Panorama - Stage 3
Last of the mountain stages.. However, one always tries to keep the best for last, and the organisers at the Panorama have certainly outdone themselves.. Two mountain climbs back to back.. Spitskop in reverse and then right after that the foot of Long-Tom pass. Then a hilly descent to Brondal, and three final up-hills.. Well, with my good climbing skills and Carlos on form we were hoping to do much better on this day after the disastrous day 2. Our legs had acclimatised to the mountains and were keeping the rhythm up the steel mountain sides. Still in group D at the start, we managed to get there early enough and move to the front of the line. Music. Cyclist one-foot shuffle up the driveway and left down into town. The race is on! The first few km’s out of town were fairly flat, but quickly turned into rolling hills. We managed to work our way into a nice large group with some MTN pro-riders, who at most were warming up their muscles. We were positively straining ours with the steeper and steeper hills, and finally the back-end of Spitskop, the terrifying decent of two days previous, proved a monster of an uphill. The weather threatened, but in the end just turned into a cold fog, as we climbed ever upwards. The water-points were at the top of each mountain, so our race strategy had to change and we kept together. The first climb was the shorter of the two, but Long-Tom proved fatal for us. In a weight shedding exercise the night before we had taken every bit of unnecessary kit off our bikes to make them lighter. We were on a one bottle strategy, with the cold weather meaning little fluid loss through perspiration. Inner tubes?! Two are enough.. Boy, was that just about the worst idea that came to our brains.. At the foot of Long-Tom Carlos has his first flat.. I caught him after the long Spitskop descent and just then he flats, but aces a sub-2 minute tube change, and we’re back on the climb, the few riders who’d managed to pass us are quickly caught on our onslaught up the mountain.. We are feeling good, we are feeling strong. Then, as we near the Nelspruit turn-off.. tyre 2 goes. This change takes a bit longer, as our spirits are sinking.. Again we are passed by the slow climbers.. We’re off and a water-point, a welcome banana and a cool drink behind us, we start descending the snaking mountain road, with the whole Valley below us spread out. The day is grey, but it’s still a beautiful sight, and I am conquering my descending demons finally. But the riders before us have gone and we are alone on the descent. Half way down Carlos stops for a pit-stop and I wave to him.. Catch me on the downhill, methinks. Well, 20 minutes and 50 cyclists later and I am still waiting for him at the bottom. As he turned to his bike after his stop, he saw his rear tyre flat on the ground.. No spare tube. No CO2 canister.. Just wait for the MTN mechanic to hopefully drive past, or some back-marker with a spare tube. All in all our total time-loss due to flats is 26minutes. Our third mountain of the day. No matter, once re-joined we push on with the rolling downhills and take turns pushing the wind. We are riding solo, with most cyclists in front of us or way behind us. We reach the final waterpoint of the day, at the Brondal turnoff and are greeted with Pizza and vodkas! We pass on the vodkas but the pizzas are great. Off we go though, every minute to gain by pushing on. We roll over the last two hills at a strong pace, although our motivation is low now.. We realise just how hopeless our cause is and push on through sheer inertia.. the legs just keep rotating, hardened by the mountain climbs earlier in the day. We trundle on through town, the finish line in sight, and out runs a rabid dog on the road, barking and trying to get under our wheels! One of the riders we’d caught veers off pushing the dog out of our way and we clear through and reach the final up-hill. A slow, painful climb to the top and we cross the line together, shattered by our experience, but glad we made it in the end.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Panorama Tour - Stage 2
