ABSA CAPE EPIC24 March to 31 March 2007
Figure 1 Just before going to the start at Knysna - good, clean & fresh – Julian Conrad (l)& Dane Walsh (r).
It was 1.00 am, Saturday 24 March 2007. I lay there tossing and turning – a beach house at Buffels Bay. I normally sleep lightly before a race – but for some reason this was different. My stomach was in a painful knot; it was not indigestion, just sheer anxiety – I could not sleep at all. Months of training; always checking my schedule for the next training ride; always being aware of niggling knee, a scratchy throat, a strained muscle….the big event had now arrived. Did I have all the necessary equipment? Was my bike going to last? My mind could not settle, my stomach sore. Eventually the alarm went off. Good - now we could get going: a sizeable breakfast, final packing and we were off to Knysna around 5.30 am. My riding partner, Dane, entered us and we were accepted into the seeded start group. More anxiety – I wanted to survive, not race!
The TV crews worked the seeded group but fortunately we avoided being picked on! The wait – what a buzz – what a privilege! Being my first Epic I found everything so big and daunting – like a child walking down Fifth Avenue at Christmas time. Everything so well organized and of such a high standard; this no doubt added a tweak or two to my stomach.
Eventually we started – we could get going at last. Along the beautiful lagoon and then up, the climb out of Knysna, gears grinding. Darn – quick tension of the cable - and then off again. Over the top, sweeping down to the Gouna River valley – quickly across the concrete bridge and then a guttural shout from my partner. I looked back to see Dane tumbling into big blocks of rock on the side of the causeway. Some idiot had cut past him and, as there was not enough space, sent Dane flying. Panic – was this it – the ABSA Cape Epic all over? A broken collar bone – a smashed bike? Dane extricated himself, muttering, and we carried on – both of us very relieved and very on edge.
The pace was way too fast – we rode with our mates Billy and Paul. The Prince Alfred Pass was sheer misery. I had blown it, big time. Dane hauled me up. At Avontuur the worst cramps ever set in. Stopping was sheer agony and cycling the same. I knew we had to get to the finish. Dane kept encouraging me: “Drink ‘n spin; drink ‘n spin.” It felt as if my muscles were tearing. We eventually got to the finish. Having the Maverick crew to support us was fantastic and some sort of recovery was made. This was so much harder than I had expected. As I was to find out the next two days were unbelievably hard.
On Day 2 I started as if it was the sprint up to Hospital Bend in the Argus Cycle Tour and I paid dearly for this. The climbing got slower and slower. Danie, Evert, Erica and many, many others passed us. Eventually we started the Kamannassie descent. I decided to cross tracks in mid-descent as there was a slower cyclist ahead but I misjudged the height of the ‘middle-mannetjie’ and came tumbling down. Passing cyclists were considerate enough to ask rhetorically if I was OK but I was too winded to reply. I managed to carry on, albeit slowly, in a sorry and sore state. What an extremely long day. Dane was infinitely patient – a trait of his for which I am eternally grateful. At the end of the day I had eaten half a Jungle Oats bar and little else – just the thought of a carbo drink making me feel nauseous.
Day 3 started the same way– boy, do I never learn! Eventually we reached the grind up Huisman’s Pass. After an eternity a supporter on the road side shouted “Well done – half way to the top.: My spirit cracked and Dane essentially dragged me home. Without Dane that day I would have been roadside litter. I have patchy recollection of the stunning tranquillity and scenery of the day.
Day 4, the so-called “rest” day – hey – I started a bit slower. Just after we turned off the tar Dane announced a puncture. Fortunately “Uncle Stan” did its thing. We were on our way soon and this time very near the back. What a pleasure. There was time to look around a bit and we even started passing one or two folk – the first time after 3 days of cycling. We settled into a comfortable pace. I started feeling the “float” increase under my right foot – strange. Sand ahead – off the bike – push a bit – back on the bike – left pedal click – right pedal no ways – try and try again. My pedal had disintegrated 10 km after the first tech zone. Eventually we got to the second tech zone. I was faced with a number of pedal replacement options: XTR, XTR or ….XTR. I tried to reassemble the old pedal and avoid paying the “monthly down-payment on a vehicle” for a set of pedals, however it was quite trashed (or “toast” as William Keith would say) and taking too much time to repair. Dane ambled over and quietly suggested: “I think you need to make a decision…” and quietly ambled off ….. swipe, swipe … boy, do I love those new pedals (I have to)! Day 4 done – not too bad. I ate half a sandwich and an energy bar – Wow! I could also face food that evening – things are looking up!
