The quest for a second Sub-3 Argus Part 1 - Stellenbosch Cycle Tour 2017
Cape Town Cycle Tour (CTCT)/Argus seedings are out! I am seeded in 1B (the 5th group) with a seeding index of 16.54 based on my finish time at the 2017 Stellenbosch Cycle Tour.
This is my worst seeding since 2014, coincidentally the last & only time I managed a Sub-3 Argus so maybe in a way it is a good omen, but my campaign for a 2nd Sub-3 Argus is certainly not going according to script.
After the high of Lormar it was back to the reality with the 2017/2018 roadie season.
The first step towards a Sub-3 Argus is a good seeding, I started 2017 with my best seeding ever but the cancelled 2017 CTCT and no road races since, meant my seeding was gradually slipping from great to bad as the year progressed.
The race I targeted to get my seeding back on track was the 160km PPA One Tonner. A good finish time in this race guarantees a good CTCT seeding. However disaster struck halfway through the race, 2 punctures in quick succession near Hermon meant the One Tonner seeding attempt was a write-off.
Suddenly there was panic, time was running out with only 2 opportunities left in 2017 to "fix" my seeding. I entered the Langebaan Lagoon Challenge but another puncture (this time my car on the way to the race) and a mix-up at registration meant I was late for my start group and another race attempt at an improved seeding attempt was a write-off.
The last seeding race for 2017 and last chance for a decent 2018 CTCT seeding was the Stellenbosch Cycle Tour. Not the ideal seeding race for the CTCT because the "seeding computer" considers it an easy race and penalise it accordingly, so you have to do exceptionally well in this race to get a decent seeding.
I was in the second starting group (with the elite ladies in % bunch), the only hope for a good seeding in this bunch is to stick with the group on the climb up Helshoogte right after the start and then concentrate to make sure you don't get dropped on the fast round trip to Stellenbosch via Wellington..
This time, form (not luck) deserted me, in the weeks leading up to the race pressure at work meant I barely trained (or slept) so I arrived at the race the Sunday morning seriously under cooked. Did my best to stick with the bunch up the first climb, I managed to hold un until half-way up Helz but then suddenly the group surged ahead and disappointingly I just did not have the legs to hold on.
My only hope now was a repeat of the 2016 event, when a few others & I from 1A buch caught % bunch early after Helz (dragging a number of dropped % with us) but this year was not to be. Once the fast 1A riders caught the % stragglers they sat up, content to let the rest of % get away (along with my Sub-3 Argus ambitions).
Then to make things worse, halfway through the race we were caught by a massive rainstorm (ironic given we are suffering the worst drought for 100 years in the Western Cape). Suddenly the race turned into a bit of a nightmare, slippery roads, brakes not working in the rain and blinded by spray from fellow cyclists in the group did nothing to lighten my mood.
At least with luck I survived the rest of the race without incident to finish with a mixed group of % and 1A riders. My finish time of 2h35m not bad for a 97km race but not good enough for a great CTCT seeding.
So while I'm not exactly thrilled with my CTCT seeding, it might still be good enough for a Sub-3 attempt, but it is going to be a close call with no margin for error and the stars will need to align on the 10th of March 2018!
This is my worst seeding since 2014, coincidentally the last & only time I managed a Sub-3 Argus so maybe in a way it is a good omen, but my campaign for a 2nd Sub-3 Argus is certainly not going according to script.
After the high of Lormar it was back to the reality with the 2017/2018 roadie season.
The first step towards a Sub-3 Argus is a good seeding, I started 2017 with my best seeding ever but the cancelled 2017 CTCT and no road races since, meant my seeding was gradually slipping from great to bad as the year progressed.
The race I targeted to get my seeding back on track was the 160km PPA One Tonner. A good finish time in this race guarantees a good CTCT seeding. However disaster struck halfway through the race, 2 punctures in quick succession near Hermon meant the One Tonner seeding attempt was a write-off.
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| Goodbye car tyre & CTCT seeding! |
The last seeding race for 2017 and last chance for a decent 2018 CTCT seeding was the Stellenbosch Cycle Tour. Not the ideal seeding race for the CTCT because the "seeding computer" considers it an easy race and penalise it accordingly, so you have to do exceptionally well in this race to get a decent seeding.
This time, form (not luck) deserted me, in the weeks leading up to the race pressure at work meant I barely trained (or slept) so I arrived at the race the Sunday morning seriously under cooked. Did my best to stick with the bunch up the first climb, I managed to hold un until half-way up Helz but then suddenly the group surged ahead and disappointingly I just did not have the legs to hold on.
My only hope now was a repeat of the 2016 event, when a few others & I from 1A buch caught % bunch early after Helz (dragging a number of dropped % with us) but this year was not to be. Once the fast 1A riders caught the % stragglers they sat up, content to let the rest of % get away (along with my Sub-3 Argus ambitions).
Then to make things worse, halfway through the race we were caught by a massive rainstorm (ironic given we are suffering the worst drought for 100 years in the Western Cape). Suddenly the race turned into a bit of a nightmare, slippery roads, brakes not working in the rain and blinded by spray from fellow cyclists in the group did nothing to lighten my mood.
At least with luck I survived the rest of the race without incident to finish with a mixed group of % and 1A riders. My finish time of 2h35m not bad for a 97km race but not good enough for a great CTCT seeding.
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| A soaked & unhappy looking me finishing the 2017 Stellenbosch Cycle Tour |
So while I'm not exactly thrilled with my CTCT seeding, it might still be good enough for a Sub-3 attempt, but it is going to be a close call with no margin for error and the stars will need to align on the 10th of March 2018!
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