Race Reports 2011
Race Report By Nigel Laver & Assc.
(Emperors Palace Classic 2011 [99km] 6th February 2011)
What a RACE! Wow, Emperors Palace Classic, long forgotten is the Edenvale Peddlers race that this race used to occupy in the race calendar. Emperors is fast becoming a secure feature on every serious amateur riders calendar.
This race doesn’t only attract the hardcore, many will line up to do the middle distance too – that we’ll find out in about 2 hours after our start. Last year we started nearer the Casino entrance and peeled onto the highway and round left off at Rondebult, not this year – due to some hectic road works round that end of town we proceeded to go out the way we would come in. Personally I believe this to be a great idea, no excuses could be made later when you didn’t know how the road goes leading to the finish. And remember folks, chances are where the mats were when you left the start area is exactly where they will be when we return (hint hint) :o)
The race route would be more different as we got about a third of the way. We seemed to have excluded a part of the race this year where potholes were hectic just a year before, one can only image how that stretch would have been had we gone that way this year. Trust me, we still had our fair share for potholes and top marks go to the race organizers for all the spray paint on the road and the A bunch, everyone calling the holes and the bunch going relatively easy over that section – but hey, we’ll get to that part of the race soon.
You may accuse me of bias but as I’m the one wielding the index fingers and the keyboard you have the choice to carry on reading or hit delete, I presume you continued to read… Cycle Lab Toyota Open A team was on FIRE on Sunday, did anyone of you notice – wow, what a team – from the gun it was GAME on and most moves/attacks throughout the morning were instigated by a Lab rider or a Lab rider was in close pursuit – will you allow me that freedom of speech? Too late :o)
Don’t get me wrong, many other teams and singles were equally as impressive: Gavin Salzmann and Bennie Viljoen (C&C Steel); Esmero as an entire unit (They are shaping up to be a force). Gerhard Fouche, Mike and De Wet (Izak) Goosen of MTN. Edwin Saunders (Vanderbijl Cycles), Bionic Team sporting new VO (Virtual Office) sponsored kit, Werner Roux and Brendan Thompson (My Gas), New Horizon riders Avanthodi Munyai and Mikhail Margro, Shawn?(Tuks) and Raymond Stockenstroom (Rand Water), all riding hard and making memorable moments.
Emperors is definitely not the hilliest of races in our race year but on a rating of the early season (pre Argus) races it would be one of the notable “not-flat” races. Specifically the long drags on Heidelberg road. Long enough and enough of a gradient to put a 129 start group under severe pressure after the fairly fast flat first quarter of the route. Special mention to some Lab Club riders (Paul Nothnagel, Shaun and Graham Miller) willing to assist the race team to bridge – at times their team presence swells! Have you noticed?).
It would however be the Springs road up the steepest hill on the route that would decidable split the group and loose some good riders there. Up to this point it should be noted that many riders able to instigate attacks and counter attacks. We certainly weren’t mucking about at this stage. In fact, overall we were 8 minutes faster than 2009’s route but admittedly a different course. It should be also noted we were broke well into the 40km/p/h average speed yesterday as opposed to “The not-so-Fast One” where we only managed a 39 average – interesting.
As we started coming through the town of Nigel, wind was becoming a factor to being out on a lengthy break. We also caught up with a gaggle of mixed tandem out on a Sunday cruise (well seemed like it). Needless to say the excitement of our speeding peloton was too much to resist for some and all of a sardine we had Tandems and some VC’s in the mix popping out at Carnival City on North Boundary road back to the South end of Rondebult Rd. It would seem that the bunch was all jostling for position ready for the sprint for two weeks time! On reflection what was actually happening was we were now feeding into the Middle distance riders and this made the bunch concertina a little as we passed slow moving riders.
