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.