tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28549068156380095892024-03-13T01:35:39.332-07:00Arno du ToitLife is a journey, enjoy the ride...Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-50188087969929565892014-05-26T08:46:00.001-07:002014-05-26T09:00:53.061-07:00SA XCO #3 - UCI Cat1:<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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With an unplanned for, but rather successful Sani2c
experience behind me, it was once again time to prepare for another little 90 minute
showdown. Round three of the SA XCO Cup Series, this time held at Mankele MTB
Park just up the road from Nelspruit. <br />
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I realised my team mate and friend Gert Heyns must have been
bored with riding in George or very excited after he booked accommodation for
us at Sudwala from last week Tuesday already. Even though I had the opportunity
to practice the course like a mad man, I knew that Sani was still in my legs
and tried my best to take it easy for most of the week.<br />
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Friday morning Gert and I followed Matthys Beukes (Scott)
around the technical and rather old school 6.9km lap. Confidence was running
high with a couple of guys racing World Cups in Europe, we all knew this was a
chance to gain points and crawl up the UCI ranking list. With this in mind I
decided to use the bullet proof Continental X-King tyres front and back.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->Also the endless amount of grip wouldn’t do any harm on the
kind of terrain we had to conquer.
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The pro elite field was quite small, but I’m sure the racing
didn’t disappoint. Between Gert and Brendon Davids (Trek) throwing punches at
one another I just kept my head down and tried to stay in contact. Half way
through the first lap Brendon had opened up a slight a gap over Gert and I, but
we managed to bring him back on the downhill. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLcNdLVo1ALePEWW2TNDhHKgPnHcS43bX6I0jZMv67rCIvme5lijA8yOids3U5XMlH2d_w_U3cWlKpYdgouRys4PXwy3FqsMPM5TJkbhsJaFuWwljfL_WSGXKSQDY72u3LPowMdmNV1Ug/s1600/10366119_287437684766907_6036571372080422776_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLcNdLVo1ALePEWW2TNDhHKgPnHcS43bX6I0jZMv67rCIvme5lijA8yOids3U5XMlH2d_w_U3cWlKpYdgouRys4PXwy3FqsMPM5TJkbhsJaFuWwljfL_WSGXKSQDY72u3LPowMdmNV1Ug/s1600/10366119_287437684766907_6036571372080422776_n.jpg" height="290" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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From here on things were slightly tactical. I didn’t really
play any cards early on, but with Travis Walker (Kargo) yo-yoing behind us and
Matthys not far off, I knew we couldn’t sit and look at each other.
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<br />
On lap 4 I started the climb in front hoping to set a steady
pace, but Gert had a different idea. He sprinted past and as we went into a
tricky section about half way up the climb in 1<sup>st</sup> and 2<sup>nd</sup>,
we noticed whoever was following me had made a mistake. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Towards the top I looked back and saw that we
had the other 2 under pressure with a slight gap. Gert let me through and I
somehow managed to open a gap on the downhill. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Rolling through the start/finish for the last time, I gulped
down another High5 gel and after a quick look over my shoulder, I gave it all I
had. After 5 grueling laps crossing the finish line of a UCI Cat1 XCO in 1<sup>st</sup>
place was a very special moment for me. Seeing ASG MTB Academy team mate Gert
right behind me in 2<sup>nd</sup>, made it even better.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQtSqvqApEZwRLxIgwzappSzCLD8TWcCzabCEjPm6QosiJWKTkxT09TmhLPuywN4sAtawfQ7wt2APc0zCGTSZmK0SjCSw-uYo3rVQeNlHTSpBbatTkScdK8pJUgBvQk2bDhvqVy1bQbIa/s1600/10368221_10202981943522135_3996460485864572379_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQtSqvqApEZwRLxIgwzappSzCLD8TWcCzabCEjPm6QosiJWKTkxT09TmhLPuywN4sAtawfQ7wt2APc0zCGTSZmK0SjCSw-uYo3rVQeNlHTSpBbatTkScdK8pJUgBvQk2bDhvqVy1bQbIa/s1600/10368221_10202981943522135_3996460485864572379_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Big thank you to everyone who made it possible and for all
the support. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9f0ZPqeW_aaW_M7EGp_b2ftGAuoNVujjwr2A50v63_8Hxuintr6GMmZfGNEe_TKOPpFxtE_oKgsTG6YgZJ8f7wtWziRKsJl8Ifgspnqlj5SneoyoNqxklsJ7gjK3JEDazf9XBvIx1TtX/s1600/10364192_287438144766861_7064885633767193680_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9f0ZPqeW_aaW_M7EGp_b2ftGAuoNVujjwr2A50v63_8Hxuintr6GMmZfGNEe_TKOPpFxtE_oKgsTG6YgZJ8f7wtWziRKsJl8Ifgspnqlj5SneoyoNqxklsJ7gjK3JEDazf9XBvIx1TtX/s1600/10364192_287438144766861_7064885633767193680_n.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Till next time</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Adt</div>
Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-36054029680975287262014-05-05T10:17:00.000-07:002014-05-05T10:46:11.110-07:00Clarens - my first proper ultra marathon:<!--[if !mso]>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
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</xml><![endif]-->With the Marathon World Championships being hosted in SA a
bit later on this year, I realized it will definitely be a good experience to
take part. However you need to qualify which meant I had to finish inside the
top 20 at a UCI Marathon series event. Basically the MTN National Marathon at
Clarens was my last chance. As a XCO focused rider I would normally not event
consider racing these ultra-marathons, so I was a bit worried about the time in
the saddle and my ability to “vasbyt” for that long.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week Jacques Pretorius joined me in Ficksburg during
his school holidays for a bit of a training camp. He also learnt how to work a
spade. We fixed up some sections on my XCO course for the rest of the a[s]g
PYcycling crew to look at on our pre-race ride on Friday. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YY-7tAzx-jMq_8yTY3iY9du8hwob0ZYHJgy9CXaayz_eIPWZI33Shp7BeHFKlRQ7CKuStaTcc-81-ty8AAjyxBDn-p417fYgcoeobPSaFW8LVyFD1IB6MiLmPvhCAVtJho0jXZLatyRT/s1600/BmniGzXIEAAjwZG.jpg+large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YY-7tAzx-jMq_8yTY3iY9du8hwob0ZYHJgy9CXaayz_eIPWZI33Shp7BeHFKlRQ7CKuStaTcc-81-ty8AAjyxBDn-p417fYgcoeobPSaFW8LVyFD1IB6MiLmPvhCAVtJho0jXZLatyRT/s1600/BmniGzXIEAAjwZG.jpg+large.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturday morning. 07:15 start. 120km with 2700m ascent. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPtDijSZOhyphenhyphenbS_13G7iZTz2SwRBv106Gq9KvOxm2nUK7GJ7PDaLyYmEowcX8Qwpo6bp0BnBZfnoXN8xgY-v3PLGGORLsWSiIeLC0xn491NVx8Ow50YRcSv2uNYw8-jeluExJLI7I8sXZs/s1600/10313499_650714128315791_6022827835580879701_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPtDijSZOhyphenhyphenbS_13G7iZTz2SwRBv106Gq9KvOxm2nUK7GJ7PDaLyYmEowcX8Qwpo6bp0BnBZfnoXN8xgY-v3PLGGORLsWSiIeLC0xn491NVx8Ow50YRcSv2uNYw8-jeluExJLI7I8sXZs/s1600/10313499_650714128315791_6022827835580879701_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After a few nervous moments in the big eager peloton things
started to stretch out as we hit the first climb of the day at around 20km or
so. Unfortunately for me I got stuck in the single track behind some riders
that couldn’t quite match the pace being set up front. As the group split I realized that I had to get myself back up there, but also knew in the back of
my head that there was still a long way to go. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The XCO mentality took over and for the next 5 or 10 minutes
I gave it all I had to get back up there. Just after settling in at the back of
the lead bunch I was ridden of almost straight away. I went to deep. With many
negative thoughts running through my mind I lost ground with every pedal stroke.
Soon though the next little group caught me and with some teamwork we got back to
the sharp end once again. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQR8UkVJ3DNjglPdi9nfFUiuXqifqpTni0p6_geZWfv72ltYs55Nesvi3-x6C7z3ejN_5y65i6s2av928X6poFVNEVWblpm6MNe4fwoFqokCyUiz0lqryGAFZBckJIh5EE7l34fk_OHRvJ/s1600/10170901_10203396531611408_2954129419976291799_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQR8UkVJ3DNjglPdi9nfFUiuXqifqpTni0p6_geZWfv72ltYs55Nesvi3-x6C7z3ejN_5y65i6s2av928X6poFVNEVWblpm6MNe4fwoFqokCyUiz0lqryGAFZBckJIh5EE7l34fk_OHRvJ/s1600/10170901_10203396531611408_2954129419976291799_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From the 55km tech zone things got real. Nowhere to hide.