Figure 2 Some progress being made . . .
The TV crews worked the seeded group but fortunately we avoided being picked on! The wait – what a buzz – what a privilege! Being my first Epic I found everything so big and daunting – like a child walking down Fifth Avenue at Christmas time. Everything so well organized and of such a high standard; this no doubt added a tweak or two to my stomach.
Eventually we started – we could get going at last. Along the beautiful lagoon and then up, the climb out of Knysna, gears grinding. Darn – quick tension of the cable - and then off again. Over the top, sweeping down to the Gouna River valley – quickly across the concrete bridge and then a guttural shout from my partner. I looked back to see Dane tumbling into big blocks of rock on the side of the causeway. Some idiot had cut past him and, as there was not enough space, sent Dane flying. Panic – was this it – the ABSA Cape Epic all over? A broken collar bone – a smashed bike? Dane extricated himself, muttering, and we carried on – both of us very relieved and very on edge.
The pace was way too fast – we rode with our mates Billy and Paul. The Prince Alfred Pass was sheer misery. I had blown it, big time. Dane hauled me up. At Avontuur the worst cramps ever set in. Stopping was sheer agony and cycling the same. I knew we had to get to the finish. Dane kept encouraging me: “Drink ‘n spin; drink ‘n spin.” It felt as if my muscles were tearing. We eventually got to the finish. Having the Maverick crew to support us was fantastic and some sort of recovery was made. This was so much harder than I had expected. As I was to find out the next two days were unbelievably hard.
On Day 2 I started as if it was the sprint up to Hospital Bend in the Argus Cycle Tour and I paid dearly for this. The climbing got slower and slower. Danie, Evert, Erica and many, many others passed us. Eventually we started the Kamannassie descent. I decided to cross tracks in mid-descent as there was a slower cyclist ahead but I misjudged the height of the ‘middle-mannetjie’ and came tumbling down. Passing cyclists were considerate enough to ask rhetorically if I was OK but I was too winded to reply. I managed to carry on, albeit slowly, in a sorry and sore state. What an extremely long day. Dane was infinitely patient – a trait of his for which I am eternally grateful. At the end of the day I had eaten half a Jungle Oats bar and little else – just the thought of a carbo drink making me feel nauseous.
Day 3 started the same way– boy, do I never learn! Eventually we reached the grind up Huisman’s Pass. After an eternity a supporter on the road side shouted “Well done – half way to the top.: My spirit cracked and Dane essentially dragged me home. Without Dane that day I would have been roadside litter. I have patchy recollection of the stunning tranquillity and scenery of the day.
Day 4, the so-called “rest” day – hey – I started a bit slower. Just after we turned off the tar Dane announced a puncture. Fortunately “Uncle Stan” did its thing. We were on our way soon and this time very near the back. What a pleasure. There was time to look around a bit and we even started passing one or two folk – the first time after 3 days of cycling. We settled into a comfortable pace. I started feeling the “float” increase under my right foot – strange. Sand ahead – off the bike – push a bit – back on the bike – left pedal click – right pedal no ways – try and try again. My pedal had disintegrated 10 km after the first tech zone. Eventually we got to the second tech zone. I was faced with a number of pedal replacement options: XTR, XTR or ….XTR. I tried to reassemble the old pedal and avoid paying the “monthly down-payment on a vehicle” for a set of pedals, however it was quite trashed (or “toast” as William Keith would say) and taking too much time to repair. Dane ambled over and quietly suggested: “I think you need to make a decision…” and quietly ambled off ….. swipe, swipe … boy, do I love those new pedals (I have to)! Day 4 done – not too bad. I ate half a sandwich and an energy bar – Wow! I could also face food that evening – things are looking up!
