Race Report – Axel Merckx Gran Fondo Penticton.

Race Report – Axel Merckx Gran Fondo Penticton.

Distance: 160kms

Temperature: 21 – 34

Background

Do not stay at Apex Mountain the night before the race.  It’s too far away. Travel time in the morning was about 45min. Really nice place but too far from town.

Pre-Race

I arrived too late to properly position myself in the corral.  I was about midway back with maybe 1500 riders in front of me.  It was choc-0-block.  No moving forward.  I knew that I was going to have to give it some serious effort in the beginning to get near the front. 

Start

I crossed the line 2:33 after gun time.  Made my way to the left side of the road and started to work hard.  Up Vancouver hill, I was passing many riders.  I kept on the gas out on my own or dragging others for about the first 10K.  I settled into a pack that was riding at a pretty good clip to rest.  I made my way to the front of this pack as we rounded the corner onto Hwy 97.  At this point, I could see the front of the race maybe about 2K ahead.  I went off the front to bridge to the next pack dragging a fair number of riders with me.  One of these brave souls was Bryan Rahill!! We chatted and then decided to work together and get to the front.  On the gas big time just Bryan and I.  We bridged one pack two pack.  We are now at the back of the front pack after 22K of riding. 

Hills and spills

After 22K it was time to climb up to Summerland.  I was pretty knackered after all the effort getting to the front so I climbed at a moderate pace losing a bit to the leaders.  I figured that I would make some of it up on the downhill (been descending well lately).  The front pack had separated into about 3 packs due to the hill.  I was at the front of the third pack at the start of the downhill. The downhill was fast but safe.  There was only one other rider descending at the pace that I was. We were now about 10 – 20 seconds off the front of this pack.  The slope got steep and going fast required skill.  I felt really good and could blast into corners with confidence.  Onto a very steep bit I see a white pickup truck on the course about 100meters ahead in the middle of a switchback.  We both started to yell at him to get moving.  The spectators started yelling at him to move.  We both intuitively decided to go left around the truck but we were also breaking hard to scrub off some speed.  WTF! The truck starts very slowly to head towards the left side of the road fully blocking our path.  There is no time to take him on the right.  We both lock up the brakes.  He puts a foot down.  I CX it and swing my leg over as my bike goes down.  I leave the bike at about 15kph and run it out all the way into the scrub on the side of the road.  I come to a stop.  I’m totally fine but my bike is under the truck.  I look back and yell at him not to move.  He apologizes and I tell him that he could not have seen me but what was he doing on a closed race course?!?  I pull my bike out from under the truck.  Chain is dragging behind the bike.  It doesn’t look too bad.  I get the chain back on. Check the other bits of the bike.  It looks OK.  Back on the bike I go.  Race is ON!

Gotta Catch Up (Again)

I spent about 7min at the side of the road so, I knew that there was no way that I was going to get back to the front.  I was shaking with adrenalin and feeling totally lucky that I wasn’t licking wounds.  I started to work hard again.  Bike making nasty noises.  Grind, click, pop.  Oh but, this is going to be a long ride.  I’m passing riders again and quickly.  I’m starting to fade a little as the wind hits me in Penticton.  I latch onto a group and slowly make my way to the front.  Bridge another group taking a few riders with me.  Bridge another.  Turn onto Mclean Hill.  I’m feeling good and I pick up the pace rolling up to another group.  Shit!  Who’s this?  It’s a team I recognize.  Wholly!  It’s team Botranger  Livestrong  (Axel’s junior team).  I know these guys are really strong, like they performed well in the Tour of California strong.

Riding with the Boys

I latch on with the team.  They must be on a casual ride because I’m able to stay with them no problem.  I start talking with them. Great guys!!  Lots of stories that I will tell you later.  Double pace line.  I take my time in the wind and again and again and again.  I’m keeping to pace at their pace.  All good.  At 92K they peel-off at the lunch stop.  I thank them for the pulls and keep going along.  I attract a group who latches onto me and I pull for about 5 min.  I try to get someone to go through.  No go!  I see up ahead the TNA team.  So, I pick up the pace and latch onto them.  Make my way through their pack and onto the front.  Sharing the load I ride with them for a while.  They are not going as fast as I like so when the climb begins up golf course road I leave them behind.

Climb Climb!!