The group split up properly and according to my calculations after watching my
Joule, I went over the summit roughly 4 minutes behind the leading trio of
Karl, Nico and Erik. Descending back in to Clarens I was in my element. The
Conti rubber gave me the confidence to really push on over the rough terrain and
soon I caught and passed Timo and Brad.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All on my own I rolled into town, topped up the High5 and back
out on the half marathon route. Back on the gravel roads with nowhere to tuck
in I battled through another bad patch. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually Timo passed me again, Rourke caught me and we
then rode back to Timo on the technical stuff. By this stage I was really feeling the effects. The
Epic Sports neutral tech zone at 20kms to go was a blessing. Mechanic Mike Squirt'ed my chain and after a quick picnic the three of us continued working together. Just before the finish we noticed
Adriaan and Andrew not very far ahead.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0m8pvphaXMZqaD4HdjIabIv5PorjMv24kXBqZctdP4t2TrhYlZqfHoo6dZ_WDnTtA-KxwOurYcAFADbeX_uVkwY8kMaWZ8dBr_gyJlKLuIoioKc9hmz8rKrpGw0o7egDaZc-RSa8GdOc/s1600/BmtDwFsIAAA47ia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0m8pvphaXMZqaD4HdjIabIv5PorjMv24kXBqZctdP4t2TrhYlZqfHoo6dZ_WDnTtA-KxwOurYcAFADbeX_uVkwY8kMaWZ8dBr_gyJlKLuIoioKc9hmz8rKrpGw0o7egDaZc-RSa8GdOc/s1600/BmtDwFsIAAA47ia.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we hit the final single track I gave
it my all to close the gap and maybe open a gap between myself and the other 2.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the end it wasn’t enough, but I managed to cross the line
in 6<sup>th</sup> place. With this being my first proper Ultra marathon, I was rather
happy with this result.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA; mso-no-proof: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kji_l_SixJxc5qH5d9KH8oo1e-bh1kzJFcEUz042j1QHIX8AjDmT6xW68fsR1Utilzq6r5_zHvng2fwX8hzSeQ9GqfX2ZZmb9hiRmA-SKwyeSwNGYsok3Mn88vpHwIZ-V-e9NURUpsbM/s1600/BmtetRcIUAAvR0K.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kji_l_SixJxc5qH5d9KH8oo1e-bh1kzJFcEUz042j1QHIX8AjDmT6xW68fsR1Utilzq6r5_zHvng2fwX8hzSeQ9GqfX2ZZmb9hiRmA-SKwyeSwNGYsok3Mn88vpHwIZ-V-e9NURUpsbM/s1600/BmtetRcIUAAvR0K.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Big thank you to Paul and the PYcycling team for all the support. Was nice having a couple of you in my valley for the weekend!<br />
<br />
Till next time</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Adt</div>
Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-20413311076324568532014-04-22T12:15:00.002-07:002014-04-22T12:15:36.424-07:00UCI XCO World Cup #1 - PMBAs always with these big XCO races the build up to this event was
enormous. With all the hard training efforts and physical prep done we
headed down to Pietermaritzburg for the first round of the 2014 XCO
World Cup Series.<br />
Mentally I was in a good place after a couple of nice results the past
few weekends here in Gauteng. Winning the 3rd GP Provincial and also the
3rd USN Cup was really good for my confidence before heading down to
KZN.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzcIk8zldzcm9NDSrOsM8qftcxhMR_dFPnMVW5TBeGdAc2zoRdPZwfzSidKFRHoCnCgV3cTDMSvm6SC-q7h2wXE1hSjGQbODZQ-CDV7_8npNmvZZt_FJvxVFC5J8qXdRFuL4HqgNCuKai/s1600/ar.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzcIk8zldzcm9NDSrOsM8qftcxhMR_dFPnMVW5TBeGdAc2zoRdPZwfzSidKFRHoCnCgV3cTDMSvm6SC-q7h2wXE1hSjGQbODZQ-CDV7_8npNmvZZt_FJvxVFC5J8qXdRFuL4HqgNCuKai/s1600/ar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
After arriving at Cascades and checking out the course on Thursday with
team mate Gert and coach Paul, I was slightly nervous to say the least.
The course designers had once again out done themselves and created a
tough and pretty scary loop. Luckily we had lots of time to over think
and over analyse every single corner and all tricky sections before the
big showdown on Sunday.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfDQn-PmrAFcs2-tmGxuba1IXcuyQAbXY0g0pZl90drY9IK_UPJGFQhV_4LxKuPrxfF1k64QBxRw7HNqN-RgR8Mjci4bjdElPv836lG-_a7scTALvA2NEPtjg1GZ9DoZ4Q6Wl3N8MWDUd/s1600/ar1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfDQn-PmrAFcs2-tmGxuba1IXcuyQAbXY0g0pZl90drY9IK_UPJGFQhV_4LxKuPrxfF1k64QBxRw7HNqN-RgR8Mjci4bjdElPv836lG-_a7scTALvA2NEPtjg1GZ9DoZ4Q6Wl3N8MWDUd/s1600/ar1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRcbnLtvz2ymz95cMi1MmbdSQCBMvF7y5eOZm6JRA2sT1uHoDnrEvPxVSqNSANTDJqP3PZR2GtNEt5iMj0I0_Mgujs9Jcv9XlCWR4-iwF_vIoqQcwRJOlb_BjkGtLVswgld5j8bj4JsN8/s1600/ar2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRcbnLtvz2ymz95cMi1MmbdSQCBMvF7y5eOZm6JRA2sT1uHoDnrEvPxVSqNSANTDJqP3PZR2GtNEt5iMj0I0_Mgujs9Jcv9XlCWR4-iwF_vIoqQcwRJOlb_BjkGtLVswgld5j8bj4JsN8/s1600/ar2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I felt more and more comfortable with each day of practice. The Dogma
handled this modern day XCO course very well. All the rocks and jumps,
no issues. Pure pleasure!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRDLkGMC-dhcF9B2uGfK3vJR9NeF_K9QurADdYBPY4QyTTIWoVUZuMArhv0umWZgxy1_ZmZVE1sL1g4aJYliZr5MzQTl-X00RnS_d9s9unDC223FMMA7F-1RBObohZb8jGqsVpSnG_29d/s1600/ar3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRDLkGMC-dhcF9B2uGfK3vJR9NeF_K9QurADdYBPY4QyTTIWoVUZuMArhv0umWZgxy1_ZmZVE1sL1g4aJYliZr5MzQTl-X00RnS_d9s9unDC223FMMA7F-1RBObohZb8jGqsVpSnG_29d/s1600/ar3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Lining up in the start chute between most of the best u/23 bike riders
in the world was quite intimidating as always. I was nervous, but also
excited to get out there and do the job. I had a good start and felt
comfortable sitting just outside the top 10 during most of the first
lap.<br />
The pace however was really hot and I battled through a rough patch on
lap 2 and 3 losing ground on most of the climbing. Towards the end of
the race I noticed that I was sitting on the edge of a top 20 with team
mate Gert right behind me fighting back after an unfortunate flat tyre.<br />
I gave it my all and with the help of some High5 fluids, I managed to finish in 19th after 5 gruelling laps.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXqrfgq29rc_QgtXnF6lefhSkoAxtgMwMhBZmZCQ42hXSStsVUNcMlYnmQy6980W86kv8i0oggO3v0GjWgD7GXweD9UbeaVFX8rCAfW1CYT9tYImkB7EV8jcx14WcPqSEQRWktyaSfR2g/s1600/ar4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXqrfgq29rc_QgtXnF6lefhSkoAxtgMwMhBZmZCQ42hXSStsVUNcMlYnmQy6980W86kv8i0oggO3v0GjWgD7GXweD9UbeaVFX8rCAfW1CYT9tYImkB7EV8jcx14WcPqSEQRWktyaSfR2g/s1600/ar4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
After all it was a very lekker weekend with the gang. Always nice to
have someone like Paul as manager / chef / mechanic etc. Big thank you
to him for making it easier for Gert and myself and also the other a[s]g
PYCycling friends for all the support.<br />
<br />
This weekend we are racing the 2nd leg of the SA XCO Cup series at
Afriski Resort in Lesotho. Looking forward to burning some lungs!<br />
<br />
AdtArnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-38725594432477270142014-02-10T09:33:00.002-08:002014-02-10T09:39:26.297-08:00MTN XCM #1 - Dullstroom<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last weekend we drove through to Thaba Trails, Jhb, for the
first leg of the Gauteng XCO Provincial series. It was great to see the a[s]g MTB
Academy gang not only participating in all age groups, but also dominating most
of them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For myself the race went pretty well. Lungs felt a bit rusty
after a much needed rest week, but I managed to stay off the front with Dylan
Rebello finishing 2<sup>nd</sup> and Nic Popich in 3<sup>rd</sup>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_caXlq1KC1Dq5NKAiywRm3VvjlTSadIQlUeU_3D94gGijJ03r3X_eKSHKcvwmdEy6L8L1WAfO5DzYKubrxxe20IVvQuZrpOU3v3MqpYyT8lXgGNSMZq-ZuGd4fzZJi5ZjJZHyE7xMc6ev/s1600/1395205_751407871537252_1770693440_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_caXlq1KC1Dq5NKAiywRm3VvjlTSadIQlUeU_3D94gGijJ03r3X_eKSHKcvwmdEy6L8L1WAfO5DzYKubrxxe20IVvQuZrpOU3v3MqpYyT8lXgGNSMZq-ZuGd4fzZJi5ZjJZHyE7xMc6ev/s1600/1395205_751407871537252_1770693440_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So with confidence running high it was time to stuff some
Ftech lycra in a bag and head up to Dullstroom for the first MTN National
Marathon of the season.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNA6jqhsQaHpyUDFsIpv-a3iXLXy5D7vlQm3R2q4lWTx0tGTX4Wpo7QenG7jc2wmGJt7GcFl8xkXbvpDQpi4MVMWHYg4KYnR5Wjo43tp1l_wOD6lDgmlnU2hyphenhyphenKNcMDWOlamfpl_7APwVe/s1600/1656108_10152535846668265_1597597154_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNA6jqhsQaHpyUDFsIpv-a3iXLXy5D7vlQm3R2q4lWTx0tGTX4Wpo7QenG7jc2wmGJt7GcFl8xkXbvpDQpi4MVMWHYg4KYnR5Wjo43tp1l_wOD6lDgmlnU2hyphenhyphenKNcMDWOlamfpl_7APwVe/s1600/1656108_10152535846668265_1597597154_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve never been in the area of Dullstroom so I had no idea
what to expect from the race. Never the less after applying a few layers of Squirt lube, I was standing in the
start chute feeling rather confident. The start was quite slow at first. I
figured everyone was scared to make the first move due to the altitude being a
bit more than what most people are used to. Sitting in the bunch not even 5kms
in, we hit the first of many mud puddles and most of it went straight onto my
new Rudy Agon’s lenses. This made me upset and I decided to leave the party. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
noticed that no one could really respond and as I looked back a while later only
Stuart Marais (Kargo) had managed to get off the front of the chasing group. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Realizing that it would take a massive effort for a solo
rider to stay off the front with a group like that hunting you down, I
tapped of slightly giving Stuart a chance to get back on my wheel. For the next
few miles we rode together nicely, keeping the pace high without making
mistakes in the technical muddy sections. Off course the Conti X King on the
front is always super in these conditions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
About 25km in, I noticed Stuart started losing a bit of
punch as we had to work our way around the back markers of the ultra. While
battling to stay upright as we were climbing up a mushy messy mountain road, I
