After last weekends race I felt much better and got 2 good days of training before it was time to go to bed again. I woke up on Wednesday with a terrible tummy bug, was in bed all day and nothing that I tried to eat or drink stayed down… I felt very weak even if it got better day by day. I had second thoughts about the Argus race, but it is a special race for me so I really wanted to do it.
It was another aspect that gave me second thoughts. The Argus is known for being a race with many crashes and especially when the ladies race with the men, this year saw us in a bunch with 350 guys, it was the VA, VB, VM and ladies and A bunch. I must say that instead of making it safer it was even worse then ever before. On top of it the wind was almost at gale force at the start, at one point before the start I had to get off my bike because the wind was so strong and I got pushed in to a wall, I could not even walk straight! I had Epic in mind and had a strong feeling that I was about to do something I would later regrett. I must admitt that I was even a bit scared…
Off we went and it was dangerous and lots of crashes, I managed to stay out of all of them and just go with the flow, not much else one could do and I just saw some other girls now and then. When we got to Smitswinkel I was close to the front but got a bit further back by the top and I struggled to keep up with the high speed on the flat with the wind in the back. The bunch was very strung out and it came back together for a bit but eventually it split up and there were a few smaller bunches. I knew that I had 4 girls ahead of me and kept racing hard together with some guys that had also dropped. I must say that it felt like my legs got a lot better when the big bunch were gone! Chappies went well and I passed one girl at the top and left her behind on Suikerbossie. From the top I was on my own to the finish, I had some guys in front but I could not catch them. I dont think I have ever been on my own for such a long stretch ever before in the Argus! I came in as 4th behind Cherise, Anriette and Ann-li. Just so so happy and relieved to have finished in one piece.
It did mean that I won the combination prize for the MTB and Road Argus combined.
Monday was spent in Cape Town for the official Argus prize giving in the morning and then off to Jonkershoek for an interview and photo shoot with the Swedish Bicycling magazine. So really got to show my new CBC jersey today!
A bit nervous before the start!
Pre-race interview on live TV
Ladies Argus 2014 podium: me in 4th, Anriette 2nd, Cherise 1st, Ann-li 3rd and Carmen 5th.
Winner of the combi prize
Photo shoot in Jonkers with Bicycling Sweden