Cyclingnews January 2015 digital

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For the latest news visit www.cyclingnews.co.za

VOL 16 NO 1

JANUARY 2015

HOT SUMMER BUYS LEGEND OF THE PEDAL

CATHY CARSTENS – LEADING LADY OF SA CYCLING

TOUR DE BOLAND RIDERS TO FINISH ON A HIGH

RYDER OVER THE MOON AS

MTN-QHUBEKA

HIT THE SUMMIT 20 QUESTIONS FOR TILL DROBISCH

AFTER THE HOLE IN THE HIP ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

CONTENTS

Sub header

ON THE COVER MTN-Qhubeka are packing their bags for the 2015 Tour de France – story on page 7

REGULARS

Editor

2

From the Editor: New Jock Tour to be toughest in Africa

Wynand de Villiers wynand@cyclingnews.co.za

4

In the Bunch: A time to reflect

Consulting editor Gerhard Burger

11

Product feature: 8 hot summer buys

20

Pulse pages: Take time-trial racing to heart

33

Legend of the pedal: Cathy Carstens – The leading lady of SA cycling

Contributors Phil Liggett, Coetzee Gouws, Andrew Mclean

Pictures FEATURES

7 27 36

Tour invite sends Ryder over the moon 20 questions for Till Drobisch: After the hole in the hip all’s well that ends well Bike shop feature: Cycle Lab Fourways caters to ‘new golf’

Photosport International, Michelle Cound, Frank Bodenmueller, My Picture

Design Cinnamon Graphix C.C. Chris Dawson – chris@cgraphix.co.za

Printer Colorpress Pty (Ltd) Ryan Lotter – 011 493 8622/3/4/5

Advertising RACE PREVIEWS

17

Tour de Boland riders to finish on a high

23

Top SA teams to lead Berge en Dale bunch

email advertising@cyclingnews.co.za or phone 083 269 7659

Published by ASG Events 116B, Glen Avenue, Willow Glen, Pretoria.

Tel no: 012 751 4130/31/32/33 Fax: 086 730 3099

RACE REVIEWS

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Paarl delivers a pearler

Cyclingnews January 2015

01

FROM THE EDITOR

New Jock Tour to be toughest in Africa THE 2015 Bestmed Jock offers a brand-new challenge to serious road riders across the country.

The organisers have added another dimension to the weekend. Besides the three-stage, one-day event on Saturday 18 July they have arranged a three-day stage race covering 334 km and a daunting 7 200 metres of vertical ascent.

The existing one-day Jock, an official premier seeding event for the Cape Town Cycle Tour, retains its name as the Bestmed Jock Classique. Its three-day big brother will be known as the Bestmed Jock Tour.

The Tour, to be held from 17 to 19 July, is not an option for the average rider. It will be the first event in South Africa to mirror the Classic European Alpine road stage races such as the Haute Route.

There is no tougher three-day challenge on a road bike anywhere on the African continent.

The first stage is a 30km hill climb time trial from Nelspruit to Kaapsehoop.

In that short distance the riders will climb 1 200 metres.

The second stage is on the existing 154km Jock Classique route, which Jock Tour riders will have to complete in one go, without the luxury of the breakfast and lunch stops that the Classique riders have at White River and Sabie.

This stage takes riders from Nelspruit out on the N4 towards Kaapmuiden before they turn left towards the airport and on to White River. From White River they race on the road to Sabie and then back to Nelspruit. This stage presents 2 900 metres of climbing. The notable climbs on this stage are Spitskop and the Long Tom Pass.

Stage 3 covers 150km on the traditional Jock Classique route, starting in Nelspruit, going out on the N4 towards Komatipoort before turning right into the Boulders reserve for the back-breaking Boulders ascent and on to Kaapmuiden.

From Kaapmuiden, the Tour riders take on the undulating road to Barberton and then to Nelspruit, with Hilltop constituting the final climb before riders drop into Nelspruit to finish back at the Mbombela Stadium.

The total rise on the final stage is 3 100 metres.

As a wise old Afrikaans man once said: Hier kom ‘n ding!

Wynand de Villiers

Cyclingnews Magazine is available from these fine Cycling stores: Bells Cycling Cajees Boksburg Cajees Centurion Cajees East Gate Cajees Princess Crossing Cajees Strubens Valley Complete Cyclist Cycle East Cycle Lab Boksburg Cycle Lab Centurion Cycle Lab Fourways Cycle Lab Little Falls Cycle Lab Lynnwood Bridge Cycle Zone Design in Motion Epic Sport Gary Benecke Cycles Go Cycles Hatfield Cycles Hot Spot Cycling Linden Cycles Lynnwood Cyclery Mega Mica Cycles Mikes Bike Morningside Cycles Mr Africa Trading Pro T Cycles Ridgeway Cycles Saloojees Cycles Shooting stuff Sollys Angling Corner Solomons Lynnwood Solomons Woodmead Tony Impey Tool up Cycles Tour De Frans Trinity Cycles Valencia Wholesalers Velotique Westdene Cycles Xtreme Cycles

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SUBSCRIBE If you’d like to join our ever-increasing subscriber base, there is no better time than now.

Simply log onto www.asgevents.co.za and click on the subscribe button The magazine remains free of charge at major bike shops and races throughout the country, but because our print run is limited we inevitably get readers that miss out on some of the issues. If you would like to ensure that you don’t miss an issue, a subscription charge of R85 for ten issues will secure a copy of Cyclingnews Magazine in your postbox every month.

02

Cyclingnews January 2015

IN THE BUNCH WITH COETZEE GOUWS

A TIME TO REFLECT This Sunday past was the first anniversary of my dad’s passing and it turned out to be a day of reflection rather than emotion.

WE came together as a family (possibly for the first time since his untimely departure) and roasted a few chops on his braai.

Besides DStv’s sports channels, this was his favourite thing in the world and we washed the meat down with another of his favourites, brandy and cola.

In a previous column, I wrote about how he had unwittingly shaped my life and working career through his love of sport in general, and cycling in particular.

These passions had rubbed off on me and through several twists and turns introduced me to the peculiar world of cycling, where I met several interesting characters over the years.

And, since this is a cycling column, I’d like to dedicate a few column centimetres to one of them who shaped my cycling psyche at the very beginning, uncle Chris Botes.

While dealing with my personal tragedy, I received a call from Chris’s son, Hein, to inform me that his dad had also passed on and to ask whether I could write a piece for the local newspaper.

I was unable to at the time, but promised myself that I would eternalise his memory in my column when the words came to me.

When memories of him intermingled with those of my dad while I was standing next to the braai on Sunday, I knew it was the appropriate time to type a few words in his honour.

I’m not exactly sure which caps he wore at the Eastern Province Cycling Association back then, but he was certainly heavily involved with the youngsters and, to me, he was the person I feared most.