Day 2 of the Panorama tour was, in the words of the organisers, the flattest Mpumalanga could offer. We were hoping that the shorter route would be kinder to our legs, tired out by the long climbs of the previous day. However things didn’t go well right from the beginning as we were now in starting group D, and arrived there just in time for the race, and were the last in our group. Basically, we were starting just in front of group E! The Music came on, and cyclists started shuffling forward trying to get out of the starting pen and onto the road, this time turning left and down into White River on a rather sharp descent (my favourite!) and through the side streets to emerge on the Sabie Road, then left after a few km’s towards Brondal. The road surface on the Brondal section was starting to break up and the early descents played havoc with my rear wheel (and confidence), already shaken by the long Spitskop downhill. I was still getting used to my new carbon bike, which alternated between incredible rigidity and uncontrollable wobbling on less than perfect asphalt.. I was confused. More than that, I was at the end of the pack, and climbing furiously to catch up with Carlos. On today’s race our incompatibilities, him with a sprinter’s cassette and me with my descending heeby jeebies, worked to our advantage as I raced up the hills, and he caught up with me on the descents. Again we made good time after our (my) initial bad start and started catching cyclists. The flatter sections meant that we had to find a good pace-group in order to maintain our speed.. hard to do when most of the good cyclists were up ahead. We did manage though to find a few that pulled us through the long and windy straights. We used this tactic and hopped onto groups up ahead, or got dropped and were caught by faster riders behind us, and managed to make up some time and keep a good pace. Eventually we found some young riders who were content at pushing at a lazy 30km’s.. It was either going with them or facing the oncoming wind alone, so we chose wisely.. We’d need our legs for the last third of the race, a constant climb past KMIA (Kruger Airport) and onto the Numbi Gate road leading to White river. We were now on the Kanyamanze road which runs parallel to the N4, and eventually a pair of young riders in our group shot to the front and upped the pace, right until the left turn and the start of the hills. I made my move and started pushing up the hill, with Carlos close behind. We were now going mostly uphill, with a few flat sections and descents which gave Carlos a chance to rejoin. Now it was a constant slog, with just a quick stop at the waterpoint and a interview with the camera-man, and we were off again. By now we had worked out the colour-codes on the rider’s numbers and knew which ones we had to beat. We managed to close in on veteran after veteran and slowly pull ahead. We were feeling good, but the long grinding hill and our sprints on the flats meant that our legs had little more to give, and eventually a road-train of cyclists caught us on one of the descents, and to our dismay they were mostly vets! We clambered aboard and spun our legs like crazy barely keeping up, as the descent gave way to a painful wall of tarmac. We’ve now only a few more km’s to go, and some sharp up and down sections, which split up the road train. We are about in the middle of the split and were straining and pushing on the pedals, getting ourselves up the last long uphill, then down another long descent and a left hook onto the Numbi Gate road. A gentle rise but we are inching along, trying to catch one last vet group, that have been following us for the last 10 km’s. They are the AutoTec team, and we realise that we’ve been closely pacing them over the last two days. However we don’t catch them. We are finished.. and there, just in front of us is the finish line. Flattest day of the race?! What a load of bull! Today was worse than day one. We'll find out if day three can better it though.. Stay tuned.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Panorama Tour - Stage 1
Panorama Tour – Stage 1
The Maputo Hill Climber team, myself and Carlos Sales, were getting ready to take place in our first Panorama Tour, a 4 day climbing fest in the Mpumalanga “Lowveld”.. Why they called it Lowveld I can only assume is a bit of Afrikaans humour, because the hills here were anything but low, rather steep and sharp, and the Mountains would give Tour de France rides a good ride for their money.
We arrived just in time to collect our race numbers and hear the race briefing for Stage 1. The weather outlook was not brilliant, with possible rain and cold winds predicted. We were eager to go, if a bit nervous. We had the obligatory cyclist pasta dinner and headed to bed early.
Next morning we were up at five, bikes on the rack, a quick breakfast and coffee, and off we drove the 20km’s or so up to White River. The roads were empty at that hour and we made good time but even so found Casterbridge packed with nervous cyclists in various stages of readiness. We were in group C, middle of the bunch, and we felt the pre-race tension as other cyclists cracked nervous jokes or checked their cables. Few had stress-free faces. Some hadn’t banished the sleepiness from their eyes. Others were hurriedly warming up. As for us, we were cold, and in awe of this event, and suddenly quite conscious of our amateur status in this race. Maputo Hill Climbers.. What hills are there in Maputo that can compete with what the Panorama was about to unleash onto us?!?