Up up I go.  Passing riders at a good pace.  Half way up the climb, I have to stop to refill a bottle.  A 30sec stop long enough to fill one bottle.  I’m 125k in and I have 1.5 bottles.  All good, I can get to the end with that.  Climb and climb. With a few nice people exchanging stories and stuff.  I’m now at the top and I’m in the front of a pack of about 20. I can’t get them to work. I pace at about 37.  They pace at 33 when I’m not on the front.  No good.  So I turn it up on the front. Who wants to go fast can come along.  If you don’t then go away!

The last 30k

A couple of riders stay with me and will work a little.  We are going at a good clip.  I see a small group ahead of 3.  I decide I’m going to make it to them.  I do and dropped the others as they didn’t keep up on the hill.  I start talking with these guys.  They look good.  One has an accent.  We are joking and laughing.  Up another hill with them.  I’m staying with them and we are pacing well.  On e the front I go.  They seem happy.  OK. The guy with the accent… Is he Axel.  So, I ask. Yes.  It’s Axel Merckx.  OMG!  Too funny.  And the other 2 guys are pros from somewhere.  OK. Here we go. I’m going to ride with Axel.  And so I did all the way to the 5k mark.  I see a train blast by on my far left and I’m on the front of my pack.  I yell that I’m latching on or something like that.

The Finish

Well as hard as I tried I could not catch up the train that was Axel’s junior team again.  I have no idea how fast they were going, but my sprint (say 50k) could not catch them.  I look back.  I’m 100m in front of Axel’s pack with 5k to go.  OK.  I’m going to TT it until the pack catches me.  Head down I take it to the 100m line and pick it up a bit to the finish line. I guess I can TT J

Mt Verde Challenge Road Race South Africa

Race report - mt. Verde challenge. Hilton estate south africa. A fun race prior to the championships. 

I call this race - monkeys in the mist. 

Ok I normally wouldn't put the warmup into a report but this one is special. 

The Hilton estates is a gated ranch land about 15k north of Pietermaritzburg. I was there about 90 min early so i decided to do a couple loops of the 12k course. This thing is steep. Rugged. Like mountain biking on a road bike. There's drainage culverts that run across the road. The pavement is broken in spots and uneven. The road itself is narrow chip-seal  with a gravel soft shoulder. Because of this, there was gravel all over the place. The  course is twisty with 14% grades in spots. It's all up or down. Nothing gentle. 

On my second lap, something caught my eye. There in the mist in the forest of trees.....  Monkeys!  Lots and lots of monkeys. So cool. Made my day. We looked at each other for a while. I tried to take some pictures  but they are too good at hiding for an iPhone.

 

Onto the race. I meet a few people before the race. Exchange stories etc. so these guys from San Francisco tell me they are cat1 elite and another girl says yeah, I was pro last year.  Ok. This is what I have here.  This is gunna hurt!!

I started with the front pack and stayed with them until we hit the steep grades. There was no way that i could.hold that pace on That grade.  I kept it strong and gained some wheel suckers as I passed people who were also dropped. I worked ok with the guys. Only one spoke English. The two strongest in the group could not have been more different. When I was on the front, I took it to the middle of the road so as riders behind me could  be well blocked from the wind and not end up in gravel. The other guy was on one side or the other ditching people into the gravel.  No English so I couldn't explain this to him.  As the race went on I got a little slower on the hills. But only one passed me.  The fog rolled in for real on about the third lap.  All you could do on the upper third of the course was watch the side of the road. Visibility of about 10 feet. Crap!  I kept it fairly hard but safe in the end and ended with a time of around 2:10 I think. Not sure if the placement yet.  Almost 1500 meters of climbing over 60k. That's pure punishment.  Jet lag over...

I'm in 5th here - Sucking wind

Ok. I don't usually document the ride home but this one was a white knuckler!

I'll keep it simple. Fog now fully rolled in. The light is fading (5:15). I have no lights and I'm wearing black. I have to ride on the wrong side of the road. I have no clue where I'm going. And I'm alone. In the words of Elwood blues: Hit it!

I can hardly see in front of me so i follow a car and try to remember the turns the car took that brought me up here. 

I made it down to the main road that I think goes to Pietermaritzburg. I can't take the highway which was how I got there. Remember that 14*% grade they warned me about? Well soon I was flying. Blind that is. I had to ask directions a couple of times. Was passed too close by a bus and probably sweat my ass off worried about getting hit and never to be found again in a roadside ditch in south Africa. But of course this message is evidence that I made it home ....

