Panorama Tour, here we come

This year will be my 3rd start in this multi-stage team race. The format is pretty simple, two-rider teams tackle 4 stages in four days, taking in some of the toughest and longest climbs in the Lowveld, with the riders with the overall lowest times the winners. Age categories mean you've got lots of chances to make it to the podium. This year I'll be taking part with Patrick Verissimo, who last year was part of a rival team, Los Coyotitos. This year we've chosen the rather more "sedate" team name "Monte Ponduine" in tribute to the highest peak in the maputo province. At 700m off sea-level, it doesn't really strike much fear in cyclists... until you've attempted the final 2km to the summit. With gradients of 23% it rivals the Giro's Mortirolo stage for steepness! So we've got good pedigree. We've done the race before. All that we need are some fantastic legs and good training between now and the end of April. From my end I've come off a rather rocky end to 2011, with a dip in form that continued through Xmas and into my holiday in Australia, with just a few rides to keep the legs turning but not enough for a solid base. January rolled into February and I was still missing some base miles, and by March I was so untrained that I had to skip on the Argus! However I am slowly getting back into shape and manage to nail some early morning rides. However a LONG ride looms on the horrizon, rather sooner than later. so probably this end of the month I'll be doing a Swazi loop, 150km in a day and taking in some of Swaziland's toughest climbs - Siteki and Lomaacha, a 16km almost continuous climb with long stretches of 8%. After that a Copa race to get the intervals and high heart-rate workout that I need to improve my form, and after that a series of mid to long distances at various paces. All this stuck between taking care of kids, new job and wife. Ahem.. not necessarily in that order :-)

As for my partner, Patrick, he's had a good season with a race win in the last race of 2011, and good form this year. Let's hope he keeps it up (except in the Copa races, where a fall in form is only to be welcomed by the other competitors including me!:-) and that our form is on a par. The rules for this sort of stage races have a twist - you can't be more than 2 minutes apart from your partner, otherwise time penalties will be involved!


So watch this space for more updates on the Panorama saga.

Saturday cyclone training

This past Saturday (3rd of March 2012, por la precizión) went out bike riding from Boane to Goba and back. The intention was to summit Goba Fronteira, the 10km climb from Goba town that has some rather steep sections, especially the opening ramp that normally separates the men from the boys in our amateur bike races. However we had more on our mind than steep ascents.. By we I mean myself, Mathieu Destrooper and his father Jean, out visiting Mozambique from Belgium.

We'd decided on this rather "comfortable" ride in response to my total lack of form and Jean's gradual return to cycling. We set out to Boane by car early in the morning and once there were greeted by the first of many set-backs... Somehow one of my cycling shoes had morphed into a Superga.. I couldn't believe it! Had I been that drunk the night before when I prepared my bag? Was it one of my children, playing a practical joke??? Or one of my unruly guests, in a haze of drunkenness deeper than mine. Certainly it was no cyclists playing this kind of joke! No matter.. we were riding slowly.. I would suffer through the different width shoes and lack of grip with the Superga.. somehow.
Then our second round of bad luck.. My bike, my beautiful resplendant white Cervelo fell over TWICE, blown over by the wind, while I was getting changed into my cycling gear.. Which I should point out is a Molteni jersey, which contrary to Belgian public opinion is not a Belgian team.. but an Italian one for which the Great Eddy Merckx rode some years ago..

By now we had a howling a gale with 20-30km gusts of wind buffeting us as we finally set off over Boane Hill and onward to the Barragem dos Pequenhos Lebombos (Boane Dam). This road would link us to the back road to Goba, little used and full of holes, but great for riding on. We made slow work as we warmed up our legs by spinning on the descent and then applying a bit more strength on the climbs and flats.. The wind was coming straight ahead, unremitting, merciless. We could only console ourselves that on the way back we would be flying, IF the wind direction didn't change.. Slow rollers came and went, strangely the descents being harder work than the climbs, due to the effect of the wind hitting the tops of the hills. Still we plodded along, no real urgency in our cycling. We chatted and passed the time, and took in the beautiful countryside, and found the energy to discuss the etymology of words like Mast and Hammock (the first Dutch, though I argued Latin, the second Spanish though I was told Dutch.. but I digress.).

Finally we neared Goba Town, but just on the outskirts I heard a pang-kwapp! And my chain got stuck in the rear cassette! Strike three for the day! Mathieu stopped to give a hand and after much helmet bashing we managed to free the chain, which was now twisted and looked ominously close to breaking. Once on the road though everything seemed to work, and as long as I stayed away from my rear 28 I was fine. So, ahem.. are we going to climb to Goba?! Well, with Jean stretched to his limits, and my bike limping along (and truth be told I was streched BEYOND my limits!) we elected to have a few cokes in Goba town and then turn back for the welcome reward of a rather brisk tail-wind. And soon we were flying along, taking the uphills at 40km an hour and the flats at 50.. effortlessly pedalling along. We swapped turns pushing (or rather pulling) at the front and it was a most satisfying feeling moving at that speed.