Figure 2 Some progress being made . . .Day 5: I took it slower and it definitely went better. An uneventful ride, though it was very long and I finished at a pace slightly quicker than the desperate crawl of the previous days. During my 5.00 pm daily massage, KFM was playing in the background. The traffic report came on: “Traffic at a stand still … Hertzog Boulevard, Waterfront etc etc …” that’s when I realised how fortunate I had been. Each day in the out-doors, on my bike, with like-minded folk – what a privilege! I would much rather be enduring the Epic than the Cape Town rush-hour traffic!
We had 2 good days of riding: Day 6 and Day 8. Being ‘roadies’ we did relatively well on the tar road stretch after Robertson on Day 6. We kept our pace steady all day. On the ‘hiker-bike’ section we were pushing, sweating and toiling our way up the slope. A polite voice stated “rider coming through.” What a beautiful sight seeing Christoph Sauser just spinning his way up such hectic gradients (the only reason we were ahead was that he had punctured at least twice). Sheer talent – what a memorable sight. Well, we maintained OK that day and what a thrill to see my family and friends unexpectedly just outside Villiersdorp.
The hard day of riding on Day 6 caught up with me on Day 7…. ‘leaden legs’. Groenlandberg – what a long grind. During the descent into the Palmiet a team (no names mentioned) cut between Dane and myself going at a fair pace. I lost my line of sight. The guy in front twitched. I went right over a sharp stick: front tyre torn. I screamed, “puncture” at Dane, but with the downhill speed he could not hear and was gone. I was naively optimistic that “Uncle Stan” would do the job. I wasted my 2 gas cartridges and Dane had the hand pump. I felt like sobbing with frustration. Dane eventually realised I was not with him and had to ride about 5 km uphill to get back to me. He was drenched in sweat and gasping, yet calmly sorted out the problem by putting in a tube. At least, whilst waiting for Dane, I carefully checked the tyre and took out all the thorns., the Leatherman being very handy for this. On our way again 30 minutes later! First corner – a wash-out! Darn – my heavily treaded front tyre was on the wrong way. Not stopping again and we took it carefully in to Kleinmond. A long day and a bit frustrating. Anyway, a wonderful family dinner in Betty’s Bay was a great pick-me up! It was also my daughter’s 13th birthday so we had a great fun evening. Very relaxing indeed.
The last day – Day 8 - felt OK and our pace was nice and steady. A slight rocky incline – cyclists congesting. A really stupid gear change on my part resulted in a snapped chain. Dane was nearby (within ear-shot this time) and calmly sorted it out. We made steady progress that day, passing rather than being passed. The compulsory ‘hiker-bike’ section was a nice relief, but boy the railway ballast was really tricky. Into the “no-overtaking” zone at Vergelegen, we abided by the signs and the teams packed up a bit. Onto Lourensford – free for all. Dane thought we could break and drop the bunch that had developed. I sat on his wheel. It was gut-wrenching. I could hear the clatter of bikes right behind me – our plan hadn’t worked. Dane was ready to really start winding the revs. I couldn’t match this and mentioned it to Dane. I thought “interesting way to end nearly 900 km of mountain-biking ……….. human nature is weird…why are we sprinting like this?….(actually it was fun)”. We entered the finish chute and on the grass the clattering bikes rushed passed. Dane slowing so we could finish together and what a thrill going down the final straight together (even though we lost the sprint)…we had made it! Craig Beech had said to me earlier in the week, when I was feeling down, ‘keep going - the finish is worth it!” He was 100% right. The finish arena was awesome and it was over – unbelievable!! Very emotional on stage being congratulated by Kevin Vermaak. All congratulations to him and his team. So very, very special to see Family and Friends at the finish and all the post-event phone calls and emails! Physically and emotionally what a huge event. A huge thank you to all that helped me get through this! Dane you are a saint! – thank you!
Team: Tall & Skinny
Team Number: 525
Result:
139th General Category (602 teams started)
93rd Men’s Category
48 hrs 22 min 37 sec
Team members:
Dane Walsh (1) & Julian Conrad (2)
Figure 3 The finish podium - Lourensford!
