passed me when I was 81km into my 100k race. 
 

They were on 130ish km at this point and passed me on a slight downhill like I was pedaling the other way. It’s one thing seeing these guys on TV but in real life it’s insane. 
 

The then did a longer loop than the 100k route with a huge climb and I still only just got to the finish before them 🤯.
 

Marco won, Tristan second. 
 

I then needed to lie down and stop cramping so missed third. 
 

Not sure about ladies. 
 

I may need to burn my kit, shoes and possibly even the bike. They may never be the same again 🤣💩. 
 

A true challenge for all and a proper test for the elites. 

Edited Monday at 03:57 AM by ajnkzn

[betaboy]

I had seen on Insta, that mud was hectic and it seems most riders didn’t even have a wooden spoon or any other tool. Plenty riders must of got caught out. I see a lot of bike shops have a surge of major services incoming. Expensive race.Ouch. Were can one see all the results? Keen to see how many riders actually attended Mudchamps! 🤭

Edited Monday at 11:19 AM by betaboy

[ajnkzn]

https://www.instagram.com/kevinbenky/p/DIIpBB-qpeJ/?img_index=21
 

Pics here - podiums included 

[SSCC]

Do they not publish race results for SA gravel Champs? 

[Cabous9]

14 minutes ago, SSCC said:

Do they not publish race results for SA gravel Champs? 

Here you go https://results.finishtime.co.za/results.aspx?CId=35&RId=5137

[Scalpel]

I see there is some cats where there was only one person to start/finish. Does this person qualify for SA jersey if they were the only one riding in that age cat?

[W@nted]

Jeez, only 38 finishers in the 168km event. 

 

Quite a few non starters, possibly due to the weather/conditions? 

 

Or is this an indication of a further decline in racing numbers? Not even a single word on bikehub on the maluti double 90, which also happened last weekend...

 

I expected more participants, looking at the "growth" of gravel racing. Or are the fun rides like race to the sun preferred?

Edited Tuesday at 10:19 AM by W@nted

[BMCfan]

Call me the stirrer, but arent (most of us) suckers for a lekker skinderstorie...

 

I read somewhere someone throwed a tantrum at one of the WP, anyone with inside scoop?

[Jbr]

49 minutes ago, W@nted said:

Jeez, only 38 finishers in the 168km event. 

 

Quite a few non starters, possibly due to the weather/conditions? 

 

Or is this an indication of a further decline in racing numbers? Not even a single word on bikehub on the maluti double 90, which also happened last weekend...

 

I expected more participants, looking at the "growth" of gravel racing. Or are the fun rides like race to the sun preferred?

Yeah, pretty much a case of just having to finish to be on the podium, with all the age cats.

Last year I won my age cat finishing 23mins behind overall race winner, this year I finish 2nd.... 1 hour behind Joubert. In 30-34 3rd is almost 2 hours behind...

I cruised for the last 2 hours, thinking I never have the time to ride more than 4 hours, with family and work, so this was an opportunity I couldn't waste to get a long ride in.

I think many didn't bother coming because of predicted weather, but also because the route looked hard to begin with, with 168km and 3000m elevation, even dry it would have been a tough one, so with the conditions on top of it, only the guys who thought they really had a shot at winning came.

[Jbr]

31 minutes ago, BMCfan said:

Call me the stirrer, but arent (most of us) suckers for a lekker skinderstorie...

 

I read somewhere someone throwed a tantrum at one of the WP, anyone with inside scoop?

I only saw that on Benky's IG profile: 

[W@nted]

1 minute ago, Jbr said:

Yeah, pretty much a case of just having to finish to be on the podium, with all the age cats.

Last year I won my age cat finishing 23mins behind overall race winner, this year I finish 2nd.... 1 hour behind Joubert. In 30-34 3rd is almost 2 hours behind...

I cruised for the last 2 hours, thinking I never have the time to ride more than 4 hours, with family and work, so this was an opportunity I couldn't waste to get a long ride in.