From now on, it was flat out still but the bunch would weave there way between on-coming cars and wide berthed Middle distance patches of riders. Still giving it horns and still riders blasting off the front. IT WAS MANIC! (At the front and in the middle/back). But credit to us, we all stayed up right – p.s. a side-bar note: And I believe I have spoken of this every year (Reminded this year by My Gas rider Brendan) – the middle distance/slow riders are already crapping themselves being on the road in a road race (perhaps their first), at the time we meet them, they are fatigued no doubt with most of their race distance also covered. Screaming at them at the top of your lungs with their zero knowledge of the speeding bullet about to pass probably scares them more like Deer in headlights. Yes, they are all over the road. Yes, we can’t stop, agreed. Find a better way to get round them. I’m not saying making yourself heard is wrong – just the tone could be addressed :o) Love ya! Smiley face.
Coming back through Boksburg it was well clear the finish was upon us. A couple of rolly poly hills on Rondebult would see some teams and singles applying pressure to soften up the bunch for the last series of fast 90 left/rights. All the A Bunch contenders making themselves visible closer to the front – knowing from previous years what a Sh!t-storm the Main Reef road intersection could be, riders were very vigilant. Mark Scriven (Toyota Lab) putting in an early surprise attack off the front which kept the pace high. Over the bump on Rondebult as we pass over the N12 the bunch swelled at the front as everyone wanted to get through the first left hander in a good position.
The acceleration started hard and fast here. The next right hander the riders on the right of the road managed to go through the on-coming slip road. This caught half the bunch out who were on the left of the road. This ended Gavin Salt’s (Bionic) high place chances. With the next left hander the front of the bunch started thinning out as Karl Schmitt (Toyota Lab) strung it out leading it hard and fast into the final right hander ascent. As he peeled off Nigel Laver (Toyota Lab) managed to get round and continue the pressure up the final hill to the finish. Stuart Fitzpatrick (Linden), Avanthodi Munyai (new Horizons) were tucked in. As Nigel peeled off, Gavin Salzmann (C&C Steel) put in an attack and Stuart Fitzpatrick (Linden) was on his wheel. With 50m to go and the flags fluttering in plain sight young Stuart Fitzpatrick (Linden) put his head down and went for the final kick. Taking 1st, fending off Avanthodi Munyai (New Horizons) in hot pursuit in 2nd and Johan Malan in 3rd . Gavin Salzmann managing to hold onto 4th .
Can you believe just a year ago young Stuwy (as we have affectionately adopted him) rode his ever first road race! Yes, he was a start of the dirt but he has only been with our bunch for 12 months. Ho Hum!
It should be noted, our Racetec timing system only reads two decimal points. The first 3 places all within 2:29:39. Top ten places filled by: Riaan “Chopper” La Cock (Toyota Lab) 6th, DeWet Goosen (MTN) 7th, Edwin Saunders (Vanderbijl Cycles – music note tatt under right arm) 9th, Bennie Viljoen (getting both C&C Steel in top 10). Jean Du Buisson (Live Strong), Brendan Thompson (My Gas), Gerhard Fouche (MTN) and Raymond Stockstroom (Rand water) just outside top 10. Andrew Lapin and Shawn Dockendorf I think are both Lab club riders finishing in top 20. Well done!
It would seem A Bunch was still 65 strong for the final twists and turns approaching the finish with Graham Miller and Karl Schmitt crossing the line as the last of the bunch in 2:30:33 – the next time gaps start from 2:35:29. Having a quick squizz at the other results, I would hazard a guess that we are the largest racing bunch to twist through those final bends. Wow, credit to us hey! Aren’t we good?
A quick mention to Andrew Bowker who is still supporting our races on crutches and a missing Mervin Scorgie who is in the UK yet his chip finished 51st – wow, very talented bicycle – it rides without him ;o)
p.s. There were lots of significant breaks and pull’s and bridges to breaks by a lot of riders. I’m sorry if I’ve not mentioned you here by name.
A Bunch on Facebook – Go check out the Interviews I recorded from Sunday (Herm, did you get it up?)
Tandem Race Report - Emperors Classic
Both Cycle Lab Fourways tandems of Jurie Krige & Jo Muller and Jeremy Maccelari & Martin Raubenheimer lined up for the
2011 Emperors Palace Classic. With tandems not taking part in
the SA champs over the weekend, and excellent conditions and route for tandems, a good race was expected.
It delivered.
At the gun, the Maccelari tandem shot off with the Harmony tandem of Petrus Lauser. They were soon joined by the Krige Cycle Lab and the favourites for the day - Ian Martin and Chris Frangelicos of One Life.
