This update is a bit late, but better late then never…:-)
Last weekend the STBB held a MTB race named 2keepabreast for breast cancer awareness at the Overgaauw wine farm outside Stellenbosch. It was a very well organized race with a great challenging 43km route with lots of ups and downs and single tracks. I went there without any expectations since it was only 7 days after we finished the Cape Pioneer and my body had been very tired during the week.
I chatted to James Thompson, the Olympic rowing gold medallist, who also did the race and that we met at the Cape Pioneer, at the start. Not every day an Olympic gold medallist does a small MTB race outside Stellenbosch:-). James came second in the race after Craig Boyes.
I got away as number 5 up the hills in the beginning and my body responded well and felt surprisingly good! It all went well until I hit the deck on a switch back about 13 km in to the race. My front wheel got stuck in a funny angle and I flew over the handle bars. I was sure something was broken. I got up and felt alright, got back on the bike and felt that something was wrong with the bike so I checked for punctures but nothing. But when I got going I saw my front wheel wobbling in front of me, it was buckled…
I thought I had to stop but had to at least get to a water point, at the water point I thought I might as well try to get to the finish, so I did! I went super slowly on the down hills, was a bit scary with that wheel, but I could ride faster on the up hills. I managed to only get passed by one guy on the last 30km and finished 6th overall and as the first lady, 16 minutes a head of Leana (Bizhub). I was happy with the form only a week after Pioneer.
We went to Cape Town on Tuesday for the Cape Epic route launch, it will be a tough race with lots of climbing. The route looks fun tho! And we will be coming through Stellenbosch so at least we can swop the tents for our own bed the last night! There will be lots of good cyclists there next year, 7 of the top 10 from this years Olympics in the mens cross country will be there! It will be fun to be part of this crazy adventure again, it has crown so much since the first year in 2004 when I was there working as a volounter.
You can read more about the Cape Epic here.
Closer in time tho is the 3 day MTB stage race Wines 2 Whales that I will race with Phelia next weekend, I am really looking forward to that!
... and off we go!
Talk about buckled front wheel...