All of a sudden loud music and there was a surge as cyclists started to one foot pedal up the driveway and onto the main road towards Hazyview. I tried to move forward and lost Carlos in the frenzy as everyone jockeyed for a better position. Once on the road cyclists started streaming past as if crazed, trying to catch the front peloton, which was already pushing at a healthy pace up the first incline of the day, even though it was behind the pace car. Today would decide the King of the Mountain, and the pro’s at the front were eager to go.
Eventually we found each other near the back of the pack and started the long uphill drag. By now we were with the back-markers and so steadily moved forward in the ranks. Hill upon hill took us up past the KOM hotspot and then down towards the Kiepersol turnoff where a fairly flat section and a fast riding group helped us make steady progress. From there we re-joined the main Sabie – Hazyview road and again the rather aggressive hills showed themselves as worthy adversaries to our already tired and heavy legs. The first water-point loomed and I had to stop to replenish my bottles, as I had forgotten to bring my normal drink supplement, and the USN sponsored drinks were certain to be better than my water! They offered up a cool green drink which perked us up instantly, and with banana for food, we set off on the steep incline. Hill turned into descent into hill and descent and we still hadn’t reached the dreaded Spitskop climb. To lighten my load I emptied my spare water bottle, which helped out with the climbs, but then a few km’s further ahead disaster struck as Carlos’ water cage broke off during a descent. He’d finished his other bottle and I was almost through my last bottle! The next water point was half-way up Spitskop, and we were still doing the hills! Would we last till then?
We shared the little water we had and eventually started up the dreaded Spitskop. A 12.5km climb with an average gradient of 3.4%. Doesn’t sound too bad, but the “hills” leading up to Spitskop had higher gradients and had already sapped our legs. The temperature was getting cold but our bodies couldn’t feel it, due to the heat of exertion as we crawled up the long, steep climb. Ahead of us stretched clumps of riders, and we hopped onto each bunch as we came to them, moving back up through the standings. My 27 rear cassette meant that I was able to keep up a faster rhythm up the climb, although every time I thought I’d lost Carlos, he would re-appear on my wheel. We found our rhythm on the hill and finally made the water-point, and loaded up with a different coloured drink. USN was testing every product in their arsenal on our bodies.. Must say, we referred the cool green one from the first pit stop.
From the waterpoint onwards, our liquid stores replenished and the legs slightly rested, we powered up the remaining climb at a nice healthy pace and organized a fast pace-line over the crest of the mountain. There the temperature was 9 degrees, and as we started to descend my arms froze and I could hardly change gears or pull the brakes… My climbing ability was counterbalanced by a certain lack of descending skills and I watched in frustration as first Carlos, and then all the cyclists I’d passed on the uphill flew past me to the bottom of the hill. It would be a tough job making back that time lost.
I got to the bottom of the hill and regrouped with Carlos and we trudged up the remaining hills to the finish-line. By now we were quite tired but somehow managed to claw our way back and catch some of the cyclists who had past me on the descent. However many had managed to maintain their lead and push on ahead of us. We turned off the main road into the back-streets of White River and could smell the finish line. One final surprise though, that last hill up to Casterbridge farm. Our tired and battered legs could take only so much, and we inched our way up, trying in vain to catch one last group of riders before the finish. Finishing time 4 Hours 54 minutes. We were tired, we were shattered, but we’d made it through the first day. Only three to go!
The Maputo Hill Climber team, myself and Carlos Sales, were getting ready to take place in our first Panorama Tour, a 4 day climbing fest in the Mpumalanga “Lowveld”.. Why they called it Lowveld I can only assume is a bit of Afrikaans humour, because the hills here were anything but low, rather steep and sharp, and the Mountains would give Tour de France rides a good ride for their money.
We arrived just in time to collect our race numbers and hear the race briefing for Stage 1. The weather outlook was not brilliant, with possible rain and cold winds predicted. We were eager to go, if a bit nervous. We had the obligatory cyclist pasta dinner and headed to bed early.
