Any trip that starts with a five hour delay at Heathrow, can only get better. And so this trip to Cape Town did. The five hour delay passed in what seemed a matter minutes as 4 of the clubs more social members (ie not really athletes, not an ironman amongst them at that point) settled into the BA lounge to make short work of the lounges’ Heineken and Chablis supply. Training takes many forms, and the demolition job done in the lounge surely helped with our sleep when we eventually boarded BA046 at 9pm. I certainly don’t remember much of the flight.
The 4 in question, Stu Archer, Jo Perriam, Barbara Vincent and myself were joined in Cape Town by James Deane, Siobhan Brownlow, Barney Randall (although since he was never seen…no proof really exists that he was there), Richard Stait, Karen Wells, Karen Triegaardt, Christine Chambers, Greg & Tess Keers and myself. As well as a few none club members after a bit of sun, sea and Chardonnay.
The `Argus’ as it’s known by the locals, is the largest timed cycle event in the world, and it’s excellent organisation and picture perfect route have resulted in it being included in the UCI Golden bike series – reason enough to take part. Throw into the mix a few wine farms, scorching weather and a depreciating currency and it didn’t take long for a Ful On Tri team to plan a trip to Cape Town for the 2008 edition.
The team spent the week prior to the race getting to know Cape Town and the surroundings. It was a scorching week – no wind and sunny. Perfect for preparing for a race. Preparation involved a few runs, some time down at the Green Point pool getting a few early morning lengths in (where Siobhan goes…so do our training sets!) and a couple of training rides.
The first training was a quick blast around the race route, taking in the penguins at Boulders and beers at La Med (although James didn’t tell us about the ride back to Constantia after we had necked a few beers! Just a little extra 25km over a couple of Suikerbossie and Constantia neck!). The second training ride was a little more eventful. A tour through the winelands, picturesque and stinking hot! However, before the climbing even started, there was a minor `incident’ on the back streets of Stellenbosch. James Deane was nursing his brand new Colnago round a corner - while at the same time providing some running commentary about the area. It would appear that Siobhan failed to notice his sharp right turn and collided with him. Disaster. The new bike had been scratched! The fact that Siobhan had landed on her backside and couldn’t move was a minor detail. She eventually did move, and was happy to report a few weeks later that the injury wasn’t as serious as the scratch on James’s bike…she had just compressed a couple of vertebra (or something like that….). The climb over Helshoogte on the road from Stellenbosch to Franschoek certainly showed the serious athletes from those who were there for the beer! I am in the `beer’ category if anyone has any doubt. The winelands’ ride ended with a sheep on the spit on a friend’s wine farm and few bottles of the local red wine.
An excellent week, which left the team (except for Christine) in perfect Argus condition. Christine’s flight had been delayed 24 hours and hence had no time to get a ride in or acclimatise her irish skin to the African sun. The Argus is all about the weather on the day of he race. When the wind blows, don’t bother getting out of bed. The Cape Doctor would have blown most of us into the sea. Luckily we woke to a perfect, still morning. The South Easter had stayed quiet and it looked like it was going to be hot. And given all our early start times, we were on for a good race.
The quickies were led out in the A group by Casper….aka Barney at 6.50am, followed by James, Richard and Stu in group E. Greg was somewhere in a tandem group and the rest of us followed at intervals in next 30 minutes or so. Heading off just after sunrise and onto the quiet, closed roads.
The Argus route starts in the city centre, with most of the quicker groups setting off around sunrise. The higher the sun gets, the more social the groups become. The route takes you up and over Hospital Bend, next to Groote Schuur Hospital (named `Hospital Bend’ because that’s were you end up if you get the fast descent wrong). The route then flattens out as it traverses the lower slopes of Devils Peak and Table Mountain, passing the esteemed University of Cape Town and the southern suburbs.
