Sani2c 2016

It was Sani2c number 5. I was super blessed to find myself on the start line for Sani2c for a fifth consecutive year. Yes, the race is that special. That’s 5 rides from Sani down to the sea done and I haven’t yet had enough. It remains an absolute highlight! I wrote this little bit laying in my tent after what was a fun but tough Day 1: A couple of new sections and some wet conditions under foot made Day 1 a little more challenging than what we were used to. Despite a couple of new climbs early in the day, Ernst felt like racing... and so we did, with me hanging on for dear life. The first 30km flew by after which the pace luckily subsided. Still, we were towards the front of our bunch for the entire day and made some good time as the miles clocked by. The last climb up to the finish at Mackenzie club hurt and it was clear that we pushed a little harder than what we were planning to. Subsequently, we finished the day in 4 hours and 27 minutes and as the 100th team (out of 750 teams) across the line. For the first time ever we jumped a batch after Day 1 and will be starting tomorrow in batch C (with batches running from A to N). We wrote some proverbial cheques today that we'll have to pay tomorrow on the big day through the Umkomaas Valley. Hoping that our preparation will pay some dividends that'll make the paying of those proverbial stage race cheques a little less painful. Lying in my tent now, ready for bed, with the body feeling surprisingly good, especially after a proper massage and lots of recovery drinks earlier in the afternoon. Today was again a special day of riding with awesome views of the southern Drakensberg and some fast and flowing trails. As always, our wives and kids cheered us on at every single spectator point and waited us in at the finish with smiles and high fives, making this day even more special. And the following bit in my tent in Jolivet after a long and tough Day 2: We were taking it easy after a fun but challenging Day 1 yesterday when the storm clouds started rolling in. Soon enough it was bucketing down and during race briefing Farmer Glen broke the bad news that if the rain was too heavy in the Umkomaas Valley we would be forced to take a detour around the valley. The Umkomaas Valley is the crown jewel of Sani2c and missing it would put a damper on the entire race.

We woke up in the middle of the night to more rain falling. The prospects weren't looking great... Miraculously though it rained 8 mm during the night in Mackenzie but only 3mm in the valley, less than 10 km away. It would be muddy but rideable. We were good to go! We started conservatively, keeping the front brakes in check. The route was wetter than expected and the Umkomaas drop was riding much different than what we were used to. It was definitely rideable (except for Nick's Pass which was removed) but extremely slippery in places. We kept the pace easy down to the valley floor. Through one of the big muddy patches Ernst, along with some other riders, passed me. Being too busy trying to stay upright I didn't notice him coming through and proceeded to wait for him when I couldn't see him behind me. I even turned back to go and look for him but, obviously, he was nowhere to be seen. There we were standing around like two idiots waiting for each other, less than 2 km apart. Somehow we both had cellphone signal at some point and after an eventual successful phone call met up again... nearly 20 minutes later. Still, time lost is better than riding 100km without a partner. The rest of the day was also characterised by mud, mud and more mud. It was tough and keeping traction on the wheels up muddy inclines was a real challenge. The wet conditions took its toll through the course of the day and the efforts to make it through the muddy patches meant spending so much more energy than usual. We pushed on though and even when the going got tough, was able to keep the legs ticking over. We rode every single climb, the highlight of which was the infamous Push of a Climb. It's one of the toughest climbs I've ever ridden. Seriously steep and long, but luckily mostly dry. We pushed on gingerly through the rest of the day with especially weary legs during the last 20 km. It was a hard day, but extremely rewarding and fun as always. The wet conditions were the most difficult conditions we've ever had on Day 2 of Sani2c but did nothing to detract from the most scenic day I've ever experienced on a mountain bike. Hoping to beat our time from last year, we finished 13 minutes slower in a time of 7 hours and 4 minutes. Slower than what we were hoping for, but given the conditions and delay we had due to our little mishap in the valley, a satisfactory time to finish a challenging day in. Good enough to finish 124th out of 750 teams and keep us firmly in C batch for tomorrow's run down to the beach. A tough day down and one more to go to the beach. As always, Sani2c has delivered in all aspects. I'm grateful to be a part of this great event. Day 3 is always fun, but not to be underestimated. To the beach we go!

