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)
Cannondale Garden Route 300 MTB Stage Race February 2011
Sometimes in my cycling career I have no doubts I am one of the luckiest people
alive and the weekend just gone was one of those times. Paid to race in one of the
most beautiful places in the world with some of the friendliest people I’ve ever
met. It doesn’t get better (apart from the lack of husband in tow but that’s asking
a lot!!).
Having arrived 2 days before the race started we had a tourist spin round Knysna
itself followed the next day by a ride round the single tracks we would be racing
on. What a place. Riding along through the forest on some fantastic single track
that even I loved then popping out onto a cliff path with some amazing sea views.
We marked out the course with a couple we were staying with, hence the 3 hours to
do 25km!!
Following a pre race pasta munch and briefing we were keen to get going early the
next day; well I was after a strong coffee and rusk from Mug and Bean! My partner
Nicci was looking slightly nervous at the start… wasn’t sure if it was with what
was ahead of us or that I had gone missing in a toilet queue the size of Heathrow’s
Security line!! Feeling at home in the tight packed ‘peleton’ along the road we
soon settled into a comfortable pace on the first climb and headed into the single
track we had marked yesterday in a decent position. I legged it ahead so I could
walk down a few drop offs and we came out onto the coastal path together. After
the next welcome feed stop there was more open tracks and slowly we passed a number
of guys that had set off too fast. On each of the descents we found each bend had
a sand section that provided the entertainment of the day sliding through almost
on top of each other with no control and plenty of girly screams!! The last 10km
did nearly crack us… going wrong once then finding some really steep climbs followed
by some equally slow single track descents it seemed to take forever and we were
both glad to emerge onto the finish field. 95km, 1700m climbing, 4hr58, 13th overall
and 1st woman’s team we were both pretty chuffed and confident with our lead.
Following each stage we were given lunch by Mug and Bean then dinner later on. The
food either got better or we were just getting more hungry, whichever it was it
was delicious especially the Malva pudd and custard!! Staying at Nicci’s friends
100m from the sea I also headed there after each stage to lie in the sea, well that
was the idea until a wave knocked me flying one way and my bikini the other… luckily
there weren’t many people around and I was able to pull everything back to where
it was supposed to be without been seen!!
Day Two was 98km with around 2000m of climbing. Most of the route was on open tracks
and roads and after participating in a pile up in the deep sand at the start we
just missed a free ride on the back of a big lead group. It was a long day with
a lot of climbs and got extremely hot for a Yorkshire lass. It didn’t help that
my back brake was binding and my back itself from a crash last week was cramping
up! Still the views were worth it and we again motivated each other when pulling
back the guys that had set off too fast. I managed a record munch ride for the 4h30
we were out: 1.5 bananas, 1 jel, 1 Pepsi, 3 soggy rusks, a protein bar and 3 bits
of sponge cake and still managed a huge lunch and dinner once back. Finishing a
similar position to Day 1 we were now 12th overall and had a lead of nearly an hour
over the next woman.
On the final day the effort began with a ride to the start, only 15km but over a
mountain and with one of those ultra fit chatty guys who manage to spin twice as
fast as you and still half wheel and talk the whole way there. Still, wheel spinning
free the ride today was total pleasure. We rode in a fairly big group long some
open roads and tracks taking full advantage of sucking wheels, my excuse been that
if I went to the front I’d have no idea where Nicci was and that I was also a woman
and therefore would show the guys up if the camera went past and I was dragging
everyone along! I managed to get ahead for the single track climb through the forest
so I could plan my route and not get wrapped round a tree stump. Emerging at the
top in the mist was pretty daunting with some steep gravelly descents ahead. Surviving
those and taking in the views too it was an amazing ride and to top it off chunks
of malva pudd at the feed stop!! Just as I’d said those fateful words of ‘we’ve
cracked it now’ Nicci’s chain jammed and just as I was contemplating running the
10k left a guy stopped and yanked it out.
We soon forgot the nasty finish down the single track again when crossing the line
we were given a glass of champagne and oysters! I’ve never tasted anything so good
and could have eaten and drank the whole lot but thought better of it and instead
rode home slightly tipsy but very chuffed. It was so nice to complete such a tough
event with such a great partner who I discovered was as competitive as me even when
we had such a comfortable lead. My only complaint that it was only 3 days long and
not more (though I’m not sure Nicci felt the same about that!!)
