It was the 17th of October and the event most, if not all, Kwazulu-Natal based cyclists had been training for was here. Amashova is pretty much the “Argus” of Kwazulu-Natal although it only attracts about a 5th of the amount of entrants from all over the country. The Mr Price KZN Vets team was represented by Werner Moolman, Mark Davel, Norvyn Pitout, Gwyn Pine, Iven Scharein and me (Emile Fouche). Some of the other teams present were Fego Cafe and Team Computer Smith.
After a week of rainy days the weather gods played along perfectly and allowed us to have a dry start when the gun was sounded for the 52 cyclists in the VA group to leave start the pins at 7h00am in the morning. For weeks we have either been dreading, or anticipating Fox Hill as that is the place where the bunch would be split up. As we started ascending on Fox Hill Mark had a mechanical and had to pull out of the race. He was only too happy that the mechanical was near the bottom of the hill and not after he went over the top. As we were climbing the hill there were a whole lot of attacks from especially Jaco Ferreira and Julius Cobbett from TCS but all of those attacks were covered.
At the top of Fox hill we still had four team members in the bunch as Werner, Gwyn, Norvyn and me managed to get over. From the Thornville road to the bottom of Inchanga it was hard racing with attack after attack happening but they were all pulled back. Werner got into a move going up Inchanga and Gwyn, Norvyn and me just had to follow the wheels of the riders trying to catch them. It was mostly together again at the bottom of Alverstone and going up the hill I rolled to the front to try and control the pace with Deno van Heerden from Fego Cafe. Unfortunately we lost Norvyn and Gwyn on that hill but Werner and I were still left with the front bunch.
Going down Botha’s Hill and into Cassier Road Werner managed to get a gap on the bunch with one of the TCS riders but they were pulled back by the time we reached the M13. From Cassier road to 45th cutting there was some hard racing taking place with one or two attacks almost getting away but then being pulled back by Werner, me and some other riders rotating to share the workload. Going passed Pinetown and through Westville Werner told me just to keep rotating with Matt Goetsch and Rowan Tyler from Fego Cafe to keep the tempo going and try to prevent Jaco and Julius from attacking. As we were nearing 45th cutting Werner told me to watch Julius but as we hit the bump going towards Tollgate bridge my legs exploded like the Christmas fireworks show in Welkom and I got dropped from the bunch, leaving Werner to fend for himself. Sean Merredew made a huge comeback overtaking me on Tollgate bridge and riding himself back to the bunch just before it was time for the sprint.
Sean Merredew (Mr Price Club member) won the sprint with Jaco Ferreira (TCS) in second and Carl Lotter (Northcliff cycles) in third. Werner finished in 6th position and I had a solo ride to the finish in 12th postion. Iven, Gwyn and Norvyn crossed the finish line in the next bunch.
Even though we did not feature on the podium, it was good hard racing by the whole team.
27 October 2010
13 October 2010
Time Freight Midmar Notts – 10 October 2010
It is that time of year again where everyone cycling in KZN wants to test their legs for the upcoming Amashova race. It was a very misty morning and the start of the race was delayed by 15 minutes, waiting for the mist to clear up and safe racing conditions.
The 30 to 39 age category and the 40 to 49 age category started together. It was a huge bunch of almost 180 cyclists (according to Mr Price Timing) heading out of the gate of the Midmar dam resort when we got the go ahead to start the race at 7h30 am. The Mr Price Vets team was represented by Werner Moolman, Gwyn Pine, Iven Scharein, Mark Davel, Norvyn Pitout and me. I learned my lesson from February about starting at the back of the bunch in this race and Mat Goetsch (Fego Cafe) and I led the bunch out of the gates. Nothing too exciting, aside from the odd joke and fake attack, was happening until we reached the foot of Happy Hill. Justin Short went to the front with me on his wheel and the pace went up quite a couple of notches. About half way up the hill I rolled through and pulled the bunch at what I thought was quite a pace, when Rowan Tyler (Fego Cafe) attacked. I was very happy that Werner followed the attack as I just did not have it in me to follow at that stage. It was still early in the race and I was thinking by myself that I was in trouble.
