KZN Lassen Series Race 11 - 13 November 2011 - by Andrew Reeves

On the morning of 13th November a bunch of about 60 dedicated roadies lined up for the final race in the 2011 Lassen clothing road race series.The weather was perfect, a little overcast with no rain, comfortable tempratures and only a slight wind. The race was held on the NMR circuit, a 5km flat criterium type circuit. This was a nice change from the hilly Vans circuit where all the previous races in the series had taken place.


Just after 7am the racing got underway, and the bunch was straight into it, as there were points and cash hotspots up for grabs at the end of nearly every one of the planned 20 laps. The attacks were going off the front all the time but with a lot of fresh legs in the bunch they kept being reeled in. The cash hotspot sprints caused major accelerations and the bunch began to split up. A few breaks got small gaps but with the wrong combination of riders they were chased down.


At the halfway mark Deno van Heerden (Fego) attacked and Sean Merredew (Mr Price) followed him, Brett Berrimman (Cycle Lab) then jumped across to them with myself on his wheel. With riders from 3 main teams represented the bunch did not chase seriously and the break was allowed to move clear.


This proved to be the winning break and once the riders settled into a working rythmn a steady gap of about 1min was held over the bunch. Some riders did try to cross over to the break but since Mr Price had 2 riders in the break they wouldn't allow riders to get away and neutralised their attacks. Myles van Musschenbroek did manage to get into the break and then we had 5 riders in the break.


The finish of lap 19 was a cash sprint and Sean asked if I was going for it, I did and got the sprint. Myles then came steaming past me and I jumped onto his wheel and we were away. That last lap was a blur of flatout pacing as we worked hard to stay ahead of the 3 riders behind.


At the finish Myles opened up the sprint and kicked really hard but I just managed to squeak past him and win by a tires width. Sean came 3rd with Deno and Brett finishing off the top 5 places.

All the riders agreed it was a good race on a nice fast circuit and the race was enjoyed by all.


The Mr Price Vets team would like to say a BIG thank you to all the organisers, marshals and officials who worked so hard to make this race series a success. Of course a huge thanks goes to Lassens sportswear and Crusader Logistics for their generous sponsorship of the races.






Andrew Reeves

OFM Classic – 6 November 2011 - by Emile Fouche

On the morning of the 6th of November 2011 we lined up for the start of the 2011 version of the MTN OFM Classic. Our team was represented by Andrew Reeves, Werner Venter, Bryan Cusack and me. The other teams we knew we had to keep an eye on were Cylce Nation, Fego and a very well represented MTN Club 100 Team.

Five minutes behind the Pro’s and Elites our start gun sounded and the VA batch rolled down Nelson Mandela Avenue towards the right hand turn into Markgraaf Street. The attacks started early with us trying to cover as much as we can. The route took us through a bit of a Tour de Suburbs through Pellisier, Fichardt Park and Universitas before we turned right onto the N1 North. Amashova winner, Jeremy Maartins, was ahead in a solo break and we knew we would have to work to get him back. As Jeremy was a MTN rider we had help from Cycle Nation and Fego. An acceleration from the bunch eventually reigned him in but it was not long before another attempt went and we missed it again.

A strong break represented by Cycle Nation, MTN and Fego went of the front and we knew our work for the next lot of kilometres were going to be cut out for us. A couple of the names of the riders in the break were Craig Harvey, Julius Cobbett (both Cycle Nation), Rowan Tyler (Fego) and Jeremy Maatens (MTN). It was up to me, Werner and Bryan to lead the chase. The MTN team were doing a good job at blocking riders from rolling through. The route turned back onto N1 South and Sunning Hill and then left on Andries Pretorius. We were working our butts off. Every now and then some individual riders would make suicidal attempts trying to bridge the gap instead of helping us with the chase. I couldn’t help myself having a word or two with one of these particular riders. It was only once we turned left onto Rudolph Greyling road where the chase got momentum and we also received a lot of help from some individuals and our PE allies, Donovan O’Reilly and Awie Jacobs. On the N8 towards Lesotho we gained a lot of distance on the break and just when we were about to turn left on De la Rey road, Andrew attacked the bunch, crossing over to the break which now split. The break was reigned in but the bunch made a fatal error not continuing with its momentum as Julius and Jeremy was still ahead and gaining distance on the bunch again.