noticed that I was all by myself and decided to put my head down and go for it.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All or nothing, I thought to myself. In the end it took some
very big “vasbyt” and a few High5 gels to keep it going, but I managed to cross
the line and claim my first National Marathon win.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOHmiBMedmn76um2KljQzOFMed8mKjdiu3DUJzFPtYH7rittJoNB_w2Jv8qIx-JRlJU87Cv-kjJlq1TIhHP2lEzpdTi4v5MlMO-H-P8tTzTtL2UxoV-DR8ttyRNXXkpi1726J7K2X8PXZ/s1600/1781418_263661263792306_197162315_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOHmiBMedmn76um2KljQzOFMed8mKjdiu3DUJzFPtYH7rittJoNB_w2Jv8qIx-JRlJU87Cv-kjJlq1TIhHP2lEzpdTi4v5MlMO-H-P8tTzTtL2UxoV-DR8ttyRNXXkpi1726J7K2X8PXZ/s1600/1781418_263661263792306_197162315_o.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmin0hcjlT_CcqP1AOxYXRU3G2Zz9RiJBiNDecchuPUP49XTAP1uoLE0OVieegXcTmQJ66Z5EBMsSFwkusaSmaBJ3-HgI15L_rgb1O7zhsgGcvcRZuGtugB3Vcj7fR4PmWa3tCA-vCyAMk/s1600/1459794_613913188662552_1280089599_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmin0hcjlT_CcqP1AOxYXRU3G2Zz9RiJBiNDecchuPUP49XTAP1uoLE0OVieegXcTmQJ66Z5EBMsSFwkusaSmaBJ3-HgI15L_rgb1O7zhsgGcvcRZuGtugB3Vcj7fR4PmWa3tCA-vCyAMk/s1600/1459794_613913188662552_1280089599_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well done to Jan Withaar and Stuart Marais finishing 2nd and 3rd. Also to all the other Academy members with some great results all round.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This weekend the 2nd leg of the USN Cup is being held at Modderfontein and I'm looking forward to another good battle.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cheers</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Adt</div>
Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-87270991813982763962014-01-28T04:17:00.000-08:002014-01-28T04:45:20.617-08:00African Continental Championships: It’s always a special feeling for me to pull the Green and Gold outfit over my shoulders and the first opportunity we had this year was
down in Durbanville for the 2014 African Continental Championships.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBTiqakoZudoTHAluQe_k6EM2PdANotsn2tFl9wQ4QuaQstMia32XzuJuSaoMoZ1NWrukBEIFeRNcYoeMc6MQYiOxdZ6RH7Ih9ed-NGIhO7ne6pXI112gtK_YgvnHvW2A4HE665QFyyap/s1600/1390245916327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBTiqakoZudoTHAluQe_k6EM2PdANotsn2tFl9wQ4QuaQstMia32XzuJuSaoMoZ1NWrukBEIFeRNcYoeMc6MQYiOxdZ6RH7Ih9ed-NGIhO7ne6pXI112gtK_YgvnHvW2A4HE665QFyyap/s1600/1390245916327.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the long journey down to the Cape, Paul and I met up
with new team mates Gert Heyns, Allan Hatherly and Genevieve van Coller. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As always before a XCO showdown the build-up
towards the actual 90minutes of racing was massive. Behind the scenes
everything has to run like clockwork for us athletes to have the perfect race. Once
again I have to compliment Epic Sports for fine tuning the Dogma beforehand and
of course Paul for all the organization and motivation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oom Brian and his team did a great job with the course by
adding some fun technical aspects to it. A couple of big jumps got every worked
up, but in the end it all flowed very well. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEileXfC0jljN8IAARtp_7igU93GnF3IqxHn5uit-eM32TVLD67DnVFg8Xe2k-nBDqtK0VmNdVxrAYSLy-n7jXCj0p5-6yyTPFyAYk_Y872zmuEcqualDr0HuHu9bcRFrEwngzKYhMYyC6fo/s1600/1390571502817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEileXfC0jljN8IAARtp_7igU93GnF3IqxHn5uit-eM32TVLD67DnVFg8Xe2k-nBDqtK0VmNdVxrAYSLy-n7jXCj0p5-6yyTPFyAYk_Y872zmuEcqualDr0HuHu9bcRFrEwngzKYhMYyC6fo/s1600/1390571502817.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allan showing off:</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With the u/23 men battle scheduled for 15:20 only, it was
tricky to stay relaxed and not to over analyze during the morning leading up to
the race. After a little roller spin all that was left to do was to suck on
some High5 nutrition while waiting to suite up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The heat in the start chute was mad. So was the pace up the
first drag with James Reid crushing it from the gun. Gert and I were able to
hang on for a bit with a slight gap already over the rest of the field, not
even halfway through the first lap. Unfortunately I made a slight mistake, lost
my front wheel and went down around a lose corner. However with the adrenaline
pumping, mixed with some self-inflicted anger it didn’t take long to close the
gap. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-61k9Lxz7moS0KQcZYIIbCH1acTpo_jb_dHVz_IheaSdd8Wyb2kTBcIi7GP3OzouSCGKEDS8vWZBN-kIZe-j4tN1c0XFaNF9ae_f52iqJb0NB7eHPVvvLcrsnG1HRC3popkA3DlFy_gx/s1600/1557185_448542961940097_2123380329_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-61k9Lxz7moS0KQcZYIIbCH1acTpo_jb_dHVz_IheaSdd8Wyb2kTBcIi7GP3OzouSCGKEDS8vWZBN-kIZe-j4tN1c0XFaNF9ae_f52iqJb0NB7eHPVvvLcrsnG1HRC3popkA3DlFy_gx/s1600/1557185_448542961940097_2123380329_o.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we rolled through onto the 2<sup>nd</sup> lap, James was
off the front and Brendon Davids started moving up. I jumped onto his wheel,
but still battling to get into a rhythm I couldn’t follow for very long. By lap
3 I managed to regain a comfortable stride and with no further hassles I
crossed the line in 3<sup>rd</sup>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
It might not have been the most exciting race, but none the
less I’m happy with the result considering the classy field.<br />
<br />
Full results sheet: <b><a href="http://www.cyclingsa.com/App_Resources/Uploads/FILE00003120.xlsx">http://www.cyclingsa.com/App_Resources/Uploads/FILE00003120.xlsx</a></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This weekend Thaba Trails will be hosting the first Gauteng
Provincial and I’m excited to see all the fluo a[s]g MTB Academy members in action out there. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cheers!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Adt</div>
Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-4643356652215779652014-01-19T12:15:00.001-08:002014-01-19T12:19:32.513-08:00Kicking off the 2014 season:<!--[if !mso]>
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<![endif]--><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2854906815638009589" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->After a couple of weeks off the bike with no real structured
training it was time to regain focus and start putting some serious effort into
our pre-season base preparation. About two weeks ago, mentors Paul and Yolande,
decided we should break away to the Lowveld for some quality training time with
the a[s]g PYCycling gang, just before the year takes off in full force.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jSR_UqVVPlG3jdWaJAmZx0714FcM188UOkM_OaGh_yesTgmC4q2CabhCyNHUmkS46cKLrt7SuqhdGDjEMibTFJb97WXp5VjFtJvq4OQ6ngGFzwfS_9KSDfhbjZe4WeYfsNlarbTs7rnv/s1600/1388735181618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jSR_UqVVPlG3jdWaJAmZx0714FcM188UOkM_OaGh_yesTgmC4q2CabhCyNHUmkS46cKLrt7SuqhdGDjEMibTFJb97WXp5VjFtJvq4OQ6ngGFzwfS_9KSDfhbjZe4WeYfsNlarbTs7rnv/s1600/1388735181618.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Training camp in and around the Mankele area was a great
break away for all of us and a chance to think about and discuss the challenges
ahead and most importantly to get some proper training done. It’s always a
great help if you can surround yourself with positive people, all focused and
willing to motivate each other.<br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2MqXsDKgJvrgdAqqVsxjuGFALOPrPVG2SxOmqgPK07mWECf5Y_FbX4JKcPli6Ym8UGnZMduqjP7Dk3qzJqCBF0-805MOaHjKkyQ1zo5UdtqQOgoDF9k_TWX5WmzNN1o7GFCnNgnoWq8H/s1600/20140115_093253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2MqXsDKgJvrgdAqqVsxjuGFALOPrPVG2SxOmqgPK07mWECf5Y_FbX4JKcPli6Ym8UGnZMduqjP7Dk3qzJqCBF0-805MOaHjKkyQ1zo5UdtqQOgoDF9k_TWX5WmzNN1o7GFCnNgnoWq8H/s1600/20140115_093253.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We arrived back in the city just in time for the first race
of the season. Of course I have to defend my USN Cup series title this year so
I needed a good result, but more importantly I wanted it to be a good leg
stretch and lung burner before African Continental Champs this coming weekend. On
the bike side we are really privileged to have our Pinarello Dogma XC’s
equipped with some Powertap hubs on stiff and lightweight Ritchey wheel sets
and the always faithful Continental tires. With the help of Epic Sports sorting
out my stallion all that was left for me was to go out and turn those Crank
Brother pedals over as fast as I could.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArL53X7mFfXHyrxSFK9-Ae87WcKh9tQoIuIMUgdnmiZ5nDrSu6rW6XokgbqRhRGYs5BOXFGCl-Us63qYM-G_L8APUO8rsFeW0dgSvrux74it-CVAcXD4_r8e3YlC8N58QHse2UkaJiPCb/s1600/1389977985395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArL53X7mFfXHyrxSFK9-Ae87WcKh9tQoIuIMUgdnmiZ5nDrSu6rW6XokgbqRhRGYs5BOXFGCl-Us63qYM-G_L8APUO8rsFeW0dgSvrux74it-CVAcXD4_r8e3YlC8N58QHse2UkaJiPCb/s1600/1389977985395.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It was good to see some proper talent on the start line,
especially a guy called Max Knox. However being surrounded by a group of fluo
Rudy Project helmets with encouraging comments made me very excited to kick off
the 2014 season on a high. Must admit I had no real plan, but about 5km into
the race I put in a big effort hoping to split the group and to see who I
should keep an eye on. As I looked back a bit further on I noticed a
substantial gap had opened and I was off the front by myself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To be honest at first I didn’t think I could maintain that,
but a while later, Coach Paul standing in the veld somewhere, shouted a time
gap and I suddenly realized I was gaining ground and that it might be possible
to stay clear. From there on I kept my head down, topped up the tank with some
High5 nutrition and forced myself not to look back. In the end it paid off and
I managed to take my first win of the season.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeP8mVMj1EYfdp_Y3vqY2f5BxlTU0ftvNMndofxp8t6KzQcnpCAkSgVJlIpmUf1phtoaHe2M9_WNG4FBVSJgSHPUhMeVPAIzxud7b6ogWimzAyCcLNVU56nzXhKkl6ZbUxEvm10FSp5neA/s1600/IMG-20140119-WA0000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeP8mVMj1EYfdp_Y3vqY2f5BxlTU0ftvNMndofxp8t6KzQcnpCAkSgVJlIpmUf1phtoaHe2M9_WNG4FBVSJgSHPUhMeVPAIzxud7b6ogWimzAyCcLNVU56nzXhKkl6ZbUxEvm10FSp5neA/s1600/IMG-20140119-WA0000.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