He was a lanky individual with a leathery face and he barked instructions like an army general, so I assume he must have been the president of the organisation.

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Cyclingnews January 2015

My most enduring memory of him was of the annual provincial trials during the winter holidays.

He would drill us for an entire week up and down Seaview Road just outside PE as he went through the process of selecting his squads in the most brutal of ways. It was basically survival of the fittest, or, one could say selection by way of attrition.

We would start at the old Rathmead Farm Stall on the city side of Seaview Road and he would follow us in his Nissan 1400 bakkie, coordinating our movements by sounding the hooter.

The first hoot meant sprint like hell and you would do this until you heard the next honk. It was pure torture and the sprint-stop-sprint cycle continued until the narrowing of the road, where we turned around for more of the same on the way back.

After a week of this, the last four surviving riders made the team by default. His style got the best out of me (I was too scared to give up and face his wrath) and it was a selection policy that clearly had no place for favouritism or bias.

The record books would show that it was a fine strategy as the little ol’ EP team dominated the annual interprovincial competition – named after the late Eric van Enter – during his reign.

For all the successes he achieved with other dads’ youngsters, I believe one of his proudest moments came when Hein was selected for the junior Bok team in the late eighties.

Hein was as tough as nails and clearly the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

He RIP. •CN

“

would drill us for an entire week up and down Seaview Road just outside PE as he went through the process of selecting his squads in the most brutal of ways.”

DATES: 17-19 July 2015 START/FINISH: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit ON-LINE ENTRIES: www.asgevents.co.za ENTRY FEES: 1-Day event: R720 3-Day event: R3 950

BRACE YOURSELF! The 2015 Bestmed Jock offers a brand new challenge to serious road riders across the country.

Besides the existing 3-stage, 1-day event which takes place on Saturday 18 July, the organisers have added another dimension to the event with a 3-day stage race covering 334km and a daunting 7200 metres of vertical ascent.

The existing one-day Jock, which is an official premier seeding event for the Cape Town Cycle Tour, keeps its name as the Bestmed Jock Classique while its 3-day big brother will be known as the Bestmed Jock Tour.

The Bestmed Jock Tour, which takes place from 17-19 July, is not a challenge for the average rider. It constitutes the first event in South Africa which is mirrored on the Classic European Alpine road race stage races, such as the Haute Route.

There is no tougher 3-day challenge on a road bike anywhere else on the African continent.

ENTRIES FOR THE TOUR EVENT IS LIMITED TO 400 RIDERS The 2015 edition of the Bestmed Jock Cycle Classique, which takes place on 18 July 2015, will feature a new stage 1 route from Nelspruit to White River.

THE JOCK CLASSIQUE

THE JOCK TOUR 2015

1 Day - 3 Stages - 154km – 2900m Ascent

3 Days - 3 Stages - 334km – 7200m Ascent

STAGE 1 • Nelspruit – White River: 44km

STAGE 1: FRIDAY 17 JULY • Individual Time Trial; Nelspruit to Kaapsehoop; • 30km, 1200m ascent

STAGE 2 • White River – Sabie (via Spitskop): 45km STAGE 3 • Sabie – Nelspruit (via Long Tom Pass): 63km For further enquiries phone the race office on 076 621 1807 or email eventsupport@asgworld.co.za

STAGE 2: SATURDAY 18 JULY • Nelspruit to White River via the Kruger Airport Road/Sabie and back to Nelspruit; • 154km, 2900m ascent.

STAGE 3: SUNDAY 19 JULY • Nelspruit to Kaapmuiden via Barberton and back to Nelspruit • 150km, 3100m ascent

5 DAYS – 5 STAGES – 460km NO BETTER PLACE TO RIDE YOUR BIKE! DATES: 2-6 March 2015 PROVINCE: Western Cape ON-LINE ENTRIES: www.asgevents.co.za STAGE INFORMATION: Stage 1: Monday 2 March Paarl through Franchhoek to Worcester, via Villiersdorp (113km) Stage 2: Tuesday 3 March Worcester to Op-die-Berg, via Ceres (110.9km) Stage 3: Wednesday 4 March Individual Time Trial – Ceres to Tulbagh (30km) Stage 4: Thursday 5 March ulbagh to Riebeek-kasteel, via Piketberg (138.4km) Stage 5: Friday 6 March Riebeek-kasteel to Paarl, via Wellington (72.2km)

The final route for the 2015 Bestmed Tour de Boland, presented by Pinarello, has been announced as well as a new Tour logo, a brand new website along with the Tour Jerseys and R100 000 in extra product prizes.

The overall tour distance increases slightly from 430km to 460km, but the overall ascent has decreased drastically from 7000 metres to 4428 metres. The other big news it that, following a significant commitment to the Tour by the City of Drakenstein, the stage 1 start moves from Franschhoek to the centre of the City of Paarl. The Tour now starts and finishes in Paarl.

Riders who have booked their accomodation in Franschhoek don't need to be concerned as they are adjacent to the race permanence and only 25km away from the stage start in Paarl (for those who fancy a warm-up ride, the prevailing wind is from Franschhoek to Paarl and it's a flat ride).

Three categories of riders will be hosted on the road. First up every day will be the veterans bunches, followed by the women, who will ride with the 50 plus veterans, and they’ll be followed by the open/seeded bunches. These bunches will start at 07h00 daily.

AMATEUR TEAM COMPETITION The 2015 Bestmed Tour de Boland will for the first time boast a team competition in die open bunches. Open/seeded riders can organise themselves in teams of 6 with daily times of the best three riders to count for the overall amateur team prizes.

Team entries will be limited to 40 teams.

ENTRY INCLUDES Ftech manufactured Tour de Boland Fleece Jacket, 2 High 5 Race Packs, ASG Sport Discount booklet, valid for the entire 2015 with huge discounts on an array of products, Pasta evening function at Solms Delta Restaurant during race briefing, Special Bestmed finisher’s trophy, A tog bag shuttle service, Well stocked water points and wonderful local hospitality, Neutral service vehicles, Well marshalled roads, Excellent race control, Some of the finest cycling roads that South Africa can offer, R30 000 Prize money R100 000 in Product Prizes

For further enquiries phone the race office on 076 621 1807 or email eventsupport@asgworld.co.za visit www.tourdeboland.com

ACCOMMODATION PACKAGES We've arranged accommodation packages in all of our start/finish towns, including Paarl prior to stage one, but excluding the final day which finishes in Paarl. All accomodation is rated 3-star and up and consists of bed and breakfasts and hotels in these beautiful towns.

Words: Wynand de Villiers • Pictures: Andrew King

FEATURE

TOUR INVITE

sends Ryder over the moon

First came Robert Hunter’s participation in the Tour de France 14 years ago; then Daryl Impey’s tenure in Le Tour’s yellow jersey the year before last. Now a third historic moment in SA cycling has arrived with the announcement that MTN-Qhubeka have been invited to take part in the 2015 Tour de France.