This quartet kept the pressure up, and by Boksburg, only about 10 tandems made the juncture, pulled by the Springs Wheelers tandem of Alastair Scott & Johan Botha. This leading group was blasted apart by a vicious acceleration by the One Life tandem up a long hill at about 20kms, leaving only the two Cycle Lab tandems, Harmony and Springs Wheelers able to keep up.
This group of 5 then stayed together until the One Life tandem again attacked near Tokoza up a long hill and got away with Harmony, leaving the chase group to work well together to limit the damage.
At 80kms, the Harmony tandem was caught by this chase group, but the One Life remained clear. Through Boksburg, the Maccelari tandem attacked up every hill - ably assisted by the Krige mixed tandem - to ram home the advantage against the Harmony tandem, who finally broke, leaving the sprint to be contested between the Maccelari and Germiston Wheelers tandems.
With a long uphill to the finish, the Maccelari tandem attacked at the corner at the bottom, but the Germiston tandem was not caught out, stayed on their wheel and counter-attacked. This gained them about an 8m gap which the Maccelari tandem was not able to close.
The race was an excellent display from the Cycle Lab team - creating positive racing from begin to end and representing a major component at the front of the race.
Results:
Mens tandems 99km:
3rd - Jeremy Maccelari & Martin Raubenheimer
Mixed tandems 99km:
1st: Jurie Krige & Jo Muller (4th overall!)
Ecclesiate/ Optimum Berge en Dale Classic 2011 - Tandems
The Berge en Dale Classic started on a cool, grey morning with slight wind - perfect conditions for racing as long as the rain stayed off.
Both Cycle Lab Fourways tandems lined up at the start with quite a competitive field. The start was steady, but the Cycle Lab tandem of Jeremy Maccelari & Martin Raubenheimer applied steady pressure from the start to reduce the field to 6 tandems by the top of Krugersdorp Hill. It was then noticed that the Cycle Lab tandem of Jurie Krige & Jo Muller had had a difficult start and had dropped off. The Maccelari tandem thus dropped the pace, allowing for a group of four tandems - including the Krige Cycle Lab tandem - to reintegrate, knowing the Krige tandem would recover quickly and help create some interesting racing.
This group of 10 tandems - 5 mixed and 5 mens - then set a steady pace. By this time the Krige tandem had recovered and was starting to set the pace when they again had incredible bad luck - a spoke broke and the group was reduced to 8 with another tandem having fallen off at the 30kms mark.
The remaining 8 tandems then set into a very negative pattern with only the remaining Cycle Lab tandem prepared to set the pace. This it did, stringing the bunch out, or opening a gap, only to have the bunch chase them down and sit on their wheel. Only the mixed tandem of Jaco and Nicolene van Dyk were prepared to put any effort in at the front.
Several attacks on the Maropeng section by the Cycle Lab tandem opened up a gap, only to be chased down again, so it was all 8 tandems that entered the Cradle Loop as a group. Again the Cycle Lab tandem attacked on the hills and were finally rewarded with the definitive break when only the van Dyk mixed tandem and the HDO mens tandem manged to make the gap.
An incident when a support vehicle for the VC group, which the tandems caught near Teak Place, swerved across the road and caused the van Dyk and HDO tandems to crash nearly put paid to the breakaway, but the Cycle Lab tandem waited for them to get going again and then hit the gas.
The Cycle Lab tandem kept the hammer down and the chasing group finally snapped up the Toadbury Hall climb and disappeared into the distance.
The van Dyk tandem was barely holding on, so the two mens tandems did all the work in the break, and were lining up tactics for the final climb up the motorway to the finish, when the HDO tandem slipped in the final corner, which had been wet by a slight downpour, and took the van Dyk tandem out with them. This left the Cycle Lab tandem, which was in the lead and safely through the corner, to take line honours.
The day was marked by negativity in the bunch, but the positive, attacking tactics of the Cycle Lab tandems saved the race from being a boring stroll in the park to a good, intense race.
Results
Berge en Dale 99km Classic:
1st Mens Tandems: Jeremy Maccelari & Martin Raubenheimer