In general it was good day for the whole team. I was surprised with my form this early on, but
also realized that there is still plenty of room for improvement and I’m looking
forward to a good season with a great bunch of people.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Till next weekend!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Arno</div>
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<![endif]-->Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-72986339839361587192013-07-23T10:16:00.003-07:002013-07-23T10:55:49.667-07:00SA XCO Champs 2013:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Thus far it's been a rather successful year for myself. I've managed a couple of podiums against some fierce competitors in our u/23 national cross country circuit. Consistent good performances rewarded me with 3rd pro-elite in the National Cup Series and being selected to represent South Africa at the XCO World Champs. </div>
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However the fight for the stripes and the title of SA Champ was still on the line and with all the big boys out to hurt each other, it sure promised to be another exciting battle. For the spectators...</div>
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As always the start was extremely fast and very painful. I managed to hang on to the tail end of the lead group for the first lap or so.</div>
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Uncomfortable to say the least and as we hit the steep stuff on lap 2, I just couldn't dig any deeper to stay on the wheels in front of me. After recovering a bit on the super fun downhill sections, I pushed hard to close the gap, but it just wouldn't happen. </div>
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Rolling onto lap 3 through the start/finish area I could see the lead group sitting and looking at each other for a moment, about 15 seconds in front of me. I thought this was a chance to regain contact so I put my head down and launched a big effort. </div>
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Stupid mistake. I came close, but then as they accelerated onto the climb I had nothing left and started going backwards. Travis Walker soon passed me like I was standing still just before we started coming down again. I took a High5 caffeine gel along with a few deep breaths and slowly but surely dragged myself back onto his wheel.</div>
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Now racing for 6th and 7th I started losing a bit of focus and never realised that the lead group was actually just around the corner, still only a few seconds in it. Yes, Travis hurt me on the first half of the lap, but then I found myself staring at his big legs on the fast flowing back section. Not ideal.</div>
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As we started the final lap I thought he would launch an attack somewhere on the first half which was mostly uphill, so I moved to the front to avoid this situation. I soon realised that I was suddenly feeling really good and started throwing mielies all over the place...</div>
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So after putting down the hammer on our last lap, I finished 5th. Exactly 17 seconds behind Luke Roberts in 4th and a minute and a half behind the Champion for 2013 - Rourke Croeser.<br />
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Once again I had no hassles with any of my equipment and the support from the ASG PYcycling Academy on and off the bike has been amazing this year. We are lucky to have coaches and mentors like Paul Cordes and Yolande Speedy standing behind us all the way and putting so much back into the sport.<br />
Looking back I realised that none of this would have been possible if it wasn't for their help and motivation and I am truly thankful for that support.<br />
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Till next time!!</div>
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Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-85015285425022281772013-06-25T05:06:00.000-07:002013-06-25T05:53:55.805-07:00Mankele SA xco #4<div dir="ltr">
So about two weeks ago we traveled down to the lowveld for a mountainous training camp in and around the Mankele area. Soon it was time to head back for the 4th and final SA xco Cup series and after a solid race last year on more or less the same course, I was looking forward to a proper dice with the big boys.</div>
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Thursday morning we loaded a couple of bicycles into our well rigged ASG PYcycling trailer and with Yolande behind the wheel we soon arrived. Knowing what was coming I wasn't too worried about course practice, but that ski jump drop was messing with my head after lap 2. Maybe entering way to hot with only 1.2bar in the tires was not such a good idea. I burped my front wheel. Guess it's a good thing to get a little wake up call from time to time. Needless to say I inflated the Conti's a bit more Friday morning and after two smooth laps with team mate steph, I was happy to get my legs up and relax. </div>
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Early Saturday morning uncle Paul took the girls out to the track to get them ready for their race and to insure we had the perfect setup for the day. He allowed Steph and I to drive out later with his fancy little red car. My word! I pulled in at Mankele race ready and after mixing some High5 in my bottles it was time to line up between all the big guns.<br />
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The start was a drag race with everyone fighting for a good position before the first single track. I was happy with 5th wheel or so, but as we hit the open Climb the second drag race started. Plenty side by side elbow touching action as everyone tried to move up closer to the front. Once again I was happy with my position and up to this point everything went as planned. <br />
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With this being a fairly flat and fast course, we all knew the racing was going to be super close and jumping off the front would take a special effort and some really smooth riding through the technical sections without making any mistakes. For the first 3 laps or so I found myself hanging on to a solid group chasing Phil around. I experienced a strange emotion about half way through the race, some sort of panic and relief at the same time. Rourke had a problem with his cleat so he explained his situation and asked James for a multi tool, but they were almost chatting in full sentences while my legs and lungs were on the limit. I knew something was wrong and soon Rourke pulled over. </div>
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The pace picked up properly and eventualy James went off the front. I couldn't follow any of the moves and was left alone with a ginger. Luke and I battled for a while, but towards the end fatigue, mechanicals and mistakes started taking it's toll, but with good legs and a bit of luck I finished 4th pro elite and 2nd u/23. </div>
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After a nice celebration dinner with Melt, Yolandie and the Scott guys we left Nelspruit Sunday morning. Quick brekkie and hike around Kaapsehoop was something different and stunning to end of a pretty good weekend.<br />
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Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-38115331974387141762013-03-27T08:23:00.000-07:002013-03-27T09:08:32.652-07:00a[s]g Tyger Valley:<div dir="ltr">
With the absence of team manager Paul Cordes, we arrived at the Tyger Valley College fairly early Saturday morning to organise and setup our base for the day.</div>
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The a[s]g Pinarello trailer with Epic Sports gazebos looked fantastic as always and it was soon time to line up for the 70km challenge. </div>
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I must admit I felt relaxed, but very eager to dish out some pain. It didn't take long for a select group to go off the front, with myself and a few senior riders like Andrew McClean and Julius Cobbet. </div>
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With no one willing to help me or contribute to the pace making the race turned into an uptempo training ride for me. On the flat fast gravel roads I couldn't keep my eyes off my beautiful CycleOps Joule head unit to measure my power and heart rate efforts to perfection. </div>
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After a frustrating first 40kms of negative riding, I managed to split the group with a rather negative tactical move in a single track section. </div>
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I knew riding off by myself would be super tough if they pulled together so I still just rode within myself. A while later only Andrew regained contact and then stuck to my wheel once again.</div>
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On the last rocky rise about 3km before the finish, I had enough left in the tank and with the help of great traction from my Continental rubber, I managed to ride him off and take the win. Julius finished 3rd.</div>
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All and all it was a good day out for us with team mates Amy and Jacques also winning their races.</div>
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Till next time!</div>
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Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-28793337710863286302013-03-11T06:00:00.001-07:002013-03-20T14:10:00.781-07:00African Continental Champs:<p dir=ltr>I've experienced some exciting xco races in the past, but this was definitely one of the best tussles I've ever had on a bicycle.</p>
<p dir=ltr>With some rain during the lady's race, there was a big question mark hanging over tire choice for most of the guys. I felt confident with a Continental X-King on the front and a Race King rear combo.</p>
<p dir=ltr>From the gun Brendon Davids went off the front, but the racing in the chase group was so close that our positions changed between 2nd and 6th all way through the race. I tried to ride my own pace and avoid the early attacks to save some energy, but still had to fight to stay in contact with the group. </p>