MTN-QHUBEKA, powered by Samsung, are one of five wild- card entries that will line up with 17 Pro Tour teams in cycling’s showcase event in July.

To receive a wild card for the Tour de France is a dream come true for the entire MTN-Qhubeka set-up and a monumental moment for cycling in Africa.

After 101 previous Tour de France races, it will be the first time that an Africa-registered team will take part in the biggest cycling race in the world.

“We are extremely proud to be able to represent South Africa and Africa on one of the biggest stages in world sport,” said team principle Douglas Ryder. >

Cyclingnews January 2015

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FEATURE

“The journey to reach the Tour de France has been a seven-year adventure. It certainly would not have been possible without our fantastic partners, particularly MTN, who have shared our vision from the beginning, as well as Samsung, who have been on board since 2013.

“The added support from all our other partners, new and old, made the dream of putting an African team on the starting line of the Tour de France a reality. We are now able to expose the work of Qhubeka to the world and in doing so will be able to change more lives in Africa through bicycles,” he said.

The 2015 Grand Depart will take place on July 4, starting with a 14km time trial in Utrecht. The riders face 21 stages, covering 3 344km. The Tour finishes on the famous Champs Elysees on July 26.

The organisers, ASO, have also announced the 20 teams to take part in the Critérium du Dauphiné. MTN-Qhubeka has been included in this event as well.

The Critérium du Dauphiné is a World Tour event starting on June 7 and will be vital in the team’s Tour de France preparation.

An elated Ryder received the news from Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme via a text message.

“When I received the message from Christian Prudhomme saying ‘welcome to the Tour de France’ and asking me to call him back, I simply could not contain myself.

“I shouted to my wife and then things started going crazy. I have been waiting my whole life for this news. The pressure over the years of getting partners and riders to believe in this dream is finally a reality.

“We have so many people to thank that have been a part of this journey and I know our riders and staff will be the most motivated team in the world right now.

We will not only ride in the Tour; we will compete and we will have the support of the whole continent.” •CN

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Cyclingnews January 2015

Courtesy www.letour.com

PRODUCT FEATURE

HOT SUMMER BUYS With summer well and truly here, Cyclingnews has put together a round-up of this season’s hottest cycling essentials. You can find these must-have items on shelves at your nearest retailer.

SUNNY DISPOSITION Solargenome bags, a collection by storage accessories company Scicon, allow you to catch some rays on the trails and keep your electronic devices running at the same time.

The HydraCharge bags, which are fitted with supercharge polymer cells, will recharge the lithium battery pack in less than five hours and keep you switched on regardless of your loadshedding schedule.

The seven-litre bag provides ample space for food, as well as integrated pockets for bike tools and spares. It also houses a 1.5-litre, compact Hydrapak that is easy to clean and refill.

Cyclingnews January 2015

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PRODUCT FEATURE

MAKE TRACKS Nothing will stop you in your tracks once you’ve fitted the Veloflex Carbon tyre this summer. Resilient, durable and made from a natural rubber compound, the Veloflex tyre offers a Calicot puncture-resistant layer under the tread, making it the clear choice for mountain-bike adventures.

FRAMED FOR FAME The Pinarello Dogma needs no introduction and, with an asymmetrical frame that ensures that no power is lost between you and the road, this bike will give you the most bang for your energy buck.

The bike, the first choice for world-renowned UCI outfit Team Sky, is said to be one of the fastest on the market, but comes at a price that reflects its premium nature. All the more reason to let Santa know you’ve been good this year . . .

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Cyclingnews January 2015

PRODUCT FEATURE

HEAD COVER Rudy Project’s Airstorm helmet will help you keep a cool head this summer with its high-coverage internal padding of antiperspirant fabric and 21 vents.

An adjustable comfort ring and Fastex system closure button will help you clear your head and enjoy your time on the trails.

KITTED OUT When you’re out on the route you need kit that works as hard as you do. Ftech offers stylish yet functional sports gear to ensure a great fit.

The Italian brand utilises Xtra Life Lycra, which can stretch up to 600 per cent without losing material integrity while offering superior UV protection.

Hydrofit technology keeps you cool and dry, as it allows air to flow through.

In addition, ASG Sport Solutions provides sponsorship deals, which is perfect if you want to kit your team out with custom threads.

SHOE SENSE Premium cycling shoe brand Sidi has trotted out the new Genius 5 Fit Carbon for the 2015 season, and the newest offering from their stable will have you putting your best foot forward.

The Millennium 4 Carbon composite sole offers more rigidity than a standard nylon sole, which makes it less prone to wear and tear from prolonged usage.

The replaceable soft instep offers a thermo-formed pad that distributes the pressure evenly over the instep area, making it a good choice for riders who are looking for a comfy fit.

Cyclingnews January 2015

13

PRODUCT FEATURE

VROOM WITH A VIEW Rudy Project offers ImpactX Lenses that activate from clear to colour in seconds, even performing their magic when behind windows and windshields.

The range, newly available from retailers, comes in black, red and brown.

The lenses have a wider photochromic range than their predecessors and feature higher contrast definition to deliver a clearer view of your surroundings.

HAPPILY HYDRATED Keep your hydration levels up when the heat is on with Zero tabs, which are free of artificial colourants and preservatives. This fruit drink is loaded with Vitamin C and electrolytes such as sodium, potassium and magnesium to combat fatigue without adding any extra kilojoules.

A 20-tablet tube can make up to 15 litres of the refreshing drink, making this great value for money.

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Cyclingnews January 2015

RACE PREVIEW

Words: Coetzee Gouws • Pictures: Capcha

Tour de Boland riders

to finish on a high Riders and spectators at the 2015 Bestmed Tour de Boland can look forward to yet another thrilling mountaintop finish; this time at the Taal Monument near Paarl on March 6.

THE five-day road championship, which is presented by Pinarello, moves deeper into the heart of the Boland when the race starts on March 2.

The 465km tour has replaced the Giro del Capo in the lead-up to the annual Cape Town Cycle Tour, and also in the imagination of the 700 expected participants.

Offering a serious challenge – and great prizes – to South Africa’s top professional and amateur teams, the event is meant to re-establish the tradition of the iconic road tour.

Event coordinator Wynand de Villiers says the Paarl climb has featured strongly in earlier versions of the Tour de Boland. “We have a wonderful relationship with Drakenstein Municipality and wanted to give them a chance to be hosts for the finish this year.

“The finish ticks all the boxes as far as presenting a proper finale up to an epic Western Cape landmark goes,” says De Villiers.

The 4km final climb will be shorter and steeper than last year’s 9km Franschhoek Pass finale, with the latter now part of the opening stage.

“Our tour director, Carinus Lemmer, is known for keeping things interesting and sometimes offbeat. We like his approach, which means we’ll try to change things every year.”

