Argus mtb race

Another race and another two punctures!

Another heat wave saw temperatures reaching the 40 degrees Celsius mark out on the 55km route of the Cape Argus Mountain Bike Challenge! Unlike Xterra two weeks ago this race started at a more reasonable time. However, that still wasn't enough as the race doctor had to cut the race for the back markers along the way short due to the extreme heat.

I was ready for this race, ready to give it everything I had! I was even more rearing to go this time round due to my mechanical disasters that put me out of contention at Sabie the previous week.

All started well with a firing pace to begin with seeing a front group of about 10 riders form early on. The short fast rocky downhills and tight corners determined an even further split up of the field. And then as soon as the roads tilted upward the gaps among the riders further increase. It was at this point where I felt that I had the legs and was feeling good and even more confident as I was riding in 3rd position only a few meters off the leader Conrad Stoltz and gaining ground up the climb. It was unfortunately also at this point when I went down a short sharp hill over a rough rocky patch and cut a whole in my back tyre! I got off my bike to try and spin my rear wheel to get the Stans to seal the whole but it was too large. So, off with the tyre and rim tape and in with a tube. Not too long and I was back on the saddle and making ground. I believed that I would be able to catch back up and finish with a decent position.

I experienced one hiccup along the way shortly after my puncture. There was a decent amount of downhill single tracks and as I was further back in the field among other riders I was getting held up a bit on the single tracks. At one point I was gunning it down this one section to overtake another rider in order to enter the next single track section in front on him but only ended up with my face in the dirt as I didn't make the corner!

Again back on my bike and making up ground I encounted yet another flat rear wheel!!! This time it was a thorn and because I was forced to put a tube in from my previous flat there was no hope. Fortunately for me the man behind my sponsor Blend Property Group, Martin Epstein, was not far behind me at this stage and stopped to give me his spare tube. Thanks Martin, because if it wasn't for you I don't know if I would have been able to face patching up tubes along the way again like the previous week at Sabie! Although this time I was out of bombs and had to pump the tyre up with my ever faithful little MicroRocket pocket pump. This did however, take a little while.

Back on the bike again this time round I had now lost far too much time to try catch back up over a 55km race and I just rode my own race and tried to catch up as much as I possibly could over the remaining distance. As with everyone else, the heat did get to me as I had to stop three times to drink Coke and water and pour water over myself to cool down. I would never have thought of stopping like this in a 55km race!

I eventually got to the finish without any further hassle. But now I really need another race to give it another go!