MTN Tulbagh Marathon XCM #3


The MTN Tulbagh Marathon is number 3 in a national series of races held throughout different provinces of South Africa. The best mtb'ers in the country compete in these events along with us average Joe's to bring up the rear, giving us the opportunity to rub shoulders with the pros after the race as they hang around for the price giving.


This would be the second time I ride the Tulbagh Marathon, with the 2012 version probably the toughest day I ever had on the bike, had a few falls, cramped in the heat, carried my bike up ravines, tried to survive rocky descents, the race just destroyed any illusions I had of being a tough competitive mtb'er, I was just glad to survive to see the finish line(pretty much entrenched in the back-end of the field).

But in 2013 I was back... A little bit older and wiser, somewhat fitter and better prepared and most importantly having swapped the trusty old 26er for a shiny new 29er. It also turned out that the route changed a lot to incorporate the routes used in the Cape Epic (held a few weeks prior), which  made the race somewhat easier (probably unintentially),  but a lot more fun than last year.

I started off in Group B at 8h10. Decided to really just ride my own pace the first few kilometers and to keep something in reserve for the large climbs in the latter part of the race. The smallish field spreaded out quickly and after about 5km I slowly started passing people. That was to be the trend for most of the day, gradually passing riders in front of me with a few stronger riders from group C passing me about 10km into the race and then no-one else.


After an relatively easy climb, we had a looong section of fun singletrack, a bit rutted at places because of the carnage caused by the Epic riders a few weeks prior, but big fun nonetheless. Had great fun chasing other weels through twists & turns in small forests and bumpy open sections. Then a long section of flat gravel roads through the beautiful surrounds of Tulbagh. Here the big wheels of the 29er really came into their own, and I was dropping riders on 26ers effortlessly, and keeping up with other riders on 29ers who usually would have dropped me with ease.


I was holding back a bit the first 50km, keeping something in reserve for the big climbs at the end of the race, but this turned out to be futile anyway because as I reached the climbs halfway up Saronsberg I quickly realised that these steep "walls" were beyond my modest abilities, and started walking them out (as I'm sure probably 99% of the rest of participants did). What goes up, must come down, and at Tulbagh it is scary and rocky descents that goes down and have caused many a mtb'er to end up in hospital in the past. Just rode it cautiously and after the steep downhills it was an easy fast and flat 5km till the finish.

Rode over the finish line in just over 4 hours, still feeling relatively fresh, finished in 86th place out of 231 riders, with which I'm pretty happy and is a big improvement over 2012. Chuffed with my new 29er which handled the tough course comfortably, and fitness is falling in place for the Sani2C in just over 4 weeks time! Who know's next year I might just be back for the Ultra-Marathon...

The stunning venue - Saronsberg

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