Lemmer says adding a fifth stage is another step in building the tradition of a classic road tour. “We want to make this an authentic tour of the Boland. We’ve had requests from many towns to stop in at or pass by them, so we try to showcase as much of the region as possible.”

The registration venue will again be

Solms Delta Wine Estate near Franschhoek and the 113km opening stage takes riders from the centre of Paarl to Worcester via Villiersdorp.

On day two, the participants cover 111km to Op-die-Berg, climbing 1 278m and ending with two signature ascents, Mitchell’s Pass and Gydo Pass.

After two days of intense riding the 30km individual time trial between Ceres and Tulbagh on day three offers a welcome respite. “It’s a flattish course and almost like a rest day,” explains Lemmer.

The “rest” will be much needed as the 138km queen stage towards Riebeek-Kasteel, the sole surviving hosting town from the 2014 tour, looms on stage four. The tour then wraps up with a quick 74km dash back to Paarl, and up the mountain, via Wellington. >

Cyclingnews January 2015

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RACE PREVIEW

For the elite riders, Lemmer says this will involve summiting Paarl Mountain via a gravel road to finish at the Taal Monument.

“We’re going easier on the veterans and amateur bunches. Their ascent will be on tar.”

De Villiers says the addition of an amateur team competition is another new feature that organisers have brought in due to popular demand.

“The amateur category personifies the spirit of the Tour de Boland; working together towards a common goal. Very few tours afford amateurs the opportunity of feeling and being rewarded like the pros, and we’ll be announcing some amazing prizes, worth more than R250 000, shortly.”

The elite field will start later than the other groups to ensure everyone gets to experience the thrill of seeing the pros come storming into the finish every day.

More than 60 international riders have already signed up, including multiple Cape Epic champion Christoph Sauser, who will head the Songo line-up that includes guest riders Erik Kleinhans and Nico Bell.

“The top five elite men and women overall will receive cash prizes, as well as the top three licensed vets. There are also prizes for the top three men’s elite teams and top three amateur squads,” says De Villiers.

All open or seeded riders who finish within the allotted times will receive a commemorative trophy. All participants also receive discounts on selected cycling gear from tour sponsors ASG Sport Solutions and Bestmed.

Visit www.tourdeboland.com, e-mail eventsupport@asgworld.co.za or phone 076 621 1807. Alternatively, find the race on Facebook or follow @TourdeBoland. •CN

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Cyclingnews January 2015

One of the pillars of the Spectacle Warehouse concept is the wide choice of product presented in our stores.

We love the Rudy Project brand and we are doing justice to it by stocking the full range of styles and colours.

It will truly elevate your performance.

We have a great team of optometrists specialising in several aspects of optometry.

Our stores can supply everything you can ever desire in eyewear and eye care.

Visit www.spectaclewarehouse.co.za

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PULSE PAGES

Words: Coetzee Gouws • Picture: Capcha

TAKE TIME-TRIAL RACING TO HEART When veteran cyclist Juanita Venter blazed to victory in the individual time trial at the amateur world road championships in Slovenia last year, she did so the old-fashioned way.

SHE scooped the champion’s rainbow jersey in the 35-to-39 age category without the help of a heart-rate monitor or power meter.

“Unlike the rest of the cycling community, I have an old-school approach when it comes to the time trial,” she admits.

Going purely on feel, also referred to as “perceived rate of exertion”, seems to have paid dividends for Venter. Last year, she took the national title in her specialist event and won the time trials at the Bestmed Tour de Boland and Lowveld Tour.

“I know my body quite well and on the day I give it everything I have,” she explains.

As a seasoned professional cyclist and spinning instructor, Venter has listening to her body down to a fine art, if not science.

“From the start, I watch my speedometer to pedal most efficiently.”

At the world championships, for example, she battled a strong headwind on the outward-bound part of the course. She struggled to keep her speed above 40km per hour and was nine seconds behind the leader at the turn-around.

“I, of all people, saw that a time trial can be won or lost by less than a second. ” 20

Cyclingnews January 2015

PULSE PAGES

But on the return leg, with the wind at her back, she pushed her speed up to an average of 45km/h and sprinted home to take gold on the flattish 18.6km out-and-back course in 26 minutes 53.2 seconds.

She firmly believes in using data to improve performance, but only after the fact, not during the race itself, she says.

With an international champion’s medal as the dangling carrot, the 38-year-old says the urge to ignore the data would have been too strong anyway. “If I saw my heart rate bordering red line, would I have slowed down? I don’t think so.

“I, of all people, saw that a time trial can be won or lost by less than a second.”

Venter won on the streets of Ljubljana by just 0.7 of a second.

Called the Race of Truth a time trial demands from competitors to ride as fast as they can over a set distance without

the safety net of the bunch.

But just how fast is “as fast as they can” and how do time-trial cyclists determine their limits?

Super-fit riders at the sharp end of the race may find their heart rate playing catch-up to their efforts and second fiddle to their judgement. But for most social riders a heart-rate monitor can be a valuable training and racing tool.

Inexperience often results in competitors overdoing their efforts and going out too hard at the start of a time trial. Any early time gains could be nullified by muscle fatigue later on.

A heart-rate monitor will provide better pacing feedback than a power meter or simply trying to gauge by “feel”.

Everyone’s heart rate is different and finding a sustainable threshold for riding a time trial at your limit is the key to a good performance.

The maximum heart-rate zone used to be the yardstick, but the concept of the lactate threshold has gained popularity.

The latter is about finding that exact danger point at which your muscles produce lactate (lactic acid) faster than the body is able to neutralise it.

In other words, it is about discovering the highest intensity and fastest pace at which you can continue to ride without feeling too much of the burn that will eventually cause you to slow down.

A sudden increase in the heart rate is usually a good indicator of lactate accumulation as this is the threshold at which aerobic energy production becomes anaerobic.

A heart-rate monitor can help determine intensity and pacing. You may not grab the rainbow jersey as Venter did, but you could achieve your best time-trial performance. •CN

Enter on-line at

www.cycleevents.co.za

On-line entries close on 30 March 2015 at 23:00

SATURDAY, 11 APRIL 2015 EMPERORS PALACE MTB CLASSIC Start: 8:00 Distances: 40km (R170), 20km (R130) Start and finish: Emperors Palace

SUNDAY, 12 APRIL 2015 EMPERORS PALACE CLASSIC ROAD RACE Distances: 102km (R290), 50km (R150) Start and finish: Emperors Palace Start: 6:00

An entire weekend of cycling activities

EMPERORS PALACE KIDS CLASSIC 2-4 year-olds, 5-8 year-olds. Emperors Palace grounds Start: 10:00

EMPERORS PALACE CIRCUIT SPECTACULAR By invitation only Venue: Emperors Palace grounds Start: 11:00

For more information, contact ASG Events on 076 621 1807 or email eventsupport@asgworld.co.za

RACE PREVIEW

Words: Coetzee Gouws

HILLSNACKS FOR STARTERS

Top SA teams to lead Berge en Dale bunch With its highest climb looming within the first ten kilometres of the race, the Action Ford Berge en Dale Classic near Krugersdorp lives up to its name.