Monkeys!  Who races with monkeys!! :) too frigging cool!

http://www.uwctfinal.co.za/mtverde.html

http://www.cyclenation.co.za/index.php/road/road-news/news/item/9792-internationals-warm-up-for-uwct-final-in-misty-mt-verde-road-race

UCI Maters World Championships Time Trial Report

Race report: time trial UCI world final  Wartberg south africa  

I never thought that I was good at time trials. In fact this is only the second one I have done. But if you think that you are good, coming to an event like this will let you know. 

A tt is just a way to manage suffering. I train hard so that I don't have to suffer (sorry coach). Problem is when you get into competition you have to lay it all down. 

After a 20min drive I arrive at wartberg the location of the UCI Final TT with optimism. Really Arriving  has to wait a bit as the traffic services are let say, taking their time. About a half hour of inching along the last kilometre and I'm at the venue! Wahoo. I still have 90 min to drop my spare wheels off, get the UCI official guy in the blue suit to measure and weigh my bike and get some spinning in. No problem... Not. 

No one and I mean no one knew where to drop their spare wheels. 20 or so minutes of searching until I found the  chase car area. Ok. Now weigh and measure the bike. Get neutral support to do their check. Ok...  I have 30 min to warm up and get to the start booth. Have to be at the start booth 15 min before so... 15 min warmup. I'm old damit. I can't do anything in 15min. 

It should be said that I came to south Africa without a time trial bike. I don't even own one anyway. So I'm racing this on my road race bike. They call this Merckx style. The guy who weighs my bike tells me that there are only three competitors that have bikes like mine today. That's 3 out of about 250. This means that I'm unique of course and not stupid. Others may disagree. But if it was good enough for Eddy.... It good enough for me. 

Ok. Warm up and onto the start ramp I go. I have never used a start ramp. I have  visions of me falling over and off the 5 foot ramp when dude lets go of my seat. I just hope that this goes off without something really embarrassing happening. 

It's my turn coming up.  So all the other guys get this awesome announcement. Like "here's Sven from Norway, he's a household  name in his country. Sven has won 7 tt championships in Norway and is here to claim dominance and win the jersey". Awesome Sven. Great guy and legs like friggen old growth trees. I get up and the announcer looks at  me. Looks at his notes. Squints. Buddy!  Spit it out we only have 30 seconds left!  "here's James Ingum of Canada riding for ( I sit upright so he can read my jersey) , Velomnoten.  I say to him Velominati. He says something like Veluminati or some thing like that. Then says, "James qualified 25th in his country".  Ok thanks dude. No household name and I'm like way down there, thanks. 

5-4-3-2-1: Race Report

The tt course is not flat. Not at all. With 350 meters of climbing (that's 1000 feet for you non metric types) its downright hilly.  It's 25.6 kms long. 

The start is flat for about 100 meters and then changes to a 5% hill climb for 2 kms. I should mention that about the same time you hit the hill, you get the full blast of the 30k wind right at your face, brutal!!  This wind will be with me for 23kms. My short warm up really hurt me here. 98% heart rate and sucking wind as the hill finally  flattened. And it only flattens for a kilometer when we are back at it. This time at about 6% for 6kms. Yup pure friggin pain. I was loosening up on this cLimb and it was going better. I looked down at my handlebars where i wrote my coaches instructions.  At the end it said "let it flow".  And thats what i did. Heart rate still at 98% but breathing was good. It flattens out at about 10.5 k. Then you make a right hand turn. I botched this turn a bit due to wondering what these guys were doing with the huge reds flags in the middle of the road. 

In front of the start ramp

Thank god for a change in direction!!  Still windy and little rise in landscape but much better. Now another turn. Wahoo. Wind at my back and the speedometer is heading north. 45  then 50. Now I start to go down. 60k. Now 70k. This is awesome. A great feeling flying along and for the first time my heart rate goes under 90%. 

There's a rise 2k before the finish of about 30meters. That  seemed to go ok. Full gas for the last 750meters. Felt great!  Finished in 42:15. This was 13th in my category. I can't see the results sheet at the moment but about 5 or 6 guys finished after me in the 45-49 age group. I was 7 minutes slower than the winner. 

I was totally schooled today but I had a great time doing it and learned that I'm not fast and these guys are. Very fast. 

I going to have a beer now. 

http://www.gomulti.co.za/news-cycling/time-trial-action-from-uci-world-cycling-tour-final

UCI Masters World Championships 2012 - South Africa

UCI Masters Road Race World Championships 2012 - South Africa

It's twenty degrees cooler (celsius) and reportedly the winds have died down as I watch the under 40yo racers flow through the starting gate this morning. 

