Karoo2Coast

Along with the Trans Baviaans and Attakwas, the Karoo2Coast is one of the last 3 big Cape mtb races I was yet to conquer. It is one of the original big and famous mtb races in the country, starting in Uniondale, traversing the scenic & historic Prince Alfred pass, meandering through the beautiful Knysna forests to finish next to the lagoon in Knysna. It's got a reputation as a dirtroadie race not requiring much technical skill and there is a common misconception from people attempting the race for the first time that it's mostly downhill from Uniondale to the sea ( technically Uniondale is 700 meters above sea level so it is a big net drop in altitude from start to finish so the perception is understandable)

Attempting the race is a logistical nightmare, you either have to find  find accomodation in Uniondale and a 200km lift back to your car via George or find accomodation in Knysna and catch an early morning 200km lift to the start to the race. With that in mind and other event options in the area like the Hell & Back, Attakwas or the Knysna Marathon, this is not a race I will do often so I wanted to make the most of this opportunity. I trained very hard in the 2 months leading up to the race and a Sub 4 finish seemed very achievable given my fitness level, my Sub 3 Argus earlier the year and a route where I'm not punished for having limited technical skills.

The little town of Uniondale

The organisers did their part, seeding me among the Elites although on the day I did very little to repay their faith in my cycling abilities. The morning started badly with a mad rush from Prince Albert to get to the starting line on time. I barely made the starting line before 8h00 and I had to line up right at the back of my group.

After an inspiring speech from the local burgermeester the gun went off and the Elites were off through the back streets of Uniondale. First challenge was the the jeep track climb of the Ou Wapad over the Kammanasie mountains and I soon realised that the Elite tag of my starting group was a misnomer as 100's of the "Elite" riders were slowly ascending the pass barely faster than walking pace, being at the back of the group with no place to pass made for a frustrating start and within the first few minutes my Sub 4 target was already slipping away...

Chasing up "die ou wapad"

As the Ou Wapad climb continued the groups thinned a bit and it was possible to pass a number of slow riders as we ascended to the top of the pass. Just as I started to descend on the other side of the pass my luck deserted me as my saddle bag came loose on the bumpy descent and I had to stop to tighten it again, that task was accomplished easily & quick enough but as I attempted to rejoin the race all the slower climbers were now descending like a pack of demons down the steep narrow jeep track past me in one continuous mass and there was literally no way for me to get back on the trail without causing a major pile-up. I had to stand patiently at the side of the road waiting in vain for a gap to appear until a few minutes later the vast majority of my group have passed  and I could get back on the trail.

So there I was, 40 minutes into the race and only about 10km's done, back at the end of my group for a second time and already a Sub 4 finish seemed lost, but I was steadily passing rider after rider (again) and just as the Sub 4 idea started to seem remotely feasible again bad luck struck again, for no obvious reason my chain just got stuck somewhere in the drive train and again I came to a sudden stop. A lot of cursing and frantic pulling & pushing ensued and after what felt like a few hours my chain magically came unstuck and my bike was rideable again. 

By now most of the riders I have passed the second time have passed me again and again I was at the back of the group, for a 3rd time I was passing cyclist after cyclist(not sure what they were thinking of this inconsistent crazy rider....). By now we have passed Avontuur and were starting to ascend the Outeniqua mountains. Suddenly the front runners of the second group caught up & passed me, that is when I knew a Sub 4 finished was now truly lost but I also knew the long 15km descent down the Prince Alfred pass into De Vlugt was just ahead which was an opportunity for me to recover and at least make a strong effort in the second half of the race.

Before the race this downhill was the section of the race that worried me the most, masses of riders descending at 50km/h + on a 15km downhill, you only need one or 2 downhill heroes with more testosterone than common sense to cause a serious pile up, luckily the field was spread out widely and I managed the descent without incident.

After we reached the bottom it was a long steady climb out of the valley interspersed by a few downhills which were never long enough to allow you to recover. I was making good pace, passing a lot of riders but just after the water point near the summit the heroics of the day caught up with me and as it usually happen when you hit the wall, it happens without prior warning. One minute you are feeling strong, the next your legs are dead. A number of riders passed me until I finally recovered enough to latch onto a group which were riding a pace I could manage and as we descended into the Knysna forests the going got easier.

I thought I had my share of bad luck for the day and planned just to ride out the last few kilometers at a comfortable pace but bad luck was not done with me yet. As we were meandering through the forest I noticed a few riders in our little group of about 20 were riding a bit erratically, so I held back and rode a bit behind the group to have time  to react in case something goes wrong, My premonition of an impending disaster turned out to be spot on but my precautions not. Just after the waterpoint at Kom-se-pad the road turned and descended sharply and suddenly there were shouts and the next instant bikes, clouds of dust and people were flying all over the place. Even though I was a bit behind the group there was nowhere for me to go but over something or someone and I tried to pick something rather than someone. The next moment my bike was flying over another bike and I was flying over my bike landing literally on top of my head.

When I came to my senses I was lying on the ground and people were moaning & swearing around me. I heard the ambulance coming down the hill. Someone said to me "Buddy, your race is over but you'll be ok" I just nodded but then realised that the good Samaritan wasn't talking to me but to the body lying next to me. So I did what comes naturally in such a situation:

Moved my head, still there,
arms - still working,
hands - check,
legs can both move - check,
feet still there - tick,
no obvious pain - check.

OK, so no reason for me not to continue, got up, looked for my glasses, looked for my bike, dusted myself off and there we went.

Kom se pad - usually a lekker place to mtb

I might have been more or less physically unscathed but mentally I was now completely blown, I just could not muster the motivation to peddle at full pace, every little climb was torture and every downhill I took gingerly like an old man. Everybody and their dog were now faster and had more energy & skill than me, little old ladies, fat okes with hairy legs and surely every rider I passed 3 times earlier the day was now passing me with ease.

The last few kilometers dragged on forever, I was definitely not appreciating the forest scenery and I knew the Karoo2Coast had one last  sting in the tail before the finish - Simola Hill. I started to feel a bit better and bravely attempted to ascend this long hill on my bike but within the first few meters cramping was added to my list of miseries for the day. So with no other option, I got off and started the hike-a-bike up Simola while being passed by more and more old ladies and fat okes with hairy legs offering encouragement..

I finally reached the top and the torture was now finally over, a long descent down the other side of Simola followed by an easy ride next to the Knysna lake took me to the finish. Finishing time - 4h27m - way off my ambitious target.

In hindsight I probably would not have made a Sub-4, even if luck didn't so skilfully avoided me on the day. The Karoo2Coast was much tougher than I anticipated. Finishing the 100km is a big achievement for the average mtb'er,  far tougher than a Argus or 94.7 Cycle Tour despite the dirtroadie tag of the race. I hope to be back one day for another stab at that Sub-4 finish.