The first cheeky incline, Edinburgh Drive meets as you leave the leafy Newlands Forest. Not a touch climb, but an incline that raises the heart to just above comfortable. This is where the first walkers appear and the support starts to get noisy. Once you’ve reached the crest, it’s then all down hill or flat along the `Blue Route’ until you meet the False Bay coastline at Muizenberg. Home of a few great white shark stories. The wind is often at your back and the groups have settled into bunches of between 20 and 30 riders. Great for drafting and conserving energy. The picturesque coastline continues all the way to Simonstown (home of the SA Navy and it’s one working submarine and it’s 2 non-working submarines), and past the fishing villages of Fish Hoek, Clovelly, Kalk Bay and Boulders (home of most of Cape Town’s penguins). All historic and with a few great beaches.
The race only really starts once you’ve passed Simonstown. The pace is usually still quite high, but the groups start to splinter as the gradient increases and you leave the False Bay coastline and head over to the Atlantic seaboard. The climb is just enough to start show who’s got the legs for the climbs to come. And who’s out for a social ride. Spectators are also outnumbers by baboons as the climb passes Smitsvinkle Bay and the entrance to the Cape Point nature reserve. The reserves is also where the climb ends and road flattens. The pace begins to quicken, as you head towards to the Atlantic and the holiday village of Scarborough (home of artists and other such lost souls). The mist created from the cold Atlantic and warm land air makes for a misty ride as the packs regroup and motor along the coastline, having passed half way and heading north again.
Not much happens and the scenery is pretty dull (other than the odd township) as you head through Sun Valley and approach Chapman’s peak. One of the stunning coastal drives in the world (yes, better than the Great Ocean drive in Aus and on a par with the Big Sur). Awesome views as you cycle next to drops with falls hundreds of feet. The views take your mind away from the pain..but you’ve got to concentrate…otherwise you may cycle off the edge and that would be it. Game over. It’s not a killer climb, but it does go on for a couple of kilometres. You can see the road winding up in front of you and the lucky, quicker rides heading over the summit and preparing for the blast down in Hout Bay. It’s a long twisting downhill run and on good roads – it can be a little hairy, but it doesn’t matter. You can start to think about the finish and more importantly, a couple of beers (..and yes, it’s only about 10am at this point).
Hout Bay flies past. You’ve got one more climb before the finish. And it’s the one everyone has been talking about. Or at least trying to talk about. Them foreigners don’t do that Afrikaans pronunciation thing very well. Suikerbossie. The last piece of pain. It’s a tough little climb. Steep at the start, and then easing off gently at the top. This is where the support is at it’s best and the crowd urges the tired legs on and up. It’s getting warm and the strain of the early efforts starts to kicking in about two thirds of the way up. Those driven by success and who are after great times ignore the offers for beer and boerewors rolls. Those more social riders, stop, walk a few yards and enjoy the high spirits of the friendly locals. Many of which have been on the Windhoek since about 9am. By the time you start at 10am. you’re late and need to catch up!
Once over the top and prevailing winds permitting, it’s the final blast to the finish. Down to Camps Bay, past the hotties on the beach at Clifton, through Sea Point – none of this done below 40km/h (and hopefully on the wheel of a flying tandem) – and on to the finish banner in Mouille Point.
Once past the finish line, it’s a quick coast to the bike park, a quick massage and off to crash one of the hospitality tents (in this case PWC – many thanks!) for a few cold beers and a chicken burger or two, while you start to think about the rest of the team still out on the road.
While assembling with our brand new friends in the PWC tent, the war stories and times began to filter out….Barney..2h46 (not bad..but we think someone else rode his bike), James, Stu and Richard were in the 2h55 area. Jo beat me. Again, with a 3h14…while I snuck in with a 3h20. The balance of the times where all close to 3h30. Good riding by all.
It’s an excellent race and one worth putting in the diary for future `pre season’ leg stretching.
The day finished with a braai hosted by James Deane and his parents which a terrific way to end an otherwise faultless day. Made all the better because most got to sit and relax while James and I cooked over the open fire.
In conclusion – let James organise the braai’s at his house – they’re great. But don’t let him organise the meals out (Mama Africa was interesting, but had very little wine!!). The rest of the trip organising, cajoling, etc was excellent – and he’s certainly hired to sort out the 2009 trip! Everyone returned back in one piece…no muggings, no high jackings or even a power blackout – which I feel a couple were a little upset about!