Next morning we were up at five, bikes on the rack, a quick breakfast and coffee, and off we drove the 20km’s or so up to White River. The roads were empty at that hour and we made good time but even so found Casterbridge packed with nervous cyclists in various stages of readiness. We were in group C, middle of the bunch, and we felt the pre-race tension as other cyclists cracked nervous jokes or checked their cables. Few had stress-free faces. Some hadn’t banished the sleepiness from their eyes. Others were hurriedly warming up. As for us, we were cold, and in awe of this event, and suddenly quite conscious of our amateur status in this race. Maputo Hill Climbers.. What hills are there in Maputo that can compete with what the Panorama was about to unleash onto us?!?
All of a sudden loud music and there was a surge as cyclists started to one foot pedal up the driveway and onto the main road towards Hazyview. I tried to move forward and lost Carlos in the frenzy as everyone jockeyed for a better position. Once on the road cyclists started streaming past as if crazed, trying to catch the front peloton, which was already pushing at a healthy pace up the first incline of the day, even though it was behind the pace car. Today would decide the King of the Mountain, and the pro’s at the front were eager to go.
Eventually we found each other near the back of the pack and started the long uphill drag. By now we were with the back-markers and so steadily moved forward in the ranks. Hill upon hill took us up past the KOM hotspot and then down towards the Kiepersol turnoff where a fairly flat section and a fast riding group helped us make steady progress. From there we re-joined the main Sabie – Hazyview road and again the rather aggressive hills showed themselves as worthy adversaries to our already tired and heavy legs. The first water-point loomed and I had to stop to replenish my bottles, as I had forgotten to bring my normal drink supplement, and the USN sponsored drinks were certain to be better than my water! They offered up a cool green drink which perked us up instantly, and with banana for food, we set off on the steep incline. Hill turned into descent into hill and descent and we still hadn’t reached the dreaded Spitskop climb. To lighten my load I emptied my spare water bottle, which helped out with the climbs, but then a few km’s further ahead disaster struck as Carlos’ water cage broke off during a descent. He’d finished his other bottle and I was almost through my last bottle! The next water point was half-way up Spitskop, and we were still doing the hills! Would we last till then?
We shared the little water we had and eventually started up the dreaded Spitskop. A 12.5km climb with an average gradient of 3.4%. Doesn’t sound too bad, but the “hills” leading up to Spitskop had higher gradients and had already sapped our legs. The temperature was getting cold but our bodies couldn’t feel it, due to the heat of exertion as we crawled up the long, steep climb. Ahead of us stretched clumps of riders, and we hopped onto each bunch as we came to them, moving back up through the standings. My 27 rear cassette meant that I was able to keep up a faster rhythm up the climb, although every time I thought I’d lost Carlos, he would re-appear on my wheel. We found our rhythm on the hill and finally made the water-point, and loaded up with a different coloured drink. USN was testing every product in their arsenal on our bodies.. Must say, we referred the cool green one from the first pit stop.
From the waterpoint onwards, our liquid stores replenished and the legs slightly rested, we powered up the remaining climb at a nice healthy pace and organized a fast pace-line over the crest of the mountain. There the temperature was 9 degrees, and as we started to descend my arms froze and I could hardly change gears or pull the brakes… My climbing ability was counterbalanced by a certain lack of descending skills and I watched in frustration as first Carlos, and then all the cyclists I’d passed on the uphill flew past me to the bottom of the hill. It would be a tough job making back that time lost.
I got to the bottom of the hill and regrouped with Carlos and we trudged up the remaining hills to the finish-line. By now we were quite tired but somehow managed to claw our way back and catch some of the cyclists who had past me on the descent. However many had managed to maintain their lead and push on ahead of us. We turned off the main road into the back-streets of White River and could smell the finish line. One final surprise though, that last hill up to Casterbridge farm. Our tired and battered legs could take only so much, and we inched our way up, trying in vain to catch one last group of riders before the finish. Finishing time 4 Hours 54 minutes. We were tired, we were shattered, but we’d made it through the first day. Only three to go!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Panorama Tour Stage Race - it begins..