Yet again the chase was on. As we neared the first kick I could feel I was starting to get in trouble. Team mate Bryan Cusack was setting the pace on the hills and probably knowingly getting me dropped. I managed to stay in touch over the hill in Albrecht Street but when we reached the Lucas Steyn climb I just could not keep contact and had to watch the bunch go.

Meanwhile in the bunch Werner and Bryan were working like demons. The break was caught and it was going to end in a sprint finish.

The sprint was on! Unlucky for us Andrew suffered some mechanical issues with his chain as it started skipping and he could not risk standing. James Louter (MTN) won the sprint followed by Craig Harvey (Cycle Nation), Julius Cobbett (Cycle Nation), Dylan Joseph (Fego) and our team mate Andrew Reeves (Mr Price), finishing off the prize money positions. Bryan and Werner finished in the bunch with Bryan getting a top ten position.

This year’s OFM was a challenging route and hopefully the organisers keep it this way for a few years to come. Afterwards we went to prize giving to enjoy the live Afrikaans music and beer drinking vibe.

Well done to the MTN OFM Classic organisers for hosting a great event.

UCI WORLD CYCLING TOUR - Msunduzi Road Challenge - 30 October 2011 - by Mike Viljoen

As the name suggests, this was a very a hugely important race, especially for those wanting to qualify for the world masters champs next year in August. In essence - this was racing at its highest quality – an SA champs type event ! What we were blissfully unaware of was the quality of the course and field.


The day started out slightly overcast but humid as we warmed up for what was going to be a long day in the saddle. The who’s who of cycling arrived and by the time we lined up to start , the sun was out in full force - a sign of things to come . We all knew that the course was hilly but little did we know how hilly. The suspects to keep an eye on: Mtn club 100, Cyclenation, Team Computer Smith, Fego and various other classy individuals .


The first couple of km took us winding through the streets of Pietermaritzburg at a rather moderate pace and then onto the first climb of the day at 7km. This was the first of many tempo climbs of the day. This was where the first move of the day went clear with Sean Merridew(Mr Price) riding casually off the front half way up the climb. Seans move was soon covered by Julius Cobbet of Cycle nation. I suppose with 90% of the race still ahead of us everybody thought that it would not stick and let it go. It was now left to the individuals, Fego and Mtn to do the chasing. The pace however remained at a moderate tempo and the break managed a maximum of 4min!


No major moves really stuck after that with the course taking its toll on the bunch. With no effort from the chase, the course managed to slowly cut the group down. Slowly but surely the hills left groups scattered all over the road. The next major move came at about the 50km mark on the climb towards Dalton where the Computer smith boys made a telling move half way up the climb. At that stage the wind had reared its ugly head and was blowing us all over the place. The group was split in two with myself and Emile and Andrew not making the move. Unfortunately for Werner, he punctured and had to wait an hour and a half for assistance .This was perhaps the biggest let down of the event. If team vehicles are not allowed then maybe a better system of back up is needed?


The top of the climb was no time to rest as we worked hard with our bunch at between 55 and 60km /h in hectic cross winds to try and regroup. Unfortunately the wind and the previous hill mixed with the talent in the move, we were unable to bridge and settled into an uncomfortably hard pace in the cross winds to manage the damage. Again the course had its way, throwing second hand chip and spray, heavy cross winds and blazing heat. This took its toll and the group number shrunk all the time. At this stage it was only me and Emile left. Going up Brunys hill to the highest point of the race the bunch shattered and a small group of chasers made their way to the final climb of the day before dropping into Pietermaritzburg to contest the sprint for the final positions. I managed to make it into the final group but was in no shape to contest the sprint. The final climb saw Mtn take control, launching attack after attack to try and get there rider - Jeremy Martens away. This along with a lack of water and the still blazing sun made the final few km into Pietermaritzburg extremely tough. Luckily the end was in sight and after the criterium style finish and a speed bump interrupted sprint it was over.


The race in the 30 to 34 cat was won by Julius Cobbett, with Jaco Ferreira in 2nd and Hannes Botha in 3rd. Well done to Sean for keeping the Mr Price name high and finishing 4th in the category.

Amashova - 16 October 2011 - by Emile Fouche

We lined up for a 6h05 start in a very, very wet Pietmaritzburg on Sunday morning the 16th of October. Originally the race register showed that there were 123 entries for the VA category (Age 30-39), but on the day there were only about 75 on the start line. The rain probably indicated to the rest that they should stay in bed. Riding for the Mr Price KZN 30+ team on the day was Sean Merredew, Andrew Reeves, Werner Venter, Mike Viljoen and me. There were quite a couple of other well represented teams namely Fego, MTN Club 100, Brothers Sport and the Bring it On Puza Thursday team.