DATE Saturday 31 January 2015 VENUE Cradlestone Mall, Muldersdrift DISTANCES 102km, 55km ENTRY FEES 102km: R280, 55km: R150 STARTING TIME 06:00 MORE INFORMATION For further information email eventsupport@asgworld.co.za or phone 076 621 1807

THE West Rand’s biggest road race starts at Cradlestone Mall in the Muldersdrift area of Mogale City on January 31 and takes participants over a challenging 102km course of hills and valleys.

Starting with the infamous Hillsnacks climb, riders quickly warm up as they ascend to over 1 750m above sea level.

The 6km ascent registers a gradient of seven per cent in places and sets the tone for the route, which presents four climbs.

On the last one, tired riders have to dig deep as they climb back to the finish in the closing 10km.

But the suffering will be worth it as the race passes the Sterkfontein Caves and pristine nature reserves in the Cradle of Humankind.

As a premier seeding event for the Cape Town Cycle Tour, the race attracts South Africa’s top teams, with the added incentive of cash prizes for the pros and lucky draws for the more social types.

Last year’s race, which was won

by Namibian Costa Seibeb of the MTN-Qhubeka feeder team and An-li Kachelhoffer of Activate Drinks – attracted more than 4 000 riders. >

ROUTE PROFILE 1755

Elevation (m)

1700 1650 1600 1550 1500 1450 1400 1350 1317 7.5

15

22.5

30

37,5

45

52.5

60

67.5

75

82.5

93.6

Distance (km)

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RACE PREVIEW

Race director Wynand de Villiers of ASG events says the success of the 2014 event at the spacious new venue on the R28 convinced organisers to retain the start/finish venue and route unchanged for 2015.

“Because it is situated at the mall, there is plenty to keep the family entertained once the racing is done.”

A 55km short-course option is available for those who might find the full route too daunting.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION The race starts at Cradlestone Mall on the R28 and heads straight up the famous Hillsnacks climb.

At the top of the mountain (4km), riders take the Robert Broom off-ramp and head West. After crossing three 4-way stops the route takes a right past the Sterkfontein Hospital and Protea Ridge School.

It carries on straight past the Zenex garage at the Hendrik Potgieter extension junction. About 1km after the junction the 102km event forks left on the N14 towards Ventersdorp while the

55km riders carry on straight towards the Sterkfontein turn-off.

After descending for more than 5km, the 102km route flattens out and is only mildly undulating until the right turn at the access road to the R24 (the second 4-way stop after the fork).

Then it’s mostly downhill until the race crosses the R24 between Magaliesburg and Krugersdorp.

Riders have to negotiate a railway crossing shortly before this intersection and will be advised to slow down and take caution.

After the R24 intersection it’s a staggered 8km climb towards Maropeng.

Then it’s right onto the Hekpoort/Krugersdorp road and a long downhill past Greensleeves.

The 102km route then takes a left at the Sterkfontein turn-off where they join up with the 55km event.

It’s flat and fast riding to the Kromdraai cash store T-junction and also after the left turn there which then takes the race past the Rhino and Lion Park.

The section from the Rhino and

Lion Park to the right turn on Beyers Naude is challenging, but mostly only because it comes at a late stage in the event with more than 70km covered.

The first 2km on Beyers Naude is downhill followed by a very challenging 2km climb past Valverde.

It flattens out at Ekudeni but rises gradually all the way from there to the intersection with the N14.

The race then hops onto a lovely decent past Drift in through Muldersdrif before hitting the final 2km climb on the R28 to the finish line from Muldersdrift.

The race finishes in front of Bergvallei Estate and riders trickle back to Cradlestone Mall where refreshments and medals await.

Enter at www.cycleevents.co.za before January 19. Late entries will be accepted at registration but not on the morning of the race.

For more information, phone 076 621 1807 or e-mail eventsupport@asgworld.co.za. •CN

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Cyclingnews January 2015

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FEATURE

Words: Coetzee Gouws

20 QUESTIONS FOR TILL DROBISCH

After the hole in the hip

all’s well that ends well Cyclingnews caught up with the MTN-Qhubeka feeder team’s Till Drobisch, who snatched a surprise victory in his first Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge. The 21year-old Namibian talked about this season’s crashes, challenges and changes, and about ending his African chapter on a high note.

1 Winning the Momentum 94.7 Cycle

Challenge in your maiden outing seems to be an unexpectedly great end to what has been a bit of a rough season, wouldn’t you say?

Most definitely! It was so unexpected after I actually thought I wouldn’t be racing again this year, but it was exactly what I needed.

2 The real lowlight was probably

crashing out of Tour de l’Avenir. Tell us about that, your injuries and how it altered your plans for the season.

I had a few crashes this year. One of them was around July when I slid on a wet road and took a piece the size of a golf ball out of the side of my hip. I missed out on a big Tour (Giro Valle d’Aosta) because of that injury and it took me quite a while to get my motivation and training back up. Shortly before Tour de l’Avenir, I was feeling good again. I managed to get through the flat stages without crashing or losing time and actually started thinking this might be a good tour for me. But then it was over before I reached the mountains. My plan was to qualify for the world champs through a top-20 on GC and also get the attention of one or two pro teams.

Obviously neither of those goals was possible and I must admit it was a tough mental blow. It took me a long time to get over it. I actually said my season was done after the crash, because there weren’t any big races left and if I started training again immediately I would peak too late for the last races of the season.

But then our team coach, Andrew Smith, asked me to come down for the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge anyway, even if I didn’t race. I’m happy he asked me to do that, even if I hadn’t won. >

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FEATURE

3 Did the enforced break from

competition do you a favour in that you were able to peak in time for this late-season race?

Yes and no. I was definitely not in peak shape and, honestly, also wasn’t trying to achieve that in training. I was doing mostly strength intervals rather than speed intervals, which is not the optimal choice if you want to be racing fit. However, it gave me the advantage in that I was still motivated and fresh in my mind, unlike most of the riders who had a long season behind them and were looking forward to a bit of rest.

4 You didn’t go into the 94.7 as

designated team leader. Did you think you could win, or at what point did you realise it was possible?

I was feeling pretty good in some of the hillier training sessions, but I never thought about actually winning until our director, JP van Zyl, told me I had an outside chance. I didn’t believe him at first but I later thought he might be right because in cycling you never know what will happen. But I was still focused on working for our team leaders.

5 Would you say the hillier new

route played to your strengths as a good climber? Or did you also have to employ your time-trial skills in the closing stages?

