Attakwas 2016

March 06, 2016

After ticking off Karoo2Coast in 2014 and Trans Baviaans in 2015, the Attakwas was the only major Southern Cape mtb race that I haven't conquered yet. The problem is that this race usually falls right in the middle of my employer's financial year-end valuations, during which time a weekend trip to Oudtshoorn is less than ideal, however in 2016 the race was at the start of the valuation period so I had time to slip out to attempt my first Atta!

The Attakwas is billed as the toughest single stage race in Southern Africa, and apparently it is similar to a Queen stage of the Cape Epic. You have to be properly fit and a little bit crazy to attempt the 120km race between Oudtshoorn and Groot Brak over the historic Attakwaskloof pass (nowadays merely a 4x4 jeep track over the mountains).

I left work a bit earlier on Friday afternoon, made the trip to Oudtshoorn where I registered and then camped out for the night at Kleinplaas which was filled with fellow cyclists all attempting the Attakwas the next day. For some mysterious reason I just cannot catch a break with SASeeding (despite doing a number of SASeeding races) and was seeded mid-bunch in D group. I was hoping to do this race in under 7 hours but I knew it would be hard from mid-bunch having to pass loads of riders which can be time consuming and tiresome.

The race can basically be divided into 3 sections, first a fairly easy 45 kilometers of farm roads and jeep track mostly flattish avoiding the big hills. Then after the second waterpoint the proper mtb'ing starts with the climb over Attakwaskloof where a number of the climbs are too steep & slippery to ride for most of us and the downhills are fast & treacherous. Theoretically this would be the hardest part of the race as the last 50km are district roads, but the middle part is really the slow poison that bites you in the last 50km as you battle steep climbs and head winds.

Easy going

The start went fairly according to script, me passing loads of riders, also had a friendly chat along the way with a legend of my varsity days, Richard Muller who had done every single previous Atta (before he left me in his dust), the riding was fast and easy, waterpoint 1 flew by with nobody stopping and by the time we got to waterpoint 2 I was still very much on schedule for a Sub-7.

The going got tougher once we passed waterpoint 2, a number of the climbs I was forced to walk as everybody around me was walking and there is no way to pass on the steep & slippery jeeptrack. I lost some time in the process but in hindsight the biggest damage that was done was the muscles I was working in walking my bike up those climbs which was definitely not used to so much suffering, that would come back to haunt me later in the race.

Over the Attakwaskloof

Although you are suffering the scenery is stunning in this part as you cross over the mountain wilderness and when you get to the top you are met by a stunning panorama of the Southern Cape. The downhill from the top is steep, slippery & bumpy, so much so that my poor saddlebag tore apart, I stopped, picked up the most expensive stuff and left the rest there with the broken saddlebag and were on my way again.

When I got to waterpoint 3 after the mountainous section I was a bit behind schedule for a Sub-7 and with the rest of the into headwinds, I realised at that stage a Sub-7 would probably not be possible anymore but I still felt fairly strong. I skipped the famous Spur burger at this stop and were on my way again.

I felt fairly strong for a while despite the headwinds and crazy steep climbs for district roads, but after a few kilometers the hike-a-bike-sections over the Outeniqua mountains came back to haunt me as I started cramping. I managed to gingerly walk off the cramps as a number of riders passed me, but despite the cramps abiding for a while, I new the Sub-7 dream was now officially over and every steep climb from now on would be approached carefully with nothing harsher than granny gear.

The Famous Spur Burger climb

After waterpoint 4 there was another steep climb and then I was lucky enough to latch onto a small fast group which pulled me into the headwind for many kilometers, I shamelessly hanged on, too tired to work up-front but the kilometers flied by.

Around waterpoint 5 the little group splitted and it was me on my own again against the wind & steep climbs, the cramps stayed away but the route made you work for for every kilometer until the last drop to the finish line.

I finished in 205th place out of the just over 900 that finished with a time of 7h17m, passing about 400 people from where I started! I think this is now my new favourite mtb race and hope to be back next year. Maybe next year SASeeding be more generous and seed me in the front half of the field!