94.7 done and dusted - now it's time for the ARGUS

Another 94.7 race is finally over.. This was the 15^th edition of the Cycle Challenge, everyone’s race as they like to call it. Although not every race in the world can boast a commentator like Phil Ligget, the “Voice of Cycling”. But above all it is a litmus test for cyclists all over South Africa and surrounds to battle it out against other cyclists. The Clube de Ciclismo de Moçambique was present again this year, although with a slightly reduced complement. Here are their results:

Patrick Verissimo	97.4	2:43:31	D
Mario Traversi	97.4	2:53:56	A
Carlos Sales	97.4	3:03:27	K
Francisco Nobrega	97.4	3:04:16	E
Simon Wright	97.4	3:34:45	E

The “numbers” don’t tell the full story though. For that one must dig a bit deeper. Group D was a massive group with 500 odd cyclists, containing Patrick, a few Swazi riders, and a lot of South African riders bent on carnage. Patrick managed a fantastic 2:43, just 2 minutes behind the leaders of his group, and the best time of any Moz Club cyclist this year, and probably 3^rd or 4^th time overall Club time through the ages.. Mario (that’s me) on the other hand started in the altogether more rarefied “A” group (13^th start group of the day…) with some seriously competitive cyclists who tore the peloton apart in their attempts at a best time. He (I) managed a “disappointing” sub 3, just a minute over last year’s time, so no personal best improvement, and the group position was nothing to write home about either. It was only the finish line coming when it did that avoided me coming in with Patrick’s D group, because B and C had already thundered past! Carlos on the other hand managed to get into group K, and through the “traffic” of slower riders coming off the front groups managed just over 3 hours, but more importantly came in 10^th out of his whole group, and shaved off 20 minutes off his previous PB (personal best for those in the know..) so a big round of applause for his effort. Chico also missed on breaking the sub 3 barrier, but also put in a personal best time, beating his previous time by one and a half minutes, and that is considering that his previous best was done on the 3km shorter course. Simon finished a little bit over his personal best time, so still has a target for next year. Let’s hope his road bike sees some more riding action this year.

The next cycling appointment is the Cape Argus on the 11^th of March, just 16 weeks away. For any of you who have any doubts, the Argus is the world’s largest cycle race, and perhaps also one of the most beautiful. I know that many who didn’t take part in the 94.7 this year are “saving” their legs for the Argus, so we should see a massive number of riders from the club taking part. Our Swazi brethren are organising a Coach option, and have extended an invitation to us to go down with them, so we might even try and field a super-group once down there. There is also talk of doing a “double”. But most importantly we’ve seen a shift in power amongst the Club riders, and some challenges being laid down ahead of next year’s Argus. For starters there is the Sub-3 prize, which I believe has not been done by any Clube Ciclismo riders, although if I may have wronged any of my readers then please send appropriate Racetec results or copy of your timing certificate, to set the record straight. And then there will be the title of fastest club cyclists. This is no Copa Cicilsmo event. This is no 94.7. This race is the BIG one, and to be considered a racer of renown, you need to complete it and do well. So get out there during the holiday season and start laying down those base miles, because it’s going to be a long 110km race in March…

Long Tom Pass

The "start" of the climb. To reach here we'd already done 55km, most of them uphill


"Long Tom" Cannon, a Boer gun used against the British. We thought we'd arrived, but were still far from the summit! Good place to fill water bottles though

After many tortuous switchbacks and some steep climbs the road opened out onto a mountain-top plateau.. We'd finally arrived. Note Carlos holding on to the sign so as not to collapse!

..and me leaning on the pole so I don't fall flat on my face!

Cycling in Africa can be a bit of hit and miss. As in you almost get hit, or just miss getting hit by a passing truck or car. Or hooted at for no reason. However, even so, there are some fantastic roads to cycle on, and many of them conveniently located close to Maputo, Mozambique, where I live.

On the 10th of November 2011, Carlos Sales and I set about taming one of South Africa's highest roads, the Long Tom Pass. This road connects Sabie with Lydenburg, and before the existance of the N4 highway, was possibly one of the main roads to reach the rich goldfields of Pilgrim's Rest. The aptly named "Lowveld" region is peppered with mountains and mountainpasses, though none as high or as long as Long Tom Pass. However, it didn't quite start out like that.. Our expedition was supposed to be a gentle ride from Nelspruit to Maputo, 209km away, on a generally downward slope from 650m down to sea level. However we decided, almost last minute, that this rather long but boring straight road would not do, and so turned our attention to Long Tom. Then, as if we weren't already looking for trouble, we decided to attempt our ascent not, like any normal soul would, from either Lydenburg or Sabie, the two towns on either end of the road, but from the rather further placed town of Nelspruit.

Our climb would start from 650m on sea level and finish at 2150m. In between lots of rolling terrain and some demoralising switchbacks, a fantastic day for driving, but not for cycling with temperatures in the high 30's (celsius..). To call it a tough climb is not to understand the point. It wasn't tough. It was impossible. It was unrellenting. It was wondrously beautiful, but at the same time as dangerous as a sharp knife. The steep ascents would have to be decended carefully, the chasms below separated by a thin steel barrier.. It was two cyclists against the elements (heat), against a mountain, against what is humanly possible. After 150km though we'd tamed the beast, had a new appreciation for Long Tom, and made it back safe and sound. Our bodies were sore and tested, but we still managed a wry grin. Because of course we're not satisfied.. We've done it once, we'll have to do it again!