Everyone expects the bunch to split up going up Fox Hill, with a break going off in the sunrise (or rain storm in this case) and the remains trying to catch it until they reach the finish line. This year it was different, it seemed half of the bunch did bring their climbing legs and got over Fox Hill. The pace was high going up Fox, but not as high as last year when only about 15 guys went over the top. Maybe it was because of the fact that Jaco Ferreira or Jacques Fullard were not in the bunch driving it. Sean tried hard, but no one else showed interest.


Heading towards Umlaas road an attack would go off every now and then, but all of it got pulled back. After Camperdown Spar there was another attack from an MTN rider heading towards Cator ridge. I went to the front to chase but ended up opening a gap behind me. I was closing in on the MTN rider, and the bunch was closing in on me so it was pretty much mission accomplished. Once the bunch got back together another MTN rider, Jeremy Martins (Ex DCM Chrome) attacked with Werner on his wheel and that was the first real break of the day. On Harrisson Flats it was sad to see Bring it On rider, Darrell Seed sticking his hand in the air, indicating a puncture (He also mentioned something about Vark Steaks). The break was still away going up Inchanga and the commissaire told us that the VB bunch were right behind us with a 1 minute 30 seconds gap.

At the top of the climb we noticed that Jeremy had punctured and we caught Werner going up Alverstone. All was back together again and stayed like that until we reached the M13. The second break for the day happened just before we reached Hillcrest with Deno van Heerden (Fego), Andrew, a MTN rider and another two riders. We were happy with this break as we had confidence in Andrew to be able to finish it off. Unfortunately MTN did not have confidence in their rider and they chased the break down. The break was reigned in on 45th cutting from where Jeremy Martins sneaked away. Once we got onto the N3 Andrew asked me to try and help pace, even though I felt stuffed. I went to the front, rotating with Mat Goetsch (Fego), Werner, Mike and some other guys. Jeremy brought his time trialling legs though and stayed away to take the win in the VA-batch. For MTN that wasn’t enough and they also took 2nd and 3rd, with Deno in 4th and Sean wrapping up the final podium in 5th.


It was a wet miserable 2 hours and 37 minutes in the saddle, but a great race with the whole Mr Price team finishing in the main bunch.

Engen Dynamic Cycle Challenge, October 2 2011 - by Werner Venter

Sunday morning October 2 saw the Mr Price Vets team line up outside Moses Mabhida stadium for the start of the 2nd running of the Engen Dynamic Cycle Challenge. Our team was represented by Andrew Reeves, Emile Fouche, Mike Viljoen, Gwyn Pine and myself. We finally got the opportunity to race in our own age category (VA 30-39) and not just hang on for dear life in the Cat 1 Elite bunch. The race organizers decided to group the VA’s with the VB’s (40-49).

We started at a very relaxed pace rolling along the beach road. As we turned onto the M4, Emile put in an effort and got away from the bunch (pretty much the same way he did so successfully last year!). No one in the bunch was interested in chasing him so his lead grew with the kilometers rolling by. The main breakup of the bunch happened as we started the climb of the M19. A select group of around 20 rides rode away leaving the rest of the bunch chasing back. Gwyn, Mike and I could always see the leading group and we put in huge efforts to close the now 40 second gap. Through Pinetown the gap kept coming down, with Martin Atterbury (Marty’s Cycles) now also contributing to the chase. We caught the leading bunch as we started the decent of the M7. From here the race was hard and fast, with various attacks being put in, but all quickly reeled back. Emile was caught by the bunch near the N2 intersection and he rolled to the back of the bunch to recover from his solo effort. The section through the Bluff was particularly hard and it was here that the break of the day got away. The break contained Andrew Reeves (Mr Price), Mark Davel and Brett Berriman (both Cyclelab), Deno van Heerden (Fego) and Stefano Madies( Dimension Data). As most of the teams in both the VA and VB categories were represented in the break, the bunch allowed the break to get away.


In the end Andrew Reeves marginally beat Brett Berriman on the line with Deno van Heerden in 3rd place in the VA race. Mark Davel won the VB race with Stefano in 2nd and Werner Moolman (Cycle Lab) in 3rd.


