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