Carlos Sales and I will be participating in the 2010 Panorama Tour, which takes place between the 24th and 27th of April. The tour is an impressive 4 day event with the stages departing from White River and going up to Sabie, Brondal and Kruger International Airport. Base of operations are at the Casterbridge centre, a beautiful collection of shops featuring arts and crafts, bed linnen manufacturers, an alternative movie house and the Barnyard Theatre. We didn’t come here for the shopping though, so let’s get to the business of things.
The race is a 4 day event. The first three days are long-distance events and the final day a time trial. Now, for the stages:
STAGE 1 – White River - Kiepersol – Sabie – Spitskop – White River - 115km’s and 2213m of climbing. What they don’t tell you about is the steep descent when you come down the other side of Spitskop, which if you aren’t a speed junky can be positively terrifying. Having said that, what could be more terrifying that finishing behind everyone else because you can’t go downhill?! So take your brave pills, boys and girls, because you’ll need it!
STAGE 2 – White River – Brondal – Kynamanzane – Kruger Airport - White River – A seemingly innocuous 80km’s with a mere 1192m of climbing, but the last third of the race is all up-hill, just when you want a rest. Also, careful which way the wind is blowing on this one.
STAGE 3 – White River – Sabie – Brondal – White River – 113km’s and another massive 2055m of climbing. Highlights are doing Spitskop backwards (with a more pleasant descent) and then the foot of LongTom pass, up to where you turn off for Nelspruit. The “foot” is a bit misleading, because the climb is longer than the Spitskop one, and sure to sap your energies. Once at the top an undulating descent down to the Brondal turnoff, and then a small “bump” at Heidel Eggs and then the final uphill charge from White River up to Casterbridge.
STAGE 4 - Time trial around White River – 24km with 454m of climbing. A rather meandering route around the back roads of White River culminating in the final climbs of Stage 2. Winning time in 2009 was 38minutes.. a tough time to beat.
Overall the race is 332km and a total of 5914m of ascent. This should shock our legs into submission. By comparison Namaacha, which is Maputo’s longest climb, is a 16km 500m ascent affair. We are in for a big shock I am afraid..
The race is a 4 day event. The first three days are long-distance events and the final day a time trial. Now, for the stages:
STAGE 1 – White River - Kiepersol – Sabie – Spitskop – White River - 115km’s and 2213m of climbing. What they don’t tell you about is the steep descent when you come down the other side of Spitskop, which if you aren’t a speed junky can be positively terrifying. Having said that, what could be more terrifying that finishing behind everyone else because you can’t go downhill?! So take your brave pills, boys and girls, because you’ll need it!
STAGE 2 – White River – Brondal – Kynamanzane – Kruger Airport - White River – A seemingly innocuous 80km’s with a mere 1192m of climbing, but the last third of the race is all up-hill, just when you want a rest. Also, careful which way the wind is blowing on this one.
STAGE 3 – White River – Sabie – Brondal – White River – 113km’s and another massive 2055m of climbing. Highlights are doing Spitskop backwards (with a more pleasant descent) and then the foot of LongTom pass, up to where you turn off for Nelspruit. The “foot” is a bit misleading, because the climb is longer than the Spitskop one, and sure to sap your energies. Once at the top an undulating descent down to the Brondal turnoff, and then a small “bump” at Heidel Eggs and then the final uphill charge from White River up to Casterbridge.
STAGE 4 - Time trial around White River – 24km with 454m of climbing. A rather meandering route around the back roads of White River culminating in the final climbs of Stage 2. Winning time in 2009 was 38minutes.. a tough time to beat.
Overall the race is 332km and a total of 5914m of ascent. This should shock our legs into submission. By comparison Namaacha, which is Maputo’s longest climb, is a 16km 500m ascent affair. We are in for a big shock I am afraid..
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