Panorama Tour - 23 hours and counting...

The Panorama is set to start in less than 24 hours from now. For those of you who don't know about the race, it's the only road cycling stage race for teams of two, much like the Epic. Four days, four stages, 350 odd kms, 5500m of climbing. Not your average race. I am partnered with Carlos Sales and we are TEAM LAURENTINA! We aim to do better than last year, where we clocked about 14 and a half hours and came 178 out of 220 teams. I am pretty sure we can do better than that. Our aim is to come in under 11 hours, hopefully even under 10 which would put us in the top 10 vets. A mighty lofty goal, but you have to shoot high in cycling, as it's an all or nothing sport.

Stage 1 is the longest with the most climbing - 115km and 2200m of uphill. This day will set the tone for the rest of the tour. If we can leave in one of the first groups and stay with the peloton then we can hope to finish well. Our Swazi loop training will most suredly help with this stage

Stage 2 is 80km with 1200m of climbing and for the first half is fairly flat, which will mean a very fast race. If we don't latch onto the peloton right away, our chances are gone. The last half is a set uf mean uphills all the way to the finish line. Tough stage.. Will bring out the aero wheels for this one!

Stage 3 - 113km and 2100m of climbing and there will be a KOM point for the vets as well. By know we should be into our rythmn. However climbing to Spitzkop and then halfway up LongTom pass will really take it out of us.. We'll aim to survive this day really, although last year, barring the flat tyres we had (3 on one stage!) we didn't do too badly. By now the muscles are actually getting used to the climbing..

Stage 4 - 24km time trial with just under 500m of climbing. An undulating time trial!? This is the last tough day, and if 24km sounds short, keep in mind we've already done 300km and 5000m of climbing. It will be difficult to get a rythmn over the ups and downs, but if we do and use our relative strengths, me on the ups and Carlos on the flats and downs, then we could clock a much better time than our 53 minutes last year. We're hoping for under 43 minutes.. Will be tough, but our bid for top ten Vets will be won or lost on this last stage.. Definately will be warming up for this stage!

So there you have it. If you want more info on the panorama, or see how we're doing, then visit:

Panorama site

Daily results page

Over and out.. I'll try and keep you informed as we do the race with posts, but my tired legs and limited internet access may be an impediment..

Copa Ciclismo Race - Volta a Goba 3 - 135km

Volta a Goba 3 - 135km. This race is undulating with a few sharp but short climbs along the way to spice up the race. The back road behind the Barragem with it's undulations softens up the peloton before reaching the Goba turn-off and the real up-and-down starts. This year's race was quite different to last year where Mario Sauder, our then resident triathlete, broke from the peloton and did more than half of the race on his own to solo to victory in 4:20. This year's pace was quite a lot higher thanks to the visiting Swazi's (Thulani, Carlos and William) and their penchant for attacking hills. Thulani in particular kept the pace high whenever it faltered, which brought us a winning time of 4:0:4:30. Thanks Thulani! But final honours wouldn't go to him though. The final sprint was contended between Mario Traversi (your's truly) and Miguel Teixeira in a weaving battle over the two lanes of the EN4 (traffic very kindly didn't run us over and kept behind us all the way to the finish). Miguel did all in his power to shake off the older italian cyclist but to no avail and with a hundred metres to go it was a sprint finish. Some confusion about the finish line (there were no cones as someone forgot them) was an unwelcome consequence of our informal race organisation, something that we hope to improve in the future. Miguel managed to pip Mario just cm's from the supposed finish line and take another victory. As the Copa Ciclismo classification stands, it's a two horse race for the moment.

Below a photo essay by Guilherme Da Silva, our photographer for the day. If he doesn't take better pictures next time, I may have to give up cycling and go back to my first passion, photography!

Enjoy.

Start line - 7:02 am

Mario with Mathieu, our latest cycling addition

Support vehicles kept us fed and watered throughout the race

Guess who's in front!?

On the final stretch, getting ready for the sprint

Where's the finish?!


Thulani Gule, who pushed most of the way

Group photo with organisers

Copa Ciclismo - Rei do Sul Road Race

REI DO SUL / HELL OF THE SOUTH ROAD RACE - 110Km

Waiting for the start..