We watched the two cyclists riding away as the road started flattening out after Happy Hill. With the two stronger teams of the day each having someone in the break it was not up to Mr Price or Fego Cafe to pull the bunch and put on a chase. There were a couple of flyers attempting to get away from the bunch to cross over to the break, but they were all chased down. The cyclists from Bring it On cycling club were sitting at the front, pulling the bunch, with Martin Atterbury doing most of the work.
One or two times a small group of riders did get away and opened a gap on the bunch but they were all closed down until Deno van Heerden (Fego Cafe) and Andrew Reeves (Bring it On) got away on Mount West. The pace up Mount West caused a couple of cyclists to drop from the bunch before the 40km Turn-around point.
On the way back from the turn-around the pace was extremely fast, especially after Nottingham Road where the tar turned from rough to smooth again. The wind was having its way with us and I was actually glad that I was not racing with deep section wheels. Both Deno and Andrew were eventually caught and 5km from the finish the guys with sprinting legs positioned themselves close to the front of the bunch for that last corner into Midmar Dam Resort.
Andrew Reeves (Bring it On) outsprinted the bunch for 3rd place after Werner took the win from Rowan in a two man sprint finish. Mark finished in 4th with Deno in 5th.
The Mr Price team rode well together and I think we can look forward to a fantastic Amashova coming up on Sunday the 17th of October.
Emile Fouche
The 30 to 39 age category and the 40 to 49 age category started together. It was a huge bunch of almost 180 cyclists (according to Mr Price Timing) heading out of the gate of the Midmar dam resort when we got the go ahead to start the race at 7h30 am. The Mr Price Vets team was represented by Werner Moolman, Gwyn Pine, Iven Scharein, Mark Davel, Norvyn Pitout and me. I learned my lesson from February about starting at the back of the bunch in this race and Mat Goetsch (Fego Cafe) and I led the bunch out of the gates. Nothing too exciting, aside from the odd joke and fake attack, was happening until we reached the foot of Happy Hill. Justin Short went to the front with me on his wheel and the pace went up quite a couple of notches. About half way up the hill I rolled through and pulled the bunch at what I thought was quite a pace, when Rowan Tyler (Fego Cafe) attacked. I was very happy that Werner followed the attack as I just did not have it in me to follow at that stage. It was still early in the race and I was thinking by myself that I was in trouble.
We watched the two cyclists riding away as the road started flattening out after Happy Hill. With the two stronger teams of the day each having someone in the break it was not up to Mr Price or Fego Cafe to pull the bunch and put on a chase. There were a couple of flyers attempting to get away from the bunch to cross over to the break, but they were all chased down. The cyclists from Bring it On cycling club were sitting at the front, pulling the bunch, with Martin Atterbury doing most of the work.
One or two times a small group of riders did get away and opened a gap on the bunch but they were all closed down until Deno van Heerden (Fego Cafe) and Andrew Reeves (Bring it On) got away on Mount West. The pace up Mount West caused a couple of cyclists to drop from the bunch before the 40km Turn-around point.
On the way back from the turn-around the pace was extremely fast, especially after Nottingham Road where the tar turned from rough to smooth again. The wind was having its way with us and I was actually glad that I was not racing with deep section wheels. Both Deno and Andrew were eventually caught and 5km from the finish the guys with sprinting legs positioned themselves close to the front of the bunch for that last corner into Midmar Dam Resort.
Andrew Reeves (Bring it On) outsprinted the bunch for 3rd place after Werner took the win from Rowan in a two man sprint finish. Mark finished in 4th with Deno in 5th.
The Mr Price team rode well together and I think we can look forward to a fantastic Amashova coming up on Sunday the 17th of October.
Emile Fouche
04 October 2010
Campus to Campus 26 September 2010
When we lined up for the start of the VA batch at the Campus to Campus, it was at least a little bit of a bigger bunch than we had the previous day at the Harties challenge. Werner Moolman, Gwyn Pine and me represented the Mr Price team. Some of the other of the more familiar riders present were Gary Rabie (MTN), Johan Joubert (MTN) and Carl Lotter (Northcliff Cycles).
