Epic Matters Stage 4 & 5

I realize that we owe you two days of stories, let's make it quick since time is running short. It seems that the closer we go to the end ( or can we say the top? :-), the more sleep we need. Or is it just nature that takes over our bodies and says: STOP at the right moment? Yesterday there was just no energy left for talking to you folks, so sorry! Laura made it up with a little movie about our podium ceremony on Facebook. Check it out! 

About yesterday we got second and how did we do it? With great teamwork!
What a stage: I had super legs and Laura's were bad, how cool is that? 
It all went smooth apart from a branch in my wheel on a single downhill track, but I allow nobody to stab a stick in my wheels, not even nature. ( I don't even know if this is an English expression but our Dutch speaking fans will get it. :-)
I remember I having tears in my eyes when the asphalt after the long climb turned into a downhill than in a gravel road and than suddenly in a wonderful single trail. That one I didn't expect and the emotion took it over. My God, we are lucky bastards!
We lost each other in the start climb but Laura waited patiently for me and after that we were a tandem as ever. Not when there was pee time, than I went on climbing and the curly panther came after me. So cool, so relaxed everything. There was time to fix the tire pressure at the water point. I took the bottles for the both of us and Laura concentrated on the bike, more air. It took us only 30 seconds and off we went, that's what I mean: TEAMWORK!

When we crossed the line we were surprised being second again, we thought we were in third position but we caught the other ladies team at the very start. 


As for today, we can say we get to know each other. Laura can read my body language and I can stand here motherly advice: take it easy, shift before the corner, line your chain in the downhill,... Where did I hear this before? :-)

One little tasty detail: for a kilometer or 15 we were .... LEADING!
Again how cool is that. Trying to follow them when they overtook us again was not a good plan, but the feeling was great for the time being. 

About the track: endless single trails! where did Dr Evil hide them the previous years? 
A mountainbikers dream, orgasm, or whatever word is best to describe this play yard. They called the sections: the  "Roller coaster" and "Rodeo", it says it all! 

We came second over the line at only 10min of the leaders. We are stronger in third overall, yesterday only 3min, today the difference is more, but we don't know exactly how much!  
Anyhow, we are in the game and now .... we really need to go and take our place on stage, it's time for the ceremony! 

Epic Matters Stage 2 & 3 : 19th 20th March

Okay guys, taking a rest was what we needed, I speak about "we" cause in the Epic you are never alone. In the Epic you are two people at the same time. You are yourself and your partner, like a tandem or better, siamese twins.
We will probably be missing each other after this intense week, but we get our life partners back in stead. Hope they will keep up the standard. :-)

You know that yesterday was bad, I threw up in the night and right after breakfast.Biking without fuel...
It was a long stage of 147k with a big 20k climb at the start and than a 100k mostly flat followed by a loooooooong technical downhill. A good plan was to ride up the hill as fast as possible, to catch a strong group of man and let ourself be taken with them. But it turned up otherwise. We were so slow in the uphill that we could see the back of the group and the cars behind. I mean Laura saw it, I had sweat in my eyes and ate my handlebar. We ended up with slow guys how were tired and didn't wanna take over on the flat. Laura was leading the whole group and the man were grateful to her inside but rude on the outside. In the downhill we had to break so much because of the strugglling of the once in front that we couldn 't enjoy a minute. We passed the finish line disapointed and tired. 8h10. Laura admitted it broke her personal record on the bike. Congrats Partner, you are so strong!

It was all hectic yesterday that we decide not to assist to the podium ceremony and get to bed early and apparently it payed off. 

However at the first 5k of todays stage I was thinking about how I could tell Laura that I wanted to quite, at least not quitting the Epic, but leaving the competition. I felt so bad, breakfast came back in my ... ( I think you don't wanna know ).I thought I will never make it at this speed and I have already the impression to stand still. I must tell here to go at her own speed and leave me behind struggling. 
Laura from her side was thinking: "Does Sara still likes to ride with me? There is no sound, not a word!" 
In the writing I could go putting words endless but on the bike there is race modus. 
And now it is time for the massage.

Ohh and just a little detail, when we crossed the finish line we heard by sms from the home front that tod!y we finished second! 
What?
Really!

I said Laura in spetember 2012:, "I bring you to the Epic and you bring me on stage.", and that happend today!
I said also:"I will cry on stage.", but I hope I don't It would look a bit awkward, no?

I didn't cry

A special thanks goes to Rado Declerck who gave me two of his super gels on the bad day yesterday. After de first I flew on wings for a while.

Today I thank Eddy Feliers for the support in the back! 

There is a lot more to tell, little and big details that we take for granted but one day you might here it life! 
We don't know what tomorrow will bring but we will keep u posted

It's oh so quite and beautiful

nice to here

Epic Matters Stage I 18th March

A hard first stage we were warned but none expected this ...

If you find this hard, wait for tomorrow : tweet van Kevin Evans
"This is not Cape Easy" to quote a farmer

Leon Evans ‏@Drevilepic

Ok, think I've done enough damage today. Time to make myself scarce. ( DrEvil is Leon Evans, father off Kevin and trail builder of the Absa Cape Epic )
Marco Fontana compares todays stage with Dakar: 
Luckilly I had a few proper holidays and I knew how to play in the sand. managed w my bro to finish in 7th. #AbsaCapeEpic #Dakar
https://www.youtube.com/embed/SQeuT7ekOhE … very sorry for Robert Mennen, he broke his collerbone after a n antilope put him down! Get well soon tweet van Karl Platt
...
Wanna here our thoughts?
One thing we must say: at the Absa Cape Epic, they keep there promises. They promised us sand, they gave us sand, they promised us a lot of walking, we walked a lot, they spoke about technical descents, there were technical rocky descents... And even more than they promised. Only the temperatures were quite ok. But Laura doesn't agree with this, she was hot hotter hotst! 
The stage took us 6h24' for 96k of these 6h24' we walked 4h and biked 2h24', really without a joke. There is not much power left to tell you guys every single details but a few facts can go through:

• Max stage time extended with 1h: 10h in stead off 9h
• Still 23 teams fell out the game
• A lot of material damage and human damage: collar bones, elbows, ...
• Our arms hurt after the first descent 
• Laura complained at the last 20k:"Is this the Cape Epic?Will it be like this for another 6days? I had to say no, really this I have never seen in the Epic.
• BUT: the good news is: we are still 5th in the ranking with 1,5' from the 4th team.