The new route definitely suited our team, and me. All the sprinters who were still there at the end were too tired to get over that last bit quickly enough, which gave me the gap I needed to hold them off. But I also had to use my time-trial skills when the others attacked on the climbs. Because I wasn’t strong enough to follow those hard accelerations I got dropped a bit but kept the power high and always reeled them back in.

realistic. It’s not going to make me a pro if I win the 94.7, so my confidence hasn’t changed much. I know what I am capable of and I also know my weaknesses. A win here is something great, but it won’t change the fact that I still have a long way to go to be a pro.

8 How big is the cycling scene

back home and what opportunities are there for aspiring young pros?

Cycling in Namibia is not very big. It is growing but we lack events and riders.

For young riders who want to make it big it is not a good idea to stay in Namibia. The racing is different ... not so many tactics, not a lot of sponsors and not the best racing. Mountain biking is a bit better, but the best is if you try to race in SA or overseas as much as possible.

6 Do you think the tougher new

route elevates the 94.7 to a classic that’s really challenging for the pros and not just an ordinary mass-participation event?

It is a very challenging route, even for the pros, but it still favours the sprinters a bit more than the climbers because most of the climbs are not long enough. The sprinters can still use their power to get over the top and if they are still there at the finish it will be difficult to beat them; but not impossible. .

7 The win certainly put you in the

9 How long have you been with

the MTN-Qhubeka feeder team?

Two years. Before that I spent a year with World Cycling Centre Africa.

10 How has your time in

media spotlight. How have things changed for you in terms of your public profile and confidence?

The only thing that has changed is that I got a million congratulations. I’ve been in every newspaper and for the first time in my life I had to give a few interviews on television. But let’s stay

Potchefstroom shaped your cycling?

My time in Potchefstroom made me a cyclist. Before, I didn’t know anything about training, tactics and nutrition.

But after being in Potch and Switzerland for three years, I have learned a lot and can actually call myself a bike rider.

“The only thing that has changed is that I got a million congratulations. I’ve been in every newspaper and for the first time in my life I had to give a few interviews on television.”

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Cyclingnews January 2015

FEATURE

11 You’ve signed with French team

Nantes Atlantique for the 2015 season. How and where did you first grab their attention?

When I was racing in Switzerland for CMC (Centre Mondial du Cyclisme/World Cycling Centre), their soigneur helped us out in one of the races and told me they were interested in signing me. Since I planned to leave the centre after this year and my coach in Switzerland was looking for a French team for me, I thought why not this one? They are a well-known first-division amateur team linked to two professional teams. It’s not easy getting into a team like that as a foreigner.

12 Tell us a bit about your

new role and opportunities in that team.

I don’t know what my role in the team will be because I don’t know any of my teammates yet. So we will have to wait and see. The opportunity I will get is a lot of tough European racing, which will hopefully make me a more complete rider. The races around Nantes are very windy, cold and wet. I am still struggling a bit in those conditions, but I am eager to learn. I am also hoping to make contact with the two pro teams they are linked to (FDJ and Bretagne-Séché) and see if it will be possible to get a ride there. >

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FEATURE

13 Where will you be based? It’s

obviously even farther from home than Potch, so are you excited or already a little homesick at the thought?

I will be based in Nantes. Yes it is far away from home, but I am already used to it. I’ve spent six months in Switzerland each year for the past three years, which is not as long as I will spend in Nantes but it comes close. I think once I’ve settled there and figured out how things work it will be okay.

but it’s a love/hate relationship, because I never achieved what I wanted to. Obviously, I can’t leave out the 94.7 Cycle Challenge win. I’ve never had this much media attention and the congratulations from people I don’t even know haven’t stopped. I would also like to mention my Namibian national road and time-trial titles from 2013. It is something special to wear your country’s colours for a year. Unfortunately, this year I could defend only the time-trial title.

16 How old were you when you

14 Do you see yourself racing for

an African pro team and what are your long-term career plans?

I could definitely see myself racing for an African pro team. I was supposed to be a stagiaire for MTN-Qhubeka this year but then had my series of crashes.

But we will see what happens and keep the options open. My long-term plans are making the jump to the pros and riding a few Grand Tours. It is more like a dream though; an achievable dream nonetheless.

15 What would you say are your

top three career highlights to date?

Difficult to say. I’ve had a few decent results but nothing that stands out much. I would say my third place overall in the Tour de Franche-Comté was a highlight because of the difficult stages and tough competition. We rode up to La Planche des Belles Filles, the same last two climbs on which Nibali won his second stage at this year’s Tour de France. A second highlight was participating in the Tour de l’Avenir three times. I love that tour,

first got on a bicycle?

I started riding properly around the age of nine. We had training sessions after school every Monday and Wednesday and I think that’s where it all started.

17 When did it first occur to you

that you could make a career out of riding a bicycle?

Actually, only last year! After school I didn’t know what to study, so I decided to take a gap year and ride a bike at the WCCA in Potch. I struggled a lot and actually didn’t think I could make it, but decided to try for one more year. Apparently I learned a lot in that year of struggling and made a big leap forward. That was the first time I actually believed I could make it.

Before that I thought about it but it was more like a dream; it didn’t seem as I would be able to do it.

18 Complete this sentence: When

I’m not on the bike, I . . . . . . think about when I will be able to get back on the bike. But I might start studying through Unisa next year, so maybe that will change.

“My long-term plans are making the jump to the pros and riding a few Grand Tours. It is more like a dream though; an achievable dream nonetheless. ”

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Cyclingnews January 2015

19 What’s your next race? Are you

doing the Sharjah International Tour?

Unfortunately there have been some complications and the Namibian federation will not be able to send a team, so this year there will be no more racing for me. I will start doing a lot of cross-training now and prepare for 2015.

20

Will we see you back for the African champs in February 2015?

I am not sure yet. It will be complicated, because I have to be in France on January 5 and we have a training camp in Spain at the same time. But if there is a possibility I would definitely like to come. •CN

Words: Coetzee Gouws • Picture: Femina

LEGEND OF THE PEDAL

CATHY CARSTENS

The leading lady of SA cycling Before there were Anriette Schoeman and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, there was Cathy Carstens.

CATHY stormed on to the scene in the mid-eighties and dominated SA women’s cycling for the rest of the decade.

In that time she notched up five Argus titles (now the Cape Town Cycle Tour), another fistful of wins in the 250km Bayside Marathon and three victories in the Star 100, forerunner of the 94.7 Cycle Challenge, in addition to more than 300 fun ride wins.

Among many other achievements, she smashed the Argus record by 15 minutes, set an SA record on the track over 3 000m and won the first national road championships.

Having hit the proverbial glass ceiling, and frustrated by the ban from international competition, Cathy went looking for a fresh challenge and found it in raising a family and opening a physiotherapy practice.

She resurfaced in the new millennium, returning to the top of her game and eventually becoming a world champion.