Then our final climb for the day, the rise around the dam. Mathieu powered on, while I hung back with Jean, and there was our fourth misfortune for the day, as his chain dropped. Nothing unusual we thought, and after some jiggling he managed to get it back on, but after a pedal stroke it was off again! And the seriousness of our predicament was made clear to us.. The bolts holding the chainring were all but gone, just two remained.. and the inner chainring had snapped! Situation was dire... 20km from home. But a quick remedy, sacrificing a chainring bolt from our other two bikes meant we managed to patch up Jean's bike and, although he could only use the large chainring, it was only one short climb till mostly gentle rollers..

An gentle they were.. I freewheeled over two bumps at over 40km an hour, the tailwing and my aerodynamics keeping me going. Well, we were well on or our way by now, just one last obstacle standing (well, not exactly..) between us and our car.. The floods of some months back had played havoc with the Boane bridge, and now one concrete span sat on the riverbed.. A metal ramp allowing you up on one end. Fortunately pedestrians and agile cyclists are able to navigate the broken section, and soon we were on our final stretch.

Finally back to the Boane petrol station, changed and after an expresso, we could laugh at the strange ride we'd had. Well, at least we didn't have any punctures!

Clube de Ciclismo de Moçambique at this year's Argus

The following cyclists will be taking part in this year's Cape Argus Cycle Challenge. The 110km race around the Cape Peninsula is, in my humble opinion, the most beautiful single day race on the African continent. It isn't the toughest (the Jock is tougher, longer, steeper) or the longest but the climb up Chapman's Peak drive, with the sea fog rolling in and bright sunshine above, is an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. Suikerbossie, for all the bad press, is as close as any African race will get to the tour de france, with hordes of people shouting encouragement, and it's not nearly as steep or as tough as it's made out to be (well, maybe my good legs last year made quick work of it's slopes)..

Anyay, this year's contenders and their start times are:
1) Ian Campbell -6:48 (Group H)
2) Iulian Circo - 6:54 (Group J)
3) Callie Kalitz - 7:00
4) Andre Ittmann -7:00
5) Theron Theunissen 7:09
6) Jeane Nel 7:18
7) Danilo Correia - 7:48 (Group BB - International)

Wish them well.. we're hoping for a sub-3 time from someone!!!

Provincial Time Trial

Recebi confirmação hoje que a corrida contra relógio provincial organisada pela Federação Moçambicana de Ciclismo terá lugar este Domingo as 7:30 na EN4

Local partida: Bomba Sasol na EN4 em direcção a Moamba
Hora registro: 7:30am
Hora arranque: 8:00am
Distância: 30km
Notas: A corrida será feita numa direcção apenas, sem viragens. Os ciclistas vão sair á distancia de um minuto entre eles. Ciclistas devem estar presentes pelomenos 5 minutos antes da saida marcada. Quem chegar atrazado vai ser penalizado. Ciclistas não podem ficar na cola de outros ciclistas, apenas para ultrapassar os ciclistas que sairam antes deles, e para não mais que 100m. Bicicletas TT são permitidas. Não são permitidos carros de suporte individual. Qualquer pessoa que queira dar apoio deverá contactar o Messias (84-9304504) e lhe será atribuido um lugar no comboio, e deverá prestar assistencia a todos os ciclistas presentes na corrida.


A corrida em linha Provincial terá lugar no dia 18 de Março e será feita contemporaneamente á corrida Copa2012 - Volta a Goba - portanto a mesma corrida vale par a geral da CopaCiclismo.

I received confirmation today that the provincial championship time trial, organised by the Mozambican Cycling Federation will take place this Sunday at 7:30 on the EN4

Start: Sasol Petrol Station EN4
Registration: 7:30am
Start time: 8:00am
Distance: 30km
Notes: The race will be run in one direction only with no turning. Riders will depart one minute apart. Riders must be present 5 minutes before departure. Any delays will be penalised. Ciclists cannot draft, except when overtaking the riders who have departed before them, and only for max 100m. Time trial bikes are permitted. No personalised race assistance is allowed. Anyone wishing to offer race support must contact Messias (84-9304504) prior to the race and will then be allocated a spot in the race convoy, and offer assistance to all cyclists requiring it.


The provincial road race will be held on the 18th of March and will be run as part of the Copa2012 Volta a Goba race - i.e. race will also count as points to the general Cup classification.