Carlos has escaped, Patrick gives chase stretching the peloton


Radio Marconi & and the potholes start picking off riders


Just 3 on the front, but Gustavo is catching up

Kinha and Carlos catch the front group, while Gustavo falls behind

The sprint for the line!

The Podium: Left Miguel (2nd), Centre Mario (1st) right Patrick (3rd)

I am happy to report that I have won the Hell of the South Copa Race! The race was quite hard and unexpectedly quite a large field turned up for the race, as it is known as one of the hardest races in the Mozambican calendar. There is some discussion on whether or not Dois Picos/Twin Peaks is harder, which with it's extra distance (tot 150km) and Namaacha and Goba climbs makes it a tough one, but I contend that the Hell of the South is much harder (maybe because I won?!) because the terrain is so unusual and difficult.

As it was the race started with Carlos immediately escaping an the peloton warming up and then through a succession of efforts by Patrick, Matt and Kinha, chased him back by Boane. The climb into town ejected a few riders out the back although the bulk of the peloton stuck together until the start of the Boane - Moamba pothole section, which took many casualties (Matt Singleton was the first to go) in terms of blown tyres and the fast pace whittled the field down even more. A succession of attacks by Gustavo, Carlos and Mario kept the pace high but the potholes were the main event. By the last climb on that section the group was down to 7 cyclists, but the fast descent took out 3 rider's wheels and Patrick and Miguel were off on a break while in the rear Mario chased hard, with Vicente on his heels until he too flatted. Gustavo was also chasing. Miguel flatted but was lucky that his support vehicle was on-hand to swap his wheel and he managed to rejoin the front with ease.

It was a group of 3 that made the turn-off onto the EN4 where Patrick started pushing into the wind. However when it came to take turns the pace died as neither Miguel nor Mario were willing to use themselves up just yet, with another 50km or so to go. Eventually Gustavo bridged to the slowing group and then Kinha and Carlos, who had flatted almost at the same time, were able to rejoin and with this new blood the pace picked up as Kinha tried to shake off some of the cyclists in this group. Eventually Gustavo detached but all the others gritted teeth and held on. Miguel tried a few attacks in concert with Kinha but they came to naught as the headwind was just enough to take the edge off the attacks and give the advantage to the following cyclists.

It was going to be decided with a sprint.

And what a sprint it was - Kinha kept the pace strong leading to Shoprite until Carlos exploded on the left with 400m and opened a gap. Kinha followed with Mario, then Miguel and Patrick on his wheel. Once Carlos was caught Mario pounced with 200 metres to go and only Miguel could hold his wheel, but do no more as Mario (yes, yours truly!) crossed the line in 3:25:12 by a bike-length.

Some finishers managed to get 2 flats, so tough were the pothole section! Three cyclists in the final sprint, Kinha and Carlos and Miguel each had one flat. Most agressive riders for the race have to be Carlos and Kinha who both kept the pace high with constant attacks. Momentous stuff, and we were all glad to finish such a tough race.


Rei do Sul / Hell of the South finishers:
1st.......Mario Traversi...........3:25:12
2nd.....Miguel Teixeira..........3:25:13
3rd......Patrick Verissimo........3:25:15
4th......Kinha Fonseca............3:25:17
5th......Carlos Sales................3:25:20
6th......Gustavo Da Silva.........3:37:20
7th......Vicente Mafumo..........3:50:53
8th......João Rodrigues..........4:01:02
9th......Matthew Singleton.....4:09:36
10th....Abilio Matusse............4:09:37

Here is a link to the race route, although there was a slight change this year with the exclusion of the Mozal loop and the finish was moved forward from the Sasol petrol station to the Matola Shoprite.


Next race is Volta a Goba on the 17th of April, 135km from Matola to the base of the Goba climb and then back to Boane, around Mozal with a finish in front of Shoprite. Registration is at 6:20 and the race starts at 6:40. Last year the race was won by Mario Sauder in a time of 4:20:38 with a solo effort half-way through the race. How will this year's event unfold?!

Photos care of Abub Ibraimo - Thanks!!