Cathy’s trail-blazing accomplishments have earned her a rightful place among the Legends of the Pedal, and the distinction of being the first female member of this national hall of fame.

“It’s so sweet of them to ask me,” says Cathy, now 52. “It’s really a fantastic concept because he (Johnny Koen) is making us old people feel good. And it benefits others!”

All of this would have seemed unimaginable back in 1984, as she lay in a Cape Town hospital with her leg in a plaster cast.

Then a successful middle-distance student athlete, with provincial colours in her favourite sport, Cathy had struggled with knee problems from a young age.

“I’d had so much trouble with my left leg. I had operations in standard five, standard seven and matric for a dislocated patella. And they messed my poor little leg up, so I’ve always had to fight to get back into my sport.”

Having set the University of Cape Town 800m record, which still has not been broken, Cathy was just back on track when a head-on car crash ended her promising athletics career. >

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LEGEND OF THE PEDAL

KIDNAPPED BY MATIES “Our rivals, Maties, had actually kidnapped me for fun and I told them they should just bring me back before the koshuis closed. We were driving in the mist and there was a guy reversing on the N2 . . .”

Her troublesome knee hit the dashboard, rupturing the cruciate ligament and causing a decompression fracture of the knee joint.

“They just stuck me back into plaster for the fourth or fifth time. I came out of that and I couldn’t walk properly for a long time,” recalls Cathy. “The doctor actually said to me, ‘You’re going to be a cripple at 26 and I don’t even want to see you at 40’.”

But a fighter by nature, she was more than up for the challenge. “I think you’ve got this spirit inside you that just knows.

I don’t know where I got these words from but I just said to him, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be fine’.”

As it turns out, she was more than fine. After all attempts at running caused the knee to swell, Cathy took up tandem cycling with her boyfriend. Less than a year later, she had won the mixed category in the Argus tandem event and when her partner couldn’t participate in a race, she decided to go solo.

“It was so funny, I insisted on riding a ladies’ bike!”

After being convinced by fellow SA cyclist Francois du Toit to switch to a men’s bike, she never looked back. “Your stability’s so much better, especially when you’re climbing. So ja, then I started winning after that.”

Unlike the fun-rider focus of modern mass-participation events, the emphasis back then was on the registered riders.

She remembers starting with the men’s

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Cyclingnews January 2015

pro field in her first solo Argus in 1986.

“I was so mad because I stayed with them all the way to the top of Chapman’s Peak but I couldn’t stay with them on the downhills. They were just too hectic, so I thought everything was lost.”

But then the late Peter Haupt encouraged her, saying they could still make it in a sub-three-hour time, so they worked together and did it.

“That was so special,” says Cathy, who finished just over nine minutes behind the winner of the men’s race, the legendary Ertjies Bezuidenhout.

“They were all pros and I was just on this funny old bike,” she recalls.

In her five-year reign as the queen of that race, she received notable sponsorships from the likes of Pickfords and Le Coq Sportif. “It was quite hard doing it five times in a row. Once I got a puncture and another time somebody fell over me. There was a lot of competition and the girls were good.”

Without the support of a modern team structure, the female riders did the best they could with the knowledge they had.

“I didn’t have a coach, and didn’t know what I should or shouldn’t eat. I just rode.

We used to do short 40km bunch rides every evening – we really raced those – and long miles over the holidays.”

SPOTTED BY TALENT SCOUT She was eventually spotted on the Killarney racetrack by a Belgian talent scout who offered her a place on the Shimano team. The offer was contingent on her getting her Irish ancestral passport, because South Africans were not welcome in Europe at the time.

Unfortunately, the passport materialised only ten years later. “I would

so, so have loved to race overseas. It was just so sad that we couldn’t,” she says.

Her amateur efforts paid off on the domestic circuit and she won the first unofficial SA championship for women, and the first official one in her hometown of Bethlehem a year or so later.

“My dad was on the finish line and after winning I said to him: ‘Okay, now I’m going to have a baby’.”

It was 1990 and having won everything she could locally, Cathy thought it was time to settle into family life. “Life is more than racing,” she says.

“At the end of that year the whole political situation had changed and by then I was pregnant.

“They sent the girl who came third at nationals to the ’92 Olympics and I thought, ag man, I would have loved to have gone. But I’ve got this awesome son and I’d never change him for anything.”

Always on the hunt for a new challenge, Cathy got the opportunity to start her own practice while she was pregnant. It consumed her attention for the next decade.

“I was totally immersed in building my business and bringing up my two kids.

When they were ten and twelve, I realised they were bored with me, and one of my clients was on my case to start cycling again.”

A phone call from Pat White, asking her to attend the Argus’s 25th anniversary celebrations, sparked her curiosity and she entered for the race.

“I took my bike down from the rafters of the garage and dusted it off. I told myself I would stop only if I fell off from cramping, but I made it in under three and a half hours, without any training.”

LEGEND OF THE PEDAL

Convinced she could get into an elite team, Cathy started training again at age 41. This time she took a structured approach, complete with a coach.

“I tried so hard, did the whole national circuit and finished second overall. But I was invisible because I was older. It was a bit depressing.

“In 2004, I was just half a second behind Anriette (Schoeman) in the Argus and I was on a high. I went for a training ride and then a vehicle rode into me and I smashed my hand.”

History had repeated itself just as Cathy seemed to be gaining ground once more. But, just as before, the end result was more good than bad.

TWO SILVER AND A GOLD After being out of action for three months, she got back into form for the 2005 national road champs; this time as a veteran. She received national colours on the strength of her performance and

was selected to race at the world veterans road championships in Austria the following year.

“I finally got overseas and with my Irish passport; the first time I used it!”

She won two silver medals there before snatching the gold in 2008.

“How beautiful was that? I’m just so, so grateful. Being a world champ was awesome. The experience of standing on that podium . . . you can’t help it but you just cry; it’s just too much.

“It’s just so amazing that you get to stand there and your own country’s flag is being raised and your anthem played.”

Asked whether she still has any aims left, she laughs. “Mastering the technical skills of mountain biking. I love it. I was up in the Bottelary Hills this morning and it was just like heaven.”

One of the founder members of the Ladies’ Cycling Association, Cathy says she’s thrilled to see women’s cycling

being treated with more respect all over the world.

“Ashleigh’s doing so much for the sport and there are some fantastic ladies, like Mariske Strauss, also competing now. I’m really proud of everyone.”

As one of the leading contributors on the local front, she is looking forward to having her son Deon, daughter Margie, her father and loved ones around her at the official Legends of the Pedal function in December.

“My dad is going to drive all the way from the Free State; he’s just turned 80.

When I used to ride, he didn’t really bother about my cycling. So I sent him my CV to show exactly why they wanted me to be a Legend.

