09 May 2012 Van Wyk thrilled with victory at African Continental Championships, Mauritius
The 2012 African Continental Championships was held on the lovely island of Mauritius on the 5th of May. Team bizhub-FCF’s Junior Linda Van Wyk participated in the ...
Jade Roberts
(January 2010, Clarence Training Camp)
The Subaru Kalahari Challenge, 2day stage race.
This past weekend team bizhub travelled to Botswana to participate in the 6th edition of the Subaru Kalahari Challenge.
For most of us it was our first trip to Botswana and therefore we were all looking forward to our adventure across the border.
Our team was invited by event organiser Seamus O¹neil to be part of the event this year. He also arranged for us to be hosted by a Botswana
family, Kim and Nevelle, the night prior to the event. They say the only way to truly experience a country is through its people. Nevelle and Kim didn¹t just open their home for us but made us feel like family from the moment we arrived there. To say we had a good evening is quite an understatement.
On Saturday the first stage started at Game City Centrum in Gaborone and finished 98km South in the bush at Vulture¹s Hill.
The next day¹s 96km stage took as back home to Gaborone to finish off the 2 day event at Gaborone Yacht club.
The flat course was quite rough and tough as the terrain in Botswana is very rocky and sandy (horizontal hills as they call it in the local language).
This coming weekend the team will be travelling to Botswana to take part in the Subaru/Kalahari Challenge (2day stage race)
In the meantime I¹ll be taking it really easy in order to be healthy come this weekend.
I also realized yet again that flat doesn¹t mean it is going to be easy. It only means that you will have to pedal nonstop to get anywhere.
I was amazed by all the single track they have in Botswana. On both days the route consisted 90 % out of single and jeep track. I am glad I didn¹t have to mark the course as each single track splits into 2 or 3 directions at least every 500m.
Our overnight stay in between stages was outstanding. Riders slept in army tents which came equipped with mattresses, 3 blankets for each rider, a pillow and a flash light. This meant there was no need to travel with sleeping bags or pillows.
We were also served delicious, traditional South African food which consisted of Œbraaibrootjies', 'Kerrie en rys', 'worsbroodjies' and 'slap pap' just to name a few. (sorry but English words wouldn¹t do justice here) Bizhub had two teams riding in the event, a mixed team and a ladies team.
Nicci Grobler and I made up the ladies team. This was only our 2nd time riding together but the two of us seem to bring out the best in each other. This helped us to win both stages and also to take the overall victory at the end.
The mixed team consisted of youngster Liani Morkel and Reinhardt Basson. This event was Liani¹s first stage race and therefore she was mainly there to learn. At the end she and Reinhardt had a great ride together and managed to finish 3rd on both stages, giving them 3rd place overall at the end.
We couldn¹t have asked for a better first experienced of Botswana.
What made this event truly special for us was the passion the event organisers showed for their race and their warm hospitality.
Thanks again for making us part of this unique event.