<p dir=ltr>Once again all the equipment worked 100% and after 5 slick laps with some serious 'vasbyt' and a bit of luck I managed to finish 3rd against a very competitive field. James Reid finished 2nd with Brendon hanging on to take the win.</p>
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<span class="CharAttribute4"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">We arrived at Willowbridge Thursday afternoon and after having lunch while staring at the very spectator friendly course, we went out for a couple of easy laps to find out what was in store for us. All round I enjoyed the course, nothing serious to stress about with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>some really fun sections.</span></span></div>
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<span class="CharAttribute4"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Saturday morning I woke up to the sound of raindrops on the roof. It didn't bother me, according to accuweather it would only be 2ml and stop at 9am. We were only racing at 12. Ofcourse the rain never stopped and conditions only got worse as the day went on. Luckily the continental X-King is a perfect all round tire so I had no worries to change equipment before the start.</span></span></div>
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<span class="CharAttribute4"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Must say lining up behind<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>guys like Florian Vogel, Ralf N</span></span><span class="CharAttribute4"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">ä</span></span><span class="CharAttribute4"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">f and a couple other international riders had my nerves going. The start was messy. Got to love sprinting full gas with elbows touching through mud for a single track. I got away nicely, but some favourites were caught napping.</span></span></div>
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<span class="CharAttribute4"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">My first lap felt good, but with the excitment I over cooked it slightly. I battled to settle down and couldn't get into a rhythm and lost some time. I got it back together and managed to regain focus and from there on it felt really comfortable. The longer Ritchey stem I decided to use worked like a bomb. My position on the bike and the handeling felt perfect.</span></span></div>
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<span class="CharAttribute4"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I started catching riders from about the halfway mark. The combination of good coaching from PYcycling and the High5 supplements was definately working well. After a grueling 8laps, I finished 5th u23 men. Even though I was a little bit off the pace, I felt that I could maintain a steady pace all the way to the end. Always a good foundation to build on.</span></span></div>
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<span class="CharAttribute4"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Looking forward to some good racing</span></span></div>
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<span class="CharAttribute4"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Arno</span></span></div>
Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-53901671388266875352013-03-04T11:50:00.000-08:002013-03-04T11:50:53.625-08:00Gauteng provincial #1:<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
After a very last minute bike build Friday and no real time for a test ride it was time to line up for my first xco race of the season. Not ideal, but very exciting! I couldn't wait to not only ride, but race the new Piarello Dogma XC machine. As usual the elite - u/23 men only started just before midday. Great performances from the rest of our team all round through the morning added some extra positive pressure before the start. </div>
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I started my warm up rather early just to try and get the hang of the new stallion. Tiaan checked the tire pressure of my Continental rubber and it all felt good! In the start chute I chose not to stand on the front row with the idea to fight my way through as the whistle blew. Some starting practice for bigger races to come. I went into the single track comfortably in the top 5. Soon I managed to get into 2nd spot, the pace was pretty easy but I was happy to sit there and get the hang of the bike first, before going cowboy. We came through after lap one in a group of 4 riders, with my biggest worry being Ben-Melt eventhough we were not racing in the same cat. </div>
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The first quarter of the track was mostly steep short climbing and about halfway up this section on the 2nd lap I made my move. I managed to open a fairly descent gap, but I was not suprized to see Melt following my move as I looked back. Over all I enjoyed the feel of the new bike, but there were some minor setup issues. I had about 10 seconds on Melt, till we hit lap 4. As we started the climb, my gears were jumping. At first I thought the gear cable slipped so I tried fine tuning it a little, not the easiest to do while climbing a 20% single track hill. I soon realised this wasn't the problem and that I had to stop and tighten my rear Ritchey wheel. Somehow it came loose, but unfortuanitly I only had myself to blame for this one. </div>
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The tables turned and suddenly I was under pressure chasing an old skinny guy. Unfortuanitly his diesel engin only got going at about that point in the race and he started pulling away slowly. My legs were dead. Sort of expected this after running around Epic Cycle Shop the whole of Friday building my bike. Never the less I took a High5 Energy gel, a big sip of their caffeine Sports drink and kept on fighting. </div>
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In the end it wasn't enough to close the gap, but I managed to hold onto second over all and 1st u/23. I also raced with the light weight powertap hub and gathered some interesting and usefull data with the CycleOps Joule. </div>
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Once again the support from the whole a[s]g PYcycling family was amazing and this made for a really fun day at Thabe trails. </div>
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Cheers</div>
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A</div>
Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-85133560267121420692013-03-04T11:10:00.000-08:002013-03-04T11:10:00.352-08:00Diving into the season: USN cup #1After some big hours in the saddle, it was time to ref up the engine at the first leg of the USN Cup, the season opener. The rain apparently put off some other team mates, but for some reason I was looking forward to getting wet and wild.<br />
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As the whistle blew, I worked my way straight to the front to avoid any mishaps in the peloton. I also prefer riding infront of a group in muddy conditions. The bunch soon split up and I continued riding a comfortable, but reasonable pace. As we hit the first single track I soon realized that the surface wasn't to bad and I put in a effort to test the other guys. Straight away they lost my line and Iopened a gap as we slid our way through some technical sections. I was happy. <br />
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I put my head down for a while to try and get out of sight, which I thought must be pretty far when you're wearing a fluo Rudy Project helmet. Keeping in mind that this was the first race of a long season and that it was wet and slippery, I tried not to do anything stupid or take any risks. Exactly the opposite of what youmg teammate Nicholas was thinking apparently. He crashed out after sitting in a solid top 5 position. </div>
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We had to do two laps of a 30km loop. Starting the second I staight away felt sorry for the guys at the back, the weekend warriors. Traction and grip was just nowhere to be found. Even thou there were no one in sight for me I knew that guys like Ben-Melt would be chasing hard with some serious diesel power. Luckily the race was a lot like the cross country format which I prefer, so I knew I just had to keep momentum and hold the bike upright all the way to the finish. </div>
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Happy with a solid start to the season. <br />
AArnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-84096587549167934152012-11-20T08:22:00.000-08:002012-11-20T12:07:14.897-08:00Cherry MTB Challenge:<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
This past weekend it was time for Ficksburg, my home town to host the 45th annual Cherry Festival. With this enormous attraction to the town our cycling club, (my parents and I) organised a fun, but tough mountainbike race/challenge through the heart of the eastern Free State.</div>
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My job for the two weeks leading up to this event was to make sure the trails were rideable and well marked from start to finish. It might not sound like much, but between building bridges, opening bush tunnels, marking in thunder storms and a 'moerse' lot of grass cutting, I had my hands full.<br />
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After nearly four weeks completely off the bike I decided to pre ride our 60km Marathon route on Thursday just to make sure everything is ready and well marked. I died. 4hrs with 2bottels in this:<br />
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Friday afternoon things soon got festive as the guests started to arrive. I must admit it probably wasn't the most focused pre race night of my life to say the least, but I managed to give Marcel Marais a few hints about what to expect out there. On paper it looks fine...<br />
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In the start chute of the marathon it looked like an Epic Sports outride with a couple of shirts on the front row. Even Jaco du Toit got up there and managed to sit near the head of the field for the first 1.2kms. We soon went into some pretty technical single track and from there on I had the lead bike for company.<br />