Our plan as discussed before the race was for Werner to go with the first break. If they got pulled back I was supposed to go with the second break and Gwyn would have gone with the third break if we got pulled back. If it was going to be a bunch finish the plan was that Gwyn and I made it as hard as possible on the front to try and give Werner a proper lead out.
The race started fairly subtle with a rider taking a flyer every now and then, but all got pulled back. In the 5km to 10km mark we got to a bit of an uphill drag and another one of these flyers happened. The next moment Werner went to catch up with the lone rider out front, but the guy was not keen to sit Werner’s wheel as he went passed him. Gary Rabie crossed over to Werner and that is where the first break of the day happened. Gwyn and I just hung back on the front of the bunch and everyone else watched as the two riders rode away. Both the Mr Price and MTN team were represented, so it was up to the individuals to put on the chase.
The racing in the bunch was very negative as no one put in a real effort to chase the break down. Gwyn told me that he is thinking about trying to cross over to Werner and Gary, but I told him I’m concerned about pulling the bunch back to them. On one of the kicks before we reached the “big” climb of the day which was on round about the 50km mark, Gwyn did put in an attack and took another rider, Willie Liebenberg with him. A TCS and a MTN rider tried to cross over to them but the bunch pulled those two riders back in on the “big” climb.
I stayed near the front of the bunch for the whole race and although I was just sitting in the bunch I could feel I was taking a bit of strain, I think the previous day’s effort in the Harties challenge took a bit out of me. It just shows what a quality cyclist Werner is to be in the break day after day.
Gwyn and Willie caught up with Werner and Gary and the four of them raced to the finish. Werner put Gwyn’s diesel engine on the front a lot of the time.
Gary Rabie (MTN) won the sprint with Werner in 2nd, Willie Liebenberg in 3rd and Gwyn in 4th. I did not content the sprint for an apple and had a bunch finish about 3 minutes behind the break.
Well done to Myles Musschenbroek who won the junior category, making it a back to back win as he also won the Harties challenge the previous day.
It was a good weekend in the office with awesome results from the Mr Price KZN team.
Emile Fouche
Our plan as discussed before the race was for Werner to go with the first break. If they got pulled back I was supposed to go with the second break and Gwyn would have gone with the third break if we got pulled back. If it was going to be a bunch finish the plan was that Gwyn and I made it as hard as possible on the front to try and give Werner a proper lead out.
The race started fairly subtle with a rider taking a flyer every now and then, but all got pulled back. In the 5km to 10km mark we got to a bit of an uphill drag and another one of these flyers happened. The next moment Werner went to catch up with the lone rider out front, but the guy was not keen to sit Werner’s wheel as he went passed him. Gary Rabie crossed over to Werner and that is where the first break of the day happened. Gwyn and I just hung back on the front of the bunch and everyone else watched as the two riders rode away. Both the Mr Price and MTN team were represented, so it was up to the individuals to put on the chase.
The racing in the bunch was very negative as no one put in a real effort to chase the break down. Gwyn told me that he is thinking about trying to cross over to Werner and Gary, but I told him I’m concerned about pulling the bunch back to them. On one of the kicks before we reached the “big” climb of the day which was on round about the 50km mark, Gwyn did put in an attack and took another rider, Willie Liebenberg with him. A TCS and a MTN rider tried to cross over to them but the bunch pulled those two riders back in on the “big” climb.
I stayed near the front of the bunch for the whole race and although I was just sitting in the bunch I could feel I was taking a bit of strain, I think the previous day’s effort in the Harties challenge took a bit out of me. It just shows what a quality cyclist Werner is to be in the break day after day.
Gwyn and Willie caught up with Werner and Gary and the four of them raced to the finish. Werner put Gwyn’s diesel engine on the front a lot of the time.
Gary Rabie (MTN) won the sprint with Werner in 2nd, Willie Liebenberg in 3rd and Gwyn in 4th. I did not content the sprint for an apple and had a bunch finish about 3 minutes behind the break.
Well done to Myles Musschenbroek who won the junior category, making it a back to back win as he also won the Harties challenge the previous day.
It was a good weekend in the office with awesome results from the Mr Price KZN team.
Emile Fouche
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