And a few pics to close off! 

A quick start

A lot of climbing at least rideble here  

Happy to see the pros walk to

They really do!

If you watch it from far we admit it's beautiful

yes it is

Pushing or carrying, it all means walking not riding

And the winner is...

Epic matters: The Prologue

A view from the top of the stairway to hell euhh heaven, our first climb of the day

Ok we did it, we rode the prologue and we ended up 5th. The gap with the leaders Esther Süss and Jane Nuessli is only 7,5 minutes. I am happy and Laura is too, she enjoyed it and didn't have to slow down to much. At least she is so kind to let me believe this. At the start we were much more excited about finding out how we would ride together then about the race itself. As a person it is sure there is a click but would there be a click as a rider? We discovered there is, so we are two happy people here. 

About the prologue's track: 

If I would try to put it in words it wouldn't even touch the heels of the poetic description the copywriters of the Cape Epic gave it. Therefore we invite you to read this. We can confirm they didn't exaggerate one millimeters. 

Description of today's track

About the race: last years winners Esther Süss and Sally Bigham are no longer a team this year. Sally rides with her Toppeak Ergon team partner Milena Landtwing and Esther had to look for another lady. Since Jane lives in Suisse, the choice was easy. 

The good thing about this mix up is that there will be a lot more competition going on and we are anxious to follow this ranking from close. 

Check the complete race results at : http://www.cape-epic.com/live/

Our competitors on the track

About our tactic: We will take it day by day, no plans just riding and having a good time. How does that sound?

Days are so relaxed and hectic at the Epic. From day one we are taken into a roller coaster, we don't sit still and we don 't do anything else than ride and think about riding. There is the bike to check, the food to take care of, the tent to install and so on... But we don 't complain, while we are doing all this we catch up with Fontana again ( on stage today in third position ) and we enjoy the sun, bless God there is sun here ... even to much, tomorrow they expect 28°C in the shade and .... THERE IS NO SHADE ON THE 96KM TRACK!

our recovery food, proteins & salty carbs

Pre Epic matters Day II & III

Ok let's catch up where we ended yesterday. 

Apart from to the riding, sleeping and eating we are here to get you some stories. So yesterday we mixed up with the pro's at the press conference. It took us some time to realise that numbers 1,2 and 3 from the Olympics are here at the start of the 10th Absa Cape Epic, just a little detail! 

We give you some hot lines of the pros, hope you like them as much as we did!

We heard Christopher Sausser talking about his partner, no one less than Olympic champion Yaruslav Kulhavy. He spoke these brilliant words as always with a serious look in his eyes: "I think we can manage together, you know, my partner he's not pastry he's a man of steel!"

the top three man teams 

Karl Platt entering the Cape for the 10th time. ( Yes he rode all the editions!!!! )  "For a training with Urs you have to prepare like for a race, he only has one speed!" 

Karl Platt & Urs Huber

Fontana and Turpijn 

Fontana and Fumic: "We go for a good overall ranking only we haven't decide what place yet!"

Fontana is here because Jose said to him: "If you are a pro rider you have to ride the Epic!"

Their tactic: "We will ride hard in the prologue and than take it easy!"

Lakata and Man

Lakata and his partner told us everything about their preparations: Cross country skiing and 2 trainingcamps in the sun was Lakata's winter program. 

We spotted Jose Hermida doing his last shopping in the outdoor shop at the V&A Waterfront. Considering what he bought we think he might sleep in a tent with us, the amateurs! 

Jose Hermida

And our top of the bill chat is most definitely the one with Tom Ritchey!

"It's good to mix up with the pro riders on the field to see how our products work and how we can improve."

We talked with him for like 15 minutes and he blew us away with his wise words and his calm attitude. He describes his company biggest small company in the world, we agree.  

Tom our hero

Today we rode the prologue track we catched up with Nino Shurter after his partner Florian flatted in the uphill. To strong those guys!  

I'll remember his words: " You look strong ladies". In the mean time we were wondering how he will keep his kit shinny white? :-)

Two Champs

Our audiance today

Tomorrow is D-day, finally 

Pre Epic matters Day I

Is there a better way to present a perfect day, than presenting it in pictures?
I don 't think so.... therefor not many words only a few, because I like to touch the keyboard! 

Our arrival in South Africa was a warm welcome, the thermometer climbed up to 32 degrees and our enthusiasm went up gradually. 
Check in the hotel on Wednesday night, breakfast at the terrace on Thursday morning  installing the bikes and out for our first ride on South African bottom. 

Open Sesam 

Many of our colleague riders arrived without their luggage. A lot of stress and dirty underwear later, it finally arrived today, two days later than the people. We were lucky, no delay on the flight and all our possessions by our side. 

Time flies when you're having fun. That's what happens here, there is too little time.

But I am talking to much, I can summarize our day in just three words:

eating -  riding - sleeping, aren't that the magical words of a sportsman? 

And now please enjoy the pics! 

the magical view on Table Mountain from the V&A Waterfront

happy feet 

happy faces

happy view

happy lunch