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Knowing the route like the palm of my hand, I knew what to expect and rode accordingly. Wish this could happen more often! At the finish my gap over 2nd place was exactly 20minutes, but more importantly 50minutes over 8th place - Jaco. Marcel finished in 5th and was also the first junior. A very good and respectable ride for a youngster starting with marathons.<br />
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For most riders it was a super hard day in the saddle, but I was happy with all the positive feedback and compliments.<br />
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Local is leke!<br />
Arno<br />
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<br />Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-36448351267513224892012-10-25T08:53:00.000-07:002012-10-25T08:53:05.738-07:00Crater Cruize<div class="MsoNormal">
After some awesome riding and a fun<span lang="EN-US">-</span>filled weekend at Mankele with the Epic Sports wolf pack, it was time to start planning for the big dash for cash, the final leg of the 2012 MTN and Nissan National series, Crater Crui<span lang="EN-US">s</span>e.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Marcel Marais and I decided to go on a roadtrip via Ficksburg, my home town, on Wednesday and then leave for Parys Friday morning with our bikes, a tent, a kettle and a box of oats.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we arrived the weather suddenly changed and it was soon cold, wet and really windy. Just then Marcel realised that he didn't pack any tent pegs. So after sorting out our entries and searching for a outdoor shop to buy pegs<span lang="EN-US"> (</span>which we still haven't found<span lang="EN-US">), </span>an old tannie at a fishing store could sort of help us, <span lang="EN-US">but </span>we still had to pitch our tent in the rain. I'm sure there's no better way to kick of<span lang="EN-US">f</span> a weekend.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Saturday morning in the start chute for the 106km ultra marathon I had flashbacks of my first day in high school, <i>jitte</i>! The best of the best in South African cycling was there ready to dish out a lot of pain. It was no time to be scared though, so I put on my big boy pants and went all in. Unfortunately I could only mix it up with the big guns for the first 40km or so. At the halfway mark I was in a group with Gawie Combrink, Jacques Rossouw, Dave Morrison and a few other riders, just hanging on to the top 15 at that stage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The rest of my race was really nothing to get excited about. After hitting the wall a few times and having to dig really deep just to reach the finish line, I ended up in 26th place. Not quite the result I was hoping for.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After completely losing my sense of humour on the ultra, I wasn't really eager for the half marathon on Sunday. Once again beer solved the problem...<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Three </span>minutes before start time I snuck into the tail end of a batch, still not convinced that I actually wanted to whack it with the juniors. I soon noticed Fritz was taking this very serious<span lang="EN-US">ly</span> and as the neutral zone ended I launched a proper attack on the tar road. Luckily I didn't really get away!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The real brake came at about 20km. We smashed it down a loose<span lang="EN-US">,</span> rocky descen<span lang="EN-US">t</span>,<span lang="EN-US"> and</span> once again the <span lang="EN-US">C</span>onti tires were bulletproof! I found myself in the lead group amongst <span lang="EN-US">six</span> or <span lang="EN-US">seven </span>others, all contributing to the pace<span lang="EN-US">-</span>making.</div>
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Things started to heat up as we flew past the last waterpoint. I noticed a couple of passengers as we a<span lang="EN-US">p</span>proached the final stages of the race. Ryan Gibbons attacked with about 2km to go and the two of us opened a small gap to the rest of the group. I waited for the perfect moment, took a big sip of <span lang="EN-US">C</span>ytopower and then rode past him to take the win. Also a great effort by young Dylan Rebello taking 3rd. For me the victory was bitter<span lang="EN-US">-</span>sweet. I never managed to win this event as a junior, some elite always spoiled it and this time round I ended up doing the same. Sorry!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Well done to the other PYCycling athletes, Marcel and Edwill both finishing in the top<span lang="EN-US"> 10</span> junior men.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Till next time<span lang="EN-US">.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Cheers<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Arno</span>Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-12548176160559517432012-09-26T10:04:00.001-07:002012-09-26T10:12:42.572-07:00Avianto 12 hour enduro - with Marcel and Edwill:<span style="font-family: inherit;">After a couple of hard training weeks, Marcel Marais and I decided to team up for this 12hour enduro challenge as a two man team for some quality time in the saddle and having fun while doing so. We didn't really discus any team tacticts, but after a chat with coach Paul, we decided to take it on in 2hour shifts at a time. This is propably not the fastest way of doing things, but looking at the bigger picture with a few longer races lined up, it seemed like the way to go.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I haven't done any relay type races in a while, so I was sort of excited about this idea. Well atleast until we had to load the bikes in the rain Saturday morning before heading out to Avianto. It's hard enough to look forward to a normal race once it's wet, but 12hours in mud... Not my idea of fun! <br /><br />As we arrived there were some nervous looking faces, one of which is also a PYcycling athlete, Edwill O'neill. He teamed up with Ben Viljoen from Epic Sports and also two of the country's fastest juniors, Ferdi Botha and Werner van Heerden racing in the 4 man relay team - Die Frikkies.<br /><br />Luckily as the start time came closer the rain moved away and the spirits lifted. I knew there were going to be some racing snakes hamering it from the gun, so I let Marcel start while I enjoyed some coffee. I was pleasantly suprized by the consistent lap times he was riding over the first 2hours or 5 laps, not bad for a matriculant currently in the middel of prelims.<br /> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0fFrEeBIkKyA-x24qU7qey8rGuE_IT2rSZiWx68xHI3GD9XUmpQknHoO1dtQD-_jWozxVultqL_bPsybZwPySkR0DgYQrKv_bCXqkfDFYvEEtsu4Lrj4HLc_XPQ8WTzPmr6KFmmE4GOE/s1600/156290_382239575179345_846948927_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0fFrEeBIkKyA-x24qU7qey8rGuE_IT2rSZiWx68xHI3GD9XUmpQknHoO1dtQD-_jWozxVultqL_bPsybZwPySkR0DgYQrKv_bCXqkfDFYvEEtsu4Lrj4HLc_XPQ8WTzPmr6KFmmE4GOE/s320/156290_382239575179345_846948927_n.jpeg" width="255" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></v:path><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype><br />It was soon time for myself to get ready and after a proper route recce with Tiaan, better known as Mr Mountainbiking, I started my 5 lap journey on the 8.5km course with 150m ascent per lap. I soon forgot that I had to do 6hours in total and went out cross country style on the first lap, must have been the excitment of the fast and flowing single track. I tried a new tire, Continental Race King and it was perfect for the course, might just be a new favourite for myself. From the second lap on I settled into a comfortable rythm and managed to keep a decent pace clocking my fastest and slowest lap only 30 seconds apart.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile the game plan for Edwill and the other Frikkies was to go out really hard and then swap every lap. They soon realised that it takes about half a lap to get going or to lose the lactate build up from the previous effert so they changed it to two laps per shift. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">''</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Werner did a great job at the start of the race setting the bar really high on his first lap. Ferdi then didn't have any hassels matching that. Handing over to me the challenge was on to keep the pace high and remain on top of the leaderbord'' Edwill I must admit they were pretty quick!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As Marcel was busy ticking over the laps for us on his second 2hour shift, I had some time to refill. All the tannies did a great job with the food and kept us well hidrated at all times. Fatigue started to show all round, but my partner kept fighting and completed another 5 grueling laps. Once again as I started round 2, I got excited and started racing guys like Bryce Munro and some other fast guys that were doing one or two laps at a time. Even though the legs were burning, I was happy with my consistent lap times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Back at the base, Die Frikkies called a team meeting '' The interesting part of the race came when the sun started to set. We got ourselves geared for the darkness with all the lights we had. We had a team caucus and changed our game plan again, from 2 laps per rider to 1 lap per rider'' </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After the first 8 hours, Marcel and I started to lose the second spot over all as fatigue took over. This didn't bother us to much, I mean 4 legs cant really compete against 8 or more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">He managed 3 more laps in the dark and I decided to take over with about 2hr40min remaining in the race. At this point I must admit I was over it, but the adrenalin of riding in the dark kept me going. The first two laps were fun, but then half way thru the third or thirteenth in total the wind started blowing with severe clouds covering the venue. The organisers decided to call it the day after 11hours, just before the storm hit. Unfortunitly for some, they were still out there on the course, including poor Edwill ''I was caught half way through the course in this crazy storm! Everybody was soaking wet and cold but this did not ruin the rider’s spirits. They all waited for the prize giving."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">After all it was a fun day out with good results from PYcycling athletes. Edwill and the Frikkies taking the over all win and Macel and I finishing 4th over all and winning the 2 man relay."It was an amazing experience. A great 8.5km course with a bit of everything. A few sharp but short climbs, some tight corners and fast straights - nothing overly technical but challenging. Our Mountain Bike skills were definitely tested. Fantastic track!" Marcel</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Big thanks to all who made it possible<br />Arno</span></div>
Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-58100805763154296602012-07-25T07:43:00.000-07:002012-07-25T07:43:05.978-07:00SA XCO Champs: Race + Build up - Mankele<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After a good result at Worlds View, it was time for me to focus on the big one. The fight for the stripes and the title of South African Champion. Being first year u/23 in a really competitive field of riders, I set myself a realistic, but stil very challenging goal at the begining of the season. I wanted to be on that podium!</div>
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PYCycling arranged a training camp for us at Mankele two weeks before the big day to get ourselfs comfortable on the course and to all round improve and gain confidence in our technical riding ability. </div>
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Seeing that this was during a solid training block we also worked in a couple of hard efforts on the track, wich took its toll on most of us...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul showing the "girls" how it's done</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcel and Edwill not convinced by the statement "it's like riding of a pavement"<br />
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Back to Pretoria and it was time for the 2nd Nissan Trailseeker at Cullinan. The wind blew us apart and I managed 7th over all in the marathon. All and all it wasn't my best day on the bike, but none the less a good leg stretch before the war.</div>
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During the week Epic Sports sorted out my Cannondale and Dimension Sports took care of my legs. Everything was ready and early Friday morning we hit the road with the wolfpack.</div>
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As we arrived at Mankele bike park, I did my final prep on the course and then it was chill time. Even though the stress levels were through the roof, the atmosphere in the squad was filled with jokes and laughs. No beter way to calm the nerves!</div>
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Paul and I felt this was a good opportunity to try some new things on race day, so after breakfast I did a light roller spin. With the Elite/U23 men only starting at 1:30 I stayed at the guest house, trying to relax as much as possible during the morning. Well that was the plan... The twitter feeds from the lady's race had me jumping up and down for about 90minutes. Thanks Yolande! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warming up the engin!</td></tr>
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As I started warming up I felt fresh and awake! Even though I had the outside line on the start shoot, I got away nicely and was happy with my position heading into the first single track. </div>
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As we came through after lap 1, I was feeling pretty comfortable in the leading group of 6 or 7 riders with the 2 olimpians Burry and Phil setting the pace. Small gaps started to open as we hit the gruelling tar climb on lap 2. Soon Rourke was out of sight for me, but I could still see Luke on the longer open straights. The mentorship of Paul kicked in and I kept telling myself what he told me to remember "just keep it smooth and keep flowing, you know you can"</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The big drop!</td></tr>
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Half way through lap 5 I noticed Luke was fading a little. Once again I heard Paul's voice "they will fade, just keep it smooth." I took a few risks to get back and managed to catch him and Max just as we started the final lap. Game on! I considered attacking straight away, but I knew my legs wouldn't have survived such an effort. I was also confident in my ability to sprint, so I was happy to take it to the line with a skinny oak.</div>
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However Max picked up the pace and I must say I was impressed with his technical riding for someone who hasn't been racing xco in a few years. He had me fighting to stay on the train through the twisty single track, but once we came out onto the BMX track and into the crowd the sprint was on between the youngsters. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">POWER!! Trying to sprint while cramping..</td></tr>
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Somehow Luke opened a solid gap in the first corner, but then made it easy for me to get back when he made a slight mistake going into the second corner a bit to hot! I was right on his wheel over the jumps and bridges and it came down to a kick on the final stretch towards the line. Unfortunately for me that line came to soon and I finished 3rd u/23 less than half a wheel behind Luke Roberts with Rourke Croeser taking the win. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Photo finish! </div>
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Video of the sprint for 2nd and 3rd:</div>
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Must say I am happy with the way my xco season ended. Thanks to everyone for the support, especially Paul. Not only did his coaching make a big difference, but also from a motivation point of view he is a great guy to be around.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2012 SA Champs podium for u/23 Men<br />
Luke Roberts : Rourke Croeser : Arno du Toit</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2012 SA Cup Series podium for u/23 Men<br />
Jason Meaton : Arno du Toit : Shaun Silver</td></tr>
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</div>Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-6097242982406614622012-07-01T04:18:00.000-07:002012-07-01T11:19:05.521-07:00Fourth and final cup xco:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The fourth and final leg of the 2012 National XCO Cup Series was held this past weekend at Worlds View, just outside Pietermaritzburg. I've raced here before as a sprog a few years ago, but since then they have changed the course completely. It was pretty straight forward with only one or two sections and lines to worry about and not a lot of climbing, however there where some tight and twisty corners and most of them where dry and loose.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the "Base Jump"</td></tr>
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On race day I was as ready as can be and with some of the big guns racing in Canada, I knew I had to grab the oppurtunity. I had a good start and it wasn't long until Renay Goustra and I managed to open a slight gap over the rest of the field. <br />
The sudden rainy whether on the start line made things interesting over the first 3 laps, with everyone on dry tires, traction was a problem for some of the guys!<br />
It was a ding dong battle with a lot of cat and mouse games going on, but we stuck together for the first four laps. Renay put in a big effort, the same as every previous lap, but this time I just couldn't stay on his wheel. <br />
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The gap slowly opened and I couldn't do anything about it, he was on a mission! I dragged myself through the last two laps and managed to hang on to 2nd over all and 1st u/23. <br />
With the Cannondale running smooth this season and with the support from Epic Cycle Shop, I also ended up winning the u/23 Men XCO Cup Series for 2012.Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-73042239981649384062012-06-28T01:50:00.000-07:002012-06-28T01:50:28.355-07:00Trailseeker #1 - Tyger valley:We all know the Nissan Trailseeker series is very popular amongst the Gauteng riders, so for me this was a good oppurtunity to test myself against some of the biggest names in SA marathon racing. <br />
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It was a rather chilly start so for once being from the Free State actualy helped a bit. However the racing was soon very hot at the front with a few guys constantly trying their luck. Somehow Gawie Combrink managed to get a gap and everyone thought it would be fine to let him hower infront for a little while.<br />
Gawie had a different idea! While he rode a steady pace at the front, the racing in the chasing pack was a bit negative for mountainbiking. It was like a road race. There were a lot of furious attacks, but with the route being so flat, no one was able to get away.<br />
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Even though we didn't have the time to stop at the neutral tech zone, the support from the Epic Sports guys was really amazing! Sometime that extra motivation can really change the outcome of your race.<br />
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I must say I was irritated by the way the guys attacked and then sat up and looked at eachother so I went and tapped out a steady pace at the front of the chasing pack. I recon this is a nice way to gain some respect from the bigger names in the business. Unfortuanitly no one wanted to role through and help, but atleast the attacking sort of ended for a while.<br />
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In the last quarter of the race, things got pretty aggressive! They realized Gawie's gap was bigger than expected so once again the attacks began, but only this time there were no sitting up inbetween.<br />
I felt really good on the day and even though the race was rather short for a marathon, it wasn't exactly short enough for me...<br />
I got dropped from the chasing bunch of 6 with about 8k's to go. Don't know what happend, I just suddenly had nothing left. Luckily I had a USN Vooma gel so I could get my body over the line without losing to much time.<br />