41 degrees at the start

I can't think of the proper words to describe the race yesterday. It was one of the most torturous things I have ever done and I have done a few crazy things in my life. 

There were several factors at play in the race and a bit of misfortune on my part. The reported temperature at the turnaround point of the race was 43 degrees celsius or  109 degrees Fahrenheit with 90% humidity.  The wind gusts on the course were 60-80kph. The course is 96kms long with 1650 meters (5400 feet) of climbing. This was exacerbated by only 2 hydration stops on the course with none in the last 35k.   This set the scene for a difficult day for sure. 

The race started where it would end in Alexander Park in pietermaritzburg. At 1pm the 100+ riders were let go under sunny skies. 

I stayed in the front third of the pack through town and up the first climb. The second climb is long at about 6kms but not overly steep at 5% grade.  A breakaway group of 5 took off for which I did not chase. I stayed with the main pack. At the third climb the  steepest of the day, I stayed with a pod of five riders about mid-way in the now fractured main pack. After this climb you are in Wartburg.  This was the first hydration station.  There was a bit of a lineup and knowing i would be back in 25k, I opted not to stop.

It flattens to a slight incline here but is very exposed. Gusts are very strong and pushing the lead riders sideways  violently. About 4k of working with this group taking turns at the front, a crosswind pushed a riders back wheel into my front wheel causing me to crash. I wasn't going particularly fast at the time but still  clipped  in to my pedals i fell very hard onto my hip. I looked at my front wheel. The tubular tire had come off the rim which it was glued to. I pulled the tire back onto the rim. Seemed to go on however both front and back rims were rubbing on the brakes. I managed to adjust the brakes enough so that they no longer rubbed. 

Back on my bike and off I go again. As I start to pedal I realize that my hip is really hurting and causing me to sit slightly to the right side of my saddle. In addition to this, I was worried about the up coming downhill. My tire is libel to come off again if I corner hard at speed. Sure to be a disaster. I started to flag down race vehicles. None had any wheels at all. Before the race I put an extra set of wheels into the neutral support supply so in case of a flat I could pull a wheel from them.  I was loosing a lot of time flagging down cars so I gave up after about 20 minutes of trying. 

Soon I was back in Wartburg and the hydration station. I stopped and they gave me an open bottle. I asked for another without opening it. They gave me another open one. I asked for a cap. This took a while to be understood. Finally I was underway with one bottle in my hand and a full one in my jersey with 35k to go. 

Soon I was at the 500m climb. I don't really know how to describe how difficult this climb became. During the climb, I drank the rest of my water with 22k to go. I felt totally shattered. I thought that I must be the last person in the race. I'm out of water and totally dehydrated. There's a very strong sideways gust that is blowing me about 5 feet one way or the other. My speed is a out 10kph which is dismally slow. My feet feet like they are on fire and every ounce of pressure makes them scream in pain. I'm not kidding. The pain from my hip and my feet is so intense that I'm really worried about my ability to finish. 

A car comes from behind and offers me water. I decline as its against the rules and I don't want to be disqualified (I later find out that they removed this rule about midway through the race). I'm really dying and there is about 2k left to climb. I pass two riders who are not racing. I compliment one of them on their bike (same one as mine). He thanks me and offers me a coke. Oh yes!!  Not from a car, this has to be legal. I down the coke like a frat boy downs his first beer on Friday night.  Boy, that was good. 

15k from the finish and mostly down or flat. I can only manage to turn my legs against the hell winds that are trying to push me back. I'm spent, dead, shattered, done. I gave everything I have just to get to the finish line at a snails pace. 

100m after the finish I collapse to the grass where i can't move without passing out for about 20 minutes. My outfit is crusted white with salt. My hip and elbow are bleeding and stinging from sweat.  My time 3:20 minutes. My place 27th. 30 minutes behind the leader. Most riders arrived alone and not in groups. One was sent straight to hospital from on the course and three from the finish. 13 riders attended to for heat exhaustion by the paramedics. I went straight to my hotel, took a shower and rank 2 liters of water. 

I really don't know what I think of my result. I'm glad I finished. I wish that I had not crashed.  I can only think that of all the training that I could do, I still would not have been on the podium that day. 

My hats off to those that did and those that just finished. I have never been though such adversity on the road before. And I really hope I don't again. 

Love south Africa. Love 'Maritzberg. Great place and people. No regrets.