Retrospectively, that was still one of the toughest Day 2s I’ve ridden. Yes, there was the one where I almost died when I was sick, but that was just me. Most riders we spoke to spent an hour longer on the bike on Day 2 than what they did in 2015, which is all down to the muddy conditions. Considering we lost close on 20 minutes down in the valley, when we were standing around like two stooges, we were only 13 minutes slower than in 2015. Therefore, I am more than happy with our 7 hour ride, despite hoping on a 6 hour ride. The conditions are part and parcel of our sport and not having perfect conditions is just part of the overall experience. We’ve had such great weather throughout the 5 editions we’ve ridden that we cannot complain about one wet day. The morning of Day 3 I could feel that the legs were a little heavier than what we were used to. The two previous days had taken its toll and even before we set off decided that we weren’t going to race it, like we did last year. I had one goal for the day – to ride the Work to be done climb in Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve. In all of my Sani’s it’s the only climb that I’ve never been able to ride all the way to the top. It’s excruciatingly steep and rutted, especially towards the end. Time would tell…

We started towards the front of the bunch and kept a steady pace. Soon enough though we were in new territory that was not familiar at all. My GPS said “off track” but it looked close so I carried on. After more than 1 km of being off course, heading up an unfamiliar sugar cane climb and no one saying anything I realised in the two days leading up my GPS has not indicated that I’m off track once. The GPS routes are right. I pulled off and turned around, the entire bunch following. We missed a turn earlier on, the entire C bunch except for 5 or 6 riders followed the riders on the front like sheep. We soon caught the few riders that did not miss the turn, passed them and was leading the C bunch. Knowing that we were now in front (completely ignoring the fact that there were two entire bunches ahead of us) I was now feeling like racing… Perhaps even being the first C batchers home. I started pushing, but then at a three-way split in the road I took the wrong turn, which I luckily realised quickly, and the bunch caught up again. This was a good thing as now we were riding an easy pace again. Up Clint’s climb Erno started feeling some niggles in his right calf. It was still very early in the day so we kept the legs ticking over at an easy yet steady pace.

Day 3 is always way tougher than it looks on the profile. Essentially it’s a straight run down to the sea, but essentially that’s a lie. There are lots of fast sections in the sugar cane fields and coastal forest, but there are also some noteworthy tough sections en route that make you work for that ecentual dip in the Indian Ocean. Perhaps the most noteworthy of them all is the Work to be done climb in the Vernon Crooked Nature Reserve. As mentioned, that was my goal for the day. Come hell or high water I was going to make it to the top without pushing my bike. In my previous four attempts I had come within metres, but never actually reached the summit with my bum in the saddle. I took on this rough, technical and steep climb with the respect it deserves, taking it slowly and pedal stroke by pedal stroke. It’s longer than it seems and steeper than you remember it. I had to cut to the left side of the track just before the end and was lucky that there were no walkers when I had to do so. I’ve come to the realisation that the rideable line is on the left, unfortunately that is also the line that everyone choose to walk on. I made it to the top. Attempt 5 was a success.

We were treated to some new fun sections in the Rocky Bay MTB trail park before again hitting a trail section called “The Three Bitches”. I had hoped that with the new sections included we would bypass the bitches, but it was not to be. Last year Erno killed me here and I couldn’t even try to keep up. Luckily (for me), we were both feeling the effects of the prior two days here. The legs were sore and this section is probably the least enjoyable section of the entire race. It doesn’t last too long though and before we knew it we were hitting the floating bridge over the Scottburgh Lagoon. As a final surprise we had to turn up the short and steep and embankment to make our way to the beach as the Perri Scaffolding bridge had washed away with the rains. With the families waiting, we crossed the finish line to seal another successful Sani2c. It was tougher than usual and as rewarding as always. Three days of the most sublime riding around culminating in a finish at the beach with the boys and Adél waiting. A mountain biking success of note. Erno and I made a formidable team once again and again we are already entered for the 2017 event of the race. Some top notch mountain biking, with some priceless family time afterwards. Blessed to be riding my bike in this way.