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I was happy with 8th over all. Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-73792300339914652192012-06-27T15:02:00.000-07:002012-06-28T06:23:48.078-07:00Mid year update:)During the past month or so, I had a couple of good races, but there where a few misfires aswell.. After joberg2c, 9days of breaking my legs, I had to take some time to recover with about half of the season still lying ahead. This is not an easy task to pull of if you want to race almost every weekend! Luckily I can depend on Paul to get this balance just right and if my legs doesn't pitch, I have someone to blame;)<br />
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So I did Mabalingwe, aka The Lion Man, and it went pretty well. I tried to make the racing hard after the first 10k's and I was suprized to see that only about 3 guys could follow. Then Lourens Luus destroyd everyone on Vodacom hill! Taking a few risks, I managed to pull him back on the decsent and from there on we rode together for most of the race. <br />
With about 10k's to go he opened a gap on a portage section. Even thou my Giro shoes are really great and comfortable, walking isn't one of my talents... The gap opened a bit, but luckily we were close to the finish, or so we thought! At the last water table we sort of took a wrong turn and ended up doing almost 100km instead of the 70km as planned.<br />
Must say I was happy with 2nd place and after a few USN Spikes, the extra 30k's didn't really seem that bad anymore.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marathon podium; L-R: Myself, Lourens Luus, Jan Withaar</td></tr>
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Back to XCO racing! I decided to do a CGC Provincial, thought it would be a good oppurtunity for some high intensity training, just to get back into aggressive race mode. I think it was the first time I ligned up at the start of a xco race without having done a practice lap. <br />
Well let's just say it was pretty interesting. After some amature riding I was lucky enough to leave with minor injuries and a silver medal. Well done to Stephan Reyneke for taking the win. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Epic Sports wolf pack</td></tr>
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All and all it was a fun outing with the guys from Epic Sports!<br />
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After living out of a few bags for more than a month, I was happy to get home for a change, even though it was only about 3 days until the next road trip. This time the 3rd leg of the National XCO cup series at Addo Elephant park near PE.<br />
The course had a couple of really nice sections. It was obvious that the organisers put a lot of effort into building most of those trails. <br />
Race day came and everything was as ready as can be. I soon found out that my legs wasn't bad, but they were only going one speed, I couldn't follow the sharp attacks. This is a problem when you're racing xco...<br />
After the first lap it was all still pretty much together, but then we ran into some juniors and the next lap some youth riders which made it hard to keep a steady pace.<br />
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Passing slower riders was also a mager problem on this course, espesially if you don't have that kick in your legs! At the end of the day looking at my lap times, the last lap was my second fastest lap which means there is nothing wrong with my fitness, just needs a bit of sharpening! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gert Heyns leeding us into the first lap!</td></tr>
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Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-43314624234296931352012-05-08T03:55:00.000-07:002012-05-08T04:12:27.809-07:00Joberg2cI must say I was a little worried about this one... 9days, 910kilos! Something different and new for me! Luckily I had Paul Cordes as my partner, he is also currently my coach so I was sure that he wouldn't try to break me.<br />
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Day 1, apparently a neutral day and we were already taking shots. Things didn't look so great anymore. </div>
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Day 2 went even worse with Paul having issues with his pedal just before the last waterpoint. We decided to sit up and enjoy the rest of the day out there. </div>
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Ok, so maybe it wasn't really going that bad, but then we got our act together or maybe rode into some shape, suddenly we were both feeling pretty good.<br />
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Even thou we planned a steady ride down to Scotsburg we got invloved in a few serious battles out there. Some beter riding and a bit of luck saw us moving into 4th over all after day 6. Game on!</div>
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We came close to jumping on the podium the last day. Itec got us with less than 10k's to go. Our legs wasn't really working anymore by this time. Anyway we made it all the way and finished in 4th place, must say i've never been so happy to get on the beach!</div>
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Thanks transact for making this experience possible for us and to Paul for some great riding and motivation when needed and Andre Cordes from Epic Sports Cycle shop, our mechanic / team managment for making sure everything and the bikes ran smooth all the way!</div>
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<br /></div>Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-33432088403836997652012-05-08T02:50:00.000-07:002012-05-08T02:50:25.862-07:00Stuff and 2nd National:After a bunch of races down in KZN were I managed a few average and some beter results in the Momentum International xco series and also the PMB world cup, I was really excited for the second national at fountains!<br />
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I took some time off before this event seeing that it was a good time to rest the legs after a few hard weeks of racing. This was during the Epic and I had the privilege to go on this "epic" journey with the guys from Epic Sports Cycle Shop. Great fun and a very nice experience!</div>
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Back to reality! I enjoyed the holiday, but needed some quality time on the bike before the 2nd leg of the national xco series.<br />
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On the day I felt fresh and excited, maybe to excited... It's never a good time to crash, but half way through the first lap! Don't really know what happend there, we were flying and all of a sudden, I wasn't flying anymore...</div>
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I tried my best to pick up the pieces. It took a while, but once the worst pain disappeared and with the support of the crowd I caught a few guys and managed to pull of 2nd u/23.<br />
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<br /></div>Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-79836825327468005522012-02-12T08:38:00.000-08:002012-02-12T08:45:57.248-08:00SA XCO National #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was as always a super long drive down to Cape Town for the first leg of the XCO National series. We only arrived at the venue on Friday afternoon and I was amped to get on the course. Practice went well. I followed Matthys and Gert for a couple of laps and felt comfortable with the dry an dusty conditions.</div>
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The confusion before the start made it hard to stay focused on the race ahead, but when the whistle blew things got real intense. I managed a proper start and even with a few mistakes the first lap flew by.</div>
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Half way into the 2nd lap I cut a sidewall on my rear tyre and I tried to plug it. For about 30 seconds it felt fine until the plug shot out. I had to run the rest of the lap or destroy my rim. Running it was! </div>
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In the tech zone Andre Cordes from Epic Sports helped me out with a wheel. The new goal was not to get lapped. Unfortunitly the course was really short and fast and after losing more than 7 minutes...</div>
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The legs felt fresh but I just didn't feel comfortable on the day. I managed a steady pace but Rourke passed me before I could start my final lap.</div>
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Till next time!</div>
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<br /></div>Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-90448764457337745302012-02-02T06:22:00.000-08:002012-02-02T06:44:35.258-08:00How to fix a cut:Barberton, one of those days...<br />
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It was exciting to see who is wearing what on the start line of the first national race of the season. It was my first proper marathon ever and the start was rather easy compared to the shorter xco or even half-marathons i am used to.</div>
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Things changed once we hit the bottom of the climb. I knew it was going to be hard, so I stuck to a comfortable rhythm. After about 1h10min of pure climbing my rhythm wasn't so comfortable any more, rookie error!</div>
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It took me a while to get the legs working properly again and just as things started looking better with 20kilos to go.... </div>
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I used an empty USN Vooma gel to keep the tube inside the tyre. still had to ride it pretty soft which made the river crossings very interesting.</div>
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Glad I managed to finish the race! </div>
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<br /></div>Arnohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08360831088232114665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2854906815638009589.post-53043136225547750722012-02-01T10:53:00.000-08:002012-02-01T10:53:20.527-08:00Getting started!Hey guys<div>
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It's a new year with new experiences for me so I decided to start a blog to keep everyone posted on my activities in the pursuite of happiness as a cyclist! </div>
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I am very excited to be joining Matthys Beukes and Gert Heyns this year racing for MTBdestination. I'm sure we will be an exciting team to watch in the future.</div>
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keep those cranks turning</div>
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