Harties Challenge 25 September 2010

We pitched up at the Harties challenge with half a team that was represented by Werner Moolman, Gwyn Pine and me. It was a rather small field when we lined up in the start pins for the start with no other recognised teams present. There were a couple of familiar individual riders though.

At 6h40 the gun sounded and we were off. I was sitting on the front of the bunch at an easy pace until a Cycle lab rider rolled through and I was just sitting second wheel or staying near the front. Going through Magaliesburg on the R24 Werner went to the front and made the pace hard, we hit some traffic there that interfered with our race a bit. Luckily we were close to the front when we hit the hill going passed Magalies. I rolled to the front and just kept going, nobody was sitting my wheel, I was in a solo break!

We turned left heading to the R563, looking over my shoulder I could see two riders crossing the gap and I was happy to see the red booties on one of those two riders, it was Werner! When they caught me the three of us started rolling through, working nicely together. The third rider with us in the break was Carl Lotter from North Cliff cycles.

The route took us on the R512 near Hartebeespoort dam and then to the R560 heading back to the Bekker School where we started. We worked together until about 20km from the finish when Werner told me just to hang back and not roll through. When he got a chance he told me to attack on the next kick and about 3km later I did, riding solo again. Werner’s plan was to get a gap on Carl and bridge to me so that we can roll to the finish. I looked back every now and again but they were still together every time I looked. Eventually I started taking strain, got in a zone and just put my head down and pedalled. Later I learned that it was in this time when I did not look back when Werner got a gap on Carl, but I did not notice it.

Carl caught Werner and Werner decided to just sit his wheel as Carl was in a bit of a predicament. If he did not catch me, I would win the race. If he did, Werner would attack and that is how it played out at the 10km mark. We got to a bit of a kick and my legs told me that is enough. As Werner attacked Carl and went passed me he told me to stay on Carl’s wheel and so I did.

For the last 10km Carl pulled me to the finish, Werner had the win in the bag. As we went around the last corner of the race and I could see the finish line I attacked Carl with the last bit of energy that was left in my legs. I was expecting him to be on my wheel, but when I looked back, he wasn’t, I had a 10 second gap and rolled over the finish line in 2nd place.

Lionel Scholtz and Gwyn rolled over the finish line ahead of the bunch in 4th and 5th place.

Well done to Myles Musschenbroek from the Mr Price junior team who won the Junior Category
It was a good day at the office for the Mr Price KZN.

Emile Fouche