Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic yesterday was supposed to be a rest day.
The stage took place around Robertson in the dry Klein Karoo. 122km sounds like a formidable distance to cover on a mountain bike, right? Yet course designer Leon Evans, also (less affectionately) known as Dr Evil, considered this a rest day. Ha Ha.
The “rest day” moniker must come from the fact that the total climbing during yesterday’s stage was a relatively paltry 1 650m vertical.
Compared to Monday’s stage (2 350m) and today’s stage (almost 3 000m) it appears mild. But we weren’t fooled. The terrain remains rough, rocky and vicious, no matter the climbing statistics.
We awoke again to overcast skies, and even felt a touch of rain as we climbed out of our race village tents and prepped our bikes. With cool temperatures we knew the pace would be fast.
My teammate Carl Pasio and I were feeling much better after our tribulations on Monday’s Stage 1.
Stage 2 of the Absa Cape Epic
Sven Martin/Cape Epic/SPORTZPICS
A strong massage had restored the legs and a sneaky glass (or two) of red wine at the dining marquee had restored our spirits.
As predicted the main bunch left Robertson at a cracking tempo. We were happy to hang on to about 20th position as riders settled into two or three bunches in the early racing.
The terrain was very similar to yesterday, with high-speed sections of red Klein Karoo earth and lots of small climbs on loose rock. A 50m weir spanning the Breede River cooled us momentarily as we splashed our way to the other side.
What followed was a stunning roller-coaster of fynbos singletrack. Carl was tearing through it, with me close on his rear wheel. Then, as we skirted some vineyards, Carl’s tyre began to hiss. Not again. We tried our best to seal the gaping hole with rubber plugs, but it wouldn’t hold. So we limped a few kilometres to the next waterpoint and eventually fitted a new tyre, rejoining the race in about 40th position.
The flat had destroyed our high-flying rhythm and we struggled to chase down the teams who had passed us. Carl put his years of triathlon and road riding competition to good use, as he buried his head on his handlebars and slip-streamed me between groups. His power brought us back to 30th, before we turned for the welcoming finish line.
The Epic is starting to take its toll on riders. While we’ve encountered our fair share of mechanical troubles, I am grateful to the mountain bike gods that both of us are still in one piece. We’re tired, sure. But we’re healthy and on trails as fierce as these, that is no mean feat. All around us evidence of the gruelling test of skill and endurance is starting to mount.
The race village is full of bruised riders, limping between the red tents on the Robertson Primary School fields.
Before yesterday 37 riders were out of the race, but I expect Stage 1’s incessant heat to affect riders over the next few days.
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Article source: http://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/epic-blog-no-rest-for-cyclists-on-the-red-earth-1.1266786