Posts Tagged ‘thule’
Caveman wins XTERRA South African season opener at Buffelspoort
Caveman wins XTERRA Buffelspoort 2012 despite a broken zipper.
Stoked to kick the season off with a win. The Festive Season on the farm is over, so is the twice weekly splash in the dam, but the never ending honeymoon is full steam ahead.
Even though its the start of the season, I’m happy with a solid performance – set up by a reasonable swim. I’m busy fixing my swim stroke (again) and just started real THRICE weekly swim training- tailor made by Mikael Mendonca.
The bike leg was quite eventful early on- about 10 minutes in I was pumping it, and there was no one in the rear view mirror. I then came upon a closed gate as the road forked. The arrow pointed towards the gate, but in my disbelief I went the other way. It was a 6ft game fence with bladed wire rolls on top. How can the route go there?! But I knew it saw the right way, and turned around, opened the gate, just as the 2nd guy and Dan rolled up. 5 Min down the road there was another closed gate- this one had a lock on it. I got off the bike and started to look for a place to throw my bike over. Was still pondering the consequences of climbing a bladed wire fence in white Lycra. (and how 500 other guys in Lycra would fare) I took a last look at the lock- the shackle was not clicked in. A loud “BLIKSEM” helped it open quicker – a minute gone – I hopped on, just in time to have Dan and Theo velcro onto my wheel. Ah, a pretty swim wasted. I had to rebuild a new lead, and got off with a 2 min 30 gap.
2012 Totalsports Challenge- Team Stoltz wins Mixed Terra Firma
Liezel played international Netball (Americans. click here for Netball video) for the past 15 years, and just recently took the endurance sport plunge. She took to the endurance thing like a springbok to the Karoo, and here, doing intervals on the Stellenbosch fields, I had to ride my bike just to keep up…
The Totalsports Challenge is a great season opener- its a fun event, the course is really scenic, all kinds of endurance junkies pitch up and we decided to do the Terra Firma event as a Mixed Team: I do the 45km draft legal TT (road bike) leg, Liezel does the 13km road run leg, I do the 30km MTB leg, and she does the 9km beach run…
The 45km bike. I used it as a trial run for the upcoming SA TT Champs. So I didnt bother with drafting or trying to attack anyone. I’m trying to make friends with my UCI legal (no nose cone) Specialized SHIV TT. However, the hard part is staying friends with the “Flat bike” as I call it for an hour of pain. The Time Trail is called “the race of truth”, and after 40 minutes or so, no amount of speed (or big watts) makes up for the pain surging through your body…
A gaggle of riders enjoyed my draft for 43 of the 45km, (the yellow line offers the least rolling resistance)
But whenever the TV got near, and on the 2 big climbs (Rooiels in picture) they attacked.
We finished in a pack of about 7, Liezel (in pink) waited at the change-over and burned some rubber on the way out. 13km is a long race for a first time runner, but she paced it well, and put some time into our competition.
After that hard TT leg (1.02 for 45km) my legs were a little dented, but gravity provided some relief and time for play. (And to pick off a few more riders) Thanks to Fanus at Oakpics.com for the great pics
Liezel blitzed the 9km beach run bare foot and brought it home 4th in the open Terra Firma and 1st in the Mixed teams. It was so much fun being able to race with my wife and being able to watch and support each other along the way. We do some of our training together which is great, but we are both born competitors and nothing makes our adrenaline pump like a gun at the start!
Talking to the TV hairy squirrel (microphone) in top right…
Hobnobbing with fast athletes Kevin Evans and Richard Murray instead of warming up. Notice GoPro camera- when I get some time (and skill) I’ll put a video up.
After a long day, our Team Kelfords Ford Fiesta with Thule racks, and securely locked Specialized Shiv TT and Specialized Sworks Epic 29er takes a romantic overnight break at Hangklip, Pringle bay.
After an action packed, fun day, Team Stoltz takes a romantic break at Hangklip, Pringle Bay…
I just LOOOOOve Japan. I have raced here maybe 15 times. All ITU World Cups in the 90s and early 2000s.* (Cute results from 1996 below) I love the country, the people, the culture and especially the food. It is really refreshing coming here. So much respect, honour and pride. And now, my first XTERRA Japan!
*ITU Ishigaki 1996 results (SEE! I used to be able to swim!)