I think many didn't bother coming because of predicted weather, but also because the route looked hard to begin with, with 168km and 3000m elevation, even dry it would have been a tough one, so with the conditions on top of it, only the guys who thought they really had a shot at winning came.

Makes sense, thank you! well done on your silver! Beast! 

 

Now we wait for an in depth race report...

[Jbr]

32 minutes ago, W@nted said:

Makes sense, thank you! well done on your silver! Beast! 

 

Now we wait for an in depth race report...

Thanks, although it's not a race or a podium I'm particularly proud of (as opposed to last year, or even this year's 3rd at Road champs) as it doesn't really reflect the performance I had on the day.

Anyways, so we started in a small bunch, the first mud section was probably 2 or 3 km after the start, and is where we were already reduced to 5 or maybe 6. Many many people fell in the mud or had to take a walk, and the front group was in a hurry. When the first couple of steep ramps came, the front group kept going full gas.

In my age cat, the contenders were Dusty Day, Herman Fouché, me (the usual 3 that have been on the podium at last years Gravel champs, this years road champ and ultimately this years gravel champs too) and Thinus that recently moved up (the two of us finished together last year, he beat me in the sprint to the line but we both won SA titles in 30-34 and 35-39).

Coming back to the race, Dusty decided to play the long game and as Herman was also dropping back from the front group on the steep climb, I decided to stay with them. They are rivals whom I know the strengths, the race wouldn't be lost there after only 10km.

So the 3 of us started chasing, we eventually lost Herman due to more mud baths, falls and probably not the best legs ever. Dusty and I caught up to the front before the end of the first lap. But 1/3rd into the 2nd lap, just before the same steep climbs we let the group go the previous lap, I took a fast fall into the mud, probably caught a rut underwater, because I'm usually good in sand and mud, and I know from my MX days that when it's sketchy, you must put gas, the problem is when you do that, if you fall you end up falling harder ! 

Took me a few secs to pick it up, to a quick self check, try to remount, realise my hoods are completely tilted, getting down, straighten them, go again, failing to remount in the mud, run out the mud.... By the time I was back on the bike the front group was already halfway up the climb and I was at max HR.

You can see there me vs Dusty, I could almost bring it back after the climb, but unfortunately the guys in front collaborated well and the next climb that I think was on the road the gap grew again. During that chase I passed Thinus that also crashed, looked like he couldn't remount (I saw afterwards that he DNFed)

I kept going for about an hour or so, thinking it's gravel anything can happen, and I think maybe someone will take a wrong turn or have bad luck (mechanical, fall ?) and I could get back into the race. But eventually when the 2nd lap ended I started contemplating stopping and getting into the car, couldn't care less about finishing 2nd or 3rd, I came to win. But that's when I thought I never get the time to ride for this long, and if I just ride to enjoy it, I might actually have a good time. Plus my flight was only at 20:30, so I'd be spending a looong time doing nothing if I stopped. So I kept going, stopped a few times to clean my bike. Had many hesitations as my Wahoo kept telling me I was off route, I knew at some point there was a turn to take on the last lap, but wasn't sure when, I kept turning around to find the same poor guy from the elite group that seemed to know the course, then dropping him again, then wait for him, etc etc.

Until Herman caught me, then we rode together to the finish. Had a lekker chat, lots of war stories between the 2 of us, lots of respect too, although we never really had time to chat before.

In the end I finish 13mins behind Dusty who seemed to have dropped of from the front group eventually. Maybe if I kept racing I could've challenged, but I don't think so, plus I was still pretty toast at the end despite cruising the last 2 hours, and even today I feel my legs like I rarely do. He's definitely a worthy champ. I was underprepared, didn't study the course, didn't plan my meals properly to eat well the day before. So I guess I didn't deserve it.

Edited Tuesday at 11:50 AM by Jbr