We had 2 good days of riding: Day 6 and Day 8. Being ‘roadies’ we did relatively well on the tar road stretch after Robertson on Day 6. We kept our pace steady all day. On the ‘hiker-bike’ section we were pushing, sweating and toiling our way up the slope. A polite voice stated “rider coming through.” What a beautiful sight seeing Christoph Sauser just spinning his way up such hectic gradients (the only reason we were ahead was that he had punctured at least twice). Sheer talent – what a memorable sight. Well, we maintained OK that day and what a thrill to see my family and friends unexpectedly just outside Villiersdorp.
The hard day of riding on Day 6 caught up with me on Day 7…. ‘leaden legs’. Groenlandberg – what a long grind. During the descent into the Palmiet a team (no names mentioned) cut between Dane and myself going at a fair pace. I lost my line of sight. The guy in front twitched. I went right over a sharp stick: front tyre torn. I screamed, “puncture” at Dane, but with the downhill speed he could not hear and was gone. I was naively optimistic that “Uncle Stan” would do the job. I wasted my 2 gas cartridges and Dane had the hand pump. I felt like sobbing with frustration. Dane eventually realised I was not with him and had to ride about 5 km uphill to get back to me. He was drenched in sweat and gasping, yet calmly sorted out the problem by putting in a tube. At least, whilst waiting for Dane, I carefully checked the tyre and took out all the thorns., the Leatherman being very handy for this. On our way again 30 minutes later! First corner – a wash-out! Darn – my heavily treaded front tyre was on the wrong way. Not stopping again and we took it carefully in to Kleinmond. A long day and a bit frustrating. Anyway, a wonderful family dinner in Betty’s Bay was a great pick-me up! It was also my daughter’s 13th birthday so we had a great fun evening. Very relaxing indeed.
The last day – Day 8 - felt OK and our pace was nice and steady. A slight rocky incline – cyclists congesting. A really stupid gear change on my part resulted in a snapped chain. Dane was nearby (within ear-shot this time) and calmly sorted it out. We made steady progress that day, passing rather than being passed. The compulsory ‘hiker-bike’ section was a nice relief, but boy the railway ballast was really tricky. Into the “no-overtaking” zone at Vergelegen, we abided by the signs and the teams packed up a bit. Onto Lourensford – free for all. Dane thought we could break and drop the bunch that had developed. I sat on his wheel. It was gut-wrenching. I could hear the clatter of bikes right behind me – our plan hadn’t worked. Dane was ready to really start winding the revs. I couldn’t match this and mentioned it to Dane. I thought “interesting way to end nearly 900 km of mountain-biking ……….. human nature is weird…why are we sprinting like this?….(actually it was fun)”. We entered the finish chute and on the grass the clattering bikes rushed passed. Dane slowing so we could finish together and what a thrill going down the final straight together (even though we lost the sprint)…we had made it! Craig Beech had said to me earlier in the week, when I was feeling down, ‘keep going - the finish is worth it!” He was 100% right. The finish arena was awesome and it was over – unbelievable!! Very emotional on stage being congratulated by Kevin Vermaak. All congratulations to him and his team. So very, very special to see Family and Friends at the finish and all the post-event phone calls and emails! Physically and emotionally what a huge event. A huge thank you to all that helped me get through this! Dane you are a saint! – thank you!
Team: Tall & Skinny
Team Number: 525
Result:
139th General Category (602 teams started)
93rd Men’s Category
48 hrs 22 min 37 sec
Team members:
Dane Walsh (1) & Julian Conrad (2)
Figure 3 The finish podium - Lourensford!
Julian Conrad
This is a question I am often asked.… During the event I had a really hard time seeing the positive side (I had naively pushed myself too hard and my system shut down – and I really battled to eat and hydrate on the bike)..during the dinner on Day 3, Billy and I looked at each other – gaunt and exhausted and we confirmed this was a zero on the “fun” scale. However, with a bit of time, and seeing how Danie rode with the experience of an Epic under the belt, it would be a huge privilege to do it again and I would love the opportunity. . . but it is expensive ….so if there are any sponsors out there…..?? let me know!