It was a fantastic race and thanks must go to the organizers and Cycling KZN for staging such a great event with full road closure. As a tweet read from one of the Elite riders “All classics in KZN have full road closure, we need more races like these”. I cannot agree more!

Stihl & Cycle Lab Midmar Notts road race - 25 September 2011 - by Andrew Reeves

The Mr Price Vets team that lined up for the start of the Midmar Notts 80km race comprised of Bryan Cusack, Emile Fouchè, Gwyn Pine, Andrew Reeves, Werner Venter and Mike Viljoen. Team strongman Sean Merredew was away at a mountain bike race.


The start was a calm affair with a relaxed rollout. The weather was cool with a steady headwind on the way out. The first attack came after a couple of kilometres from Martin Atterbury, he was soon joined by Robert du Preez and Nic Smith. The 3 got a decent gap but the headwind was hurting them and Nic came back to the bunch at the bottom of Happy Hill.


Werner Moolman and Andrew Hill then turned up the pace on Happy Hill and the 2 Marty's riders were caught by the top.


The headwind was slowing the bunch and not many riders were prepared to commit to pacing on the front. A few individual attacks went off the front, 2 attempts from Emile, but nothing was staying away.


Just after Nottingham road we hit the 3 climbs and Bryan rode hard on the first climb to soften up the bunch. Some attacks went off the front on the second rise, and Mike was in one of them.


The bunch was not happy though and all moves were pulled back before the turn around.


As we took the turn around we saw the leading Tandem, having started 10mins ahead of us, was now only about a minute ahead. Gwyn started getting excited and, together with Werner Moolman, decided to hunt the Tandem down.


And so the speed went from 30km/h on the way out to 60km/h on the run back. The downhills and tailwind were making the speeds high and the carrot of the Tandem was keeping it fast. The tandem of Andrew and Leon held the charging bunch at bay until after Nottingham road but were then caught.


This now meant that attacks would start, after a few attempts, one from Werner Venter, a good move of 2 Cycle lab riders went clear. This meant Fego and Mr Price had to chase, although Fego only commited one rider to the chase. The one Cyclelab rider dropped from his teammate who now had a 30sec gap on the bunch.


The Mr Price team put in some strong pulls and brought back the Cyclelab rider Brett Berriman, but as he was caught with 3km to go Fego's Deno van Heerden countered hard and I hesitated to see who would chase.


The bunch was now tired however and that hesitation would cost us the race as we had a case of Deja Vú from the last Midmar race when Mike Adey rode away in a nearly identical way to win solo.


Deno had about 5 seconds on us at the line, I hit the corner first but Brett Berriman surged past me to take 2nd, giving team Mr Price a 3rd with a charging Mark Davel taking 4th.

All in all it was a good race and tactical lesson learned.


PS: If you want to sprint against Bryan, be ready for some elbows and knees...

Mpati Cycle Challenge - 10 September 2011 - by Werner Venter

On September 10, 2011 we lined up outside the Dundee primary school for 80km of the Mpati Cycle Challenge. The Mr. Price Vets team was represented by myself, Emile Fouché and Gwyn Pine.

The racing started with a short neutral zone to get us through the town of Dundee. As soon as the racing proper started, attacks started left, right and center. At about 10km into the race Emile and myself got away and open a gap of about 20 seconds to the chasing group. Werner Moolman (Cyclelab Durban) knew that the two main contender in the group- AC Swanepoel and Victor Grobler (Team Intelibus) was not going to make the racing, but rather sit wheel to the end and then attack, so he made the pace hard, unfortunately in so doing he closed the gap to us, dragging the group back to us. Werner Moolman then straight away put in another attack to which AC Swanepoel and Victor responded. Emile and myself knew we couldn’t let them go, so we worked hard to cross over. We crossed over at around 30km done and from there on the 5 of us rode away from the chasing group.


The out and back route was more demanding than we expected and the headwind all the way back to the finish didn’t make the ride any easier.


With around 3km to go I put in an attack to try and break the breakaway up, but didn’t really succeed. Emile then went, also with no success. Victor and AC then went, with Werner Moolman chasing.


In the end Victor took the win overall with Werner Moolman 2nd and AC Swanepoel 3rd. I crossed the line in 4th overall and 1st in the Vets 30-39, closely followed by Emile. My first podium and my first win-great feeling I must admit.


It was a fantastic race and a good day at the office for the Mr. Price Vets team.