“He said: ‘Oh my gosh! I didn’t realise you did all that.’ It was so funny . . .” •CN

“I’m just so, so grateful. Being a world champ was awesome. The experience of standing on that podium . . . you can’t help it but you just cry; it’s just too much.”

Cyclingnews January 2015

35

BIKE SHOP FEATURE

Words: Coetzee Gouws

Cycle Lab Fourways caters

TO ‘NEW GOLF’

The popular saying “cycling is the new golf” was taken to a new level by the MoreGolf group last year when they acquired the well-known Cycle Lab retail chain from the founder, former professional cyclist Andrew Mclean.

TO handle the burgeoning cycling side of the business, the group established a new division called MoreCycle.

“It was a great fit for us. We’re finding that a lot of people who play golf also cycle,” says chief executive Stephen Reardon. “It’s also a very fast-growing sport in South Africa, especially on the mountain-biking side.”

When Cycle Lab opened its doors in Mclean’s garage 17 years ago, it would have been difficult to foresee the success story that the chain became.

Mclean says in those days all he knew was cycling, so the focus was mainly on training. “People came to my garage and I had a couple of indoor trainers and I trained them.”

Once he realised that retail was the key to expanding the business, he moved it to Woodmead. In a later move the store relocated to Paulshof, and finally Design Quarter.

The opening of the Fourways megastore in 2013 signalled MoreCycle’s intention to become a force to be reckoned with in the market.

From the previous 500 square metres, the floor space was expanded to a whopping 2 000, a strategy that allowed the shop to stock a wide array of merchandise and carry the title of largest cycling store in the southern hemisphere.

“The megastore really caters for everyone. We stock 1 000 different models of bikes alone, with a plethora of accessories, nutritional products, gear and more,” says Reardon.

“Whether someone is interested in road riding, mountain biking, fat bikes or even a unicycle, it’s important to us to fit the customer with the perfect bike.”

The staff, which totals about 50, comprises 25 sales assistants and 15 workshop staffers, with administration and support staff rounding out the number.

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Cyclingnews January 2015

Reardon says retail is only part of the bigger picture, as the group prides itself on taking a holistic approach to cycling by investing in facilities that support cycling as a sport.

“The Toyota Supercycling club is a very important part of what we do; we’ve built up a community of like-minded individuals and that really also drives the brand. The club has over 4 000 members nationwide.”

In addition to the cycling club, the MoreGolf group also runs the PwC Cycle Park in Bryanston, Johannesburg. It offers riders a safe place to enjoy the sport and test out their Fittrack training programmes, another one of the group’s acquisitions.

When it comes to sponsorships, the group looks to what they call “really good amateurs”.

“We enjoy giving average riders a chance to go and really enjoy themselves. We’d like to make cycling not just a sport but a large part of their life.”

Although Mclean spends time racing and presenting the Supercycling television show, he is still very much hands-on in the business.

With all his experience, Mclean “has really guided us in the industry. He’s still, very much, the face of the business.

He tests our products and has been an amazing partner,” says Reardon The group has one megastore and seven franchises countrywide but Reardon is tight-lipped about possible expansion plans, except that more megastores are definitely on the horizon.

“We would like to be in Cape Town in 2015, and possibly look at other major urban centres after that.”

Cycle Lab Fourways is open from 09:00 to 18:00 on weekdays, from 08:00 to 17:00 on Saturdays and from 09:00 to 13:00 on Sundays and public holidays.

Give them a call on 011 707 4700. •CN

BIKE SHOP FEATURE

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: Ocean & Air Imports & Exports Warehousing Customs Clearing Road Freight Distribution Courier

“The megastore really caters for everyone. We stock 1 000 different models of bikes alone, with a plethora of accessories, nutritional products, gear and more.”

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Proud logistics partnerCyclingnews of January 2015

37

RACE REVIEW

Words: Coetzee Gouws • Pictures: Jetline Action Photo

Paarl delivers a pearler More than 1 200 riders turned out for the inaugural Bestmed Paarl MTB Classic, in which Swedish marathon champion Jennie Stenerhag and cross-country specialist Robert Sim took the honours.

THE event, presented by the City of Drakenstein on November 16, proved to be a pearler.

The field flowed out from the Paarl Arboretum on the banks of the Berg River and over a challenging course that included some serious climbing up Paarl Mountain to the iconic Taal Monument.

Stenerhag and Sim won the 60km feature race and Ana Sampson and David Botha were first in the 30km event.

Sim said he had been amazed by the quality and diversity of the route.

“The single-track coming down off the top of Paarl Mountain was a revelation.

It was actually world class.”

With nine stage wins in the Cape Epic masters category under his belt, the 48-year-old said the race had been the ideal start to his base training for the 2015 campaign alongside Nico Pfitzenmaier.

“The Epic has two or three days of similar riding in the Wellington area, so this terrain is very good for that.”

Race organiser Wynand de Villiers said the collaboration between the city municipality and locally based businesses such as Rhodes Foods and Cape Brewing Company had contributed greatly to the success of the event.

The water points were “fantastic”, he said. >

Cyclingnews January 2015

39

RACE REVIEW

There was even CBC craft beer and local wines for tasting.

De Villiers said participants in next year’s event could look forward to at least another 10km of free-flowing single-track on the Rhebokskloof Wine Estate section of the trails.

“We’ve already had our post-mortem meeting and decided on a number of changes for next year’s classic.”

First among these would be the total closure of the Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve for the duration of the event.“The walking trails on the reserve will be the sole preserve of our participants on the day; the only time of the year that mountain bikers are allowed on these trails.”

Feedback from the riders was extremely encouraging. “We received a nine-out-of-10 rating in the post-event survey, which we’re not quite happy with,” De Villiers revealed.

His his team would focus on ironing out the kinks before the 2015 event.

Mild congestion near the Taal Monument would be eradicated by 40

Cyclingnews January 2015

rerouting riders in a slight detour around the landmark.

Entries for the second Paarl MTB Classic will be opening in July.

“We’re limiting the field to 1 700 riders to guarantee a fantastic route experience,” said De Villiers, adding that all entrants would receive goodie bags worth more than R600 and discounts on Rudy Project eyewear, as well as a

branded T-shirt, courtesy of ASG Sport Solutions.

“We’ll also have our customary free CBC lager waiting for you on the finish line and an ‘I conquered Paarl Mountain’ medal.”

To enter, visit www.asgevents.co.za.

For more information, follow @PaarlMTBClassic or find the race on Facebook. •CN

RESULTS MEN – 60km 1 Robert Sim 2 Billy Stelling 3 Craig Gerber 4 Corey Johnson 5 Cornelius Muller

2:44:08 2:45:26 2:47:12 2:50:56 2:51:02

WOMEN – 60km 1 Jennie Stenehag 2 Marleen Lourens 3 Nadia Visser 4 Katie Viljoen 5 Alma Colyn

3:01:13 3:11:13 3:12:52 3:14:54 3:24:30