Quick change of plans

Hey guys,

I've changed my blog address to www.jamesreidracing.blogspot.com - be sure to check it out for the latest updates about whats going on....

Later!

J

MTN MiWay National #6 - Clarens

Well these last few weeks have been a good time for me, both physically and mentally. After Worlds in Australia, I took a two week break as I was tired and too busy catching up with school after missing a bit. The as a first ride back, Luke Roberts (Maverick) and I attempted the Jeep Tribune Hill2hill as a long base training ride.

Hill2Hill
With skies that were clear and winds at our backs, we set off on our epic adventure. Our designated finishing time had to be over 5 hours but with the complication of starting in A batch, things tended to get a bit carried away. We flew down into 'maritzburg right up there with the leaders, but decided to rather opt for the visual story of the race, slipping further and further back and the pace hotted up. For the next four and a bit hours we enjoyed a chilled training ride, helping those who were struggling and suffering. We finished a shade under 5 hours, but it was worth it. For those of you who are thinking about doing it next year, it's not that bad!

Lake Eland Super Classic
Then shortly after the hill2hill, it was school holidays and Brendon Davids and I headed down the south coast for the Lake Eland Super Classic. As he decided to ride slowly, I decided to race but having been off any intensity for the last few weeks, I wasn't expecting fireworks. The race was super hard, with Craig Paul, Andrew Hill and Rourke Croeser all turning out for a tough day's racing. I started hard, and by half way I was still in there near the lead group of four. Then the lack of training hit me and I clung on for 5th overall in one of the most scenic but yet incredibly tough classic races of the year.

MTN MiWay National #6 - Clarens
Then this last Friday I headed up to Clarens for the 6th round of the MTN National Marathon series. As I had only two weeks of decent training, I again wasn't expecting any awesome results, but decided to race using my head and make the most of it. All the usual culprits were there, Ryan Ellis (House of Paint), Arno du Toit (Mr Price/Scott) and Shaun Craig Silver (ADT) and it looked set for a good day's racing. The pace was chilled for about 30 seconds until Arno and I decided to light it up. We shot away on the rather large tar climb in the beginning to tear things up, and got more than we bargained for. We created a gap in the wind, and other riders then had to use more energy than expected to bridge the gap. We hit some long farm roads, and a lead group or Arno and myself (both Mr Price/Scott) and Ryan Ellis had formed. The chasers were isolated in the wind, as we were working well together. Since there were two of us on one team against one, I decided to play it to my advantage...

Arno would shoot off the front and I would sit in Ryan's slip until he caught him as I wasn't going to work to catch a teammate. Then I would be nicely rested and I would shoot off the front to give Ryan even more to deal with, while Arno could take a break. He held up admirably, but in the end they both fell off I was left to finish it all off with a good 2 minute gap. I was super stoked, and lucky at the same time. Well done to Candice Neethling (DCM) for wrapping up the girls race in fine style. The area was scenic, but I felt the organisers could have made much more use of the enormous mountains in area.

Till next time, keep turning those pedals yourself!
J

UCI World Championships - Junior Men

It has been a long journey for me, mentally and obviously physically this year so far, and my lesson has been capped off with an absolutely fantastic trip to Canberra, Australia for the 2009 Nissan UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. We arrived with a week or so to go, and we needed every day to practice the super technical course. Race day dawned, and it was a very nervous time for Rourke Croeser and I. We had worked incredibly hard for this day, stayed well and eaten healthy and now it was time to go. On the start line, the tension was running high, but I kept myself surprisingly calm. I had checked my bike numerous times, and I was sure that nothing would go wrong. Little did I know...

Then the gun went off and it was a complete scramble. In my relatively short mountain biking career I have never been in such a start. Every single guy there, all 80 of them, wanted to be in about 5th position, not higher or lower. There were crashes and pile-ups and constant swearing in many different languages. I tired my hardest to take the right line, but managed to end up in the first single track position in about 25th or so, with Rourke a couple of places ahead. I was not too fazed, but suddenly some of the many variables in racing altered significantly, not in my favour. Somebody up ahead had stalled, and then we all had to jump off and run, or else risk being passed by faster moving guys who running (it was that steep). We entered the last uphill section on the first half of the course, and then we came to the drop. This is a moment that has been tossing and turning in my head every day since the race. If I could go back to any moment in my life, it would probably be this. Somebody had fallen up ahead on the most technical section, and as a result everybody was off their bikes and running. I got up and off, and while jumping over the one rock, I was knocked by another guy, not too hard, but as I was off balance it was just enough to tip me over. The bike landed first, and I though nothing of it, just to jump back up and keep going. I was up in a flash, but as I griped my front brake, I felt little shards of magnesium and suddenly realised that it was no longer connected and that it was finished. Words alone cannot describe the disappointment that surged through me as I pedalled furiously up the next section towards the feed zone.

I entered the feed zone and clearly the brake was beyond repair. The rest of the race would have to be ridden without the front brake. For those of you who do not know, 75% of your braking comes from your front brake, and without it I was super slow in the technical stuff. So I made a pact to myself to do the best I could do without it, and so began a slow torture. I would work my heart out on the flats and ups, and pass about 10 or 15 guys, and then watch helplessly as they effortlessly pulled themselves back in the technical sections. Most of the international riders reckon that it was one of the most technical courses in history.

Things were looking ok, but my bad luck was not over. While out of the saddle on one of the climbs, my chain snapped. I reacted on cruise control, and made it to the feed zone, bitterly disappointed and upset. I was way back in 60th or so, and ready to quit. I got a new chain and decided to salvage something from the race, going flat out till the end. I ended up 45th, distraught but having learnt a lot. Fitness wise, I was up there with the best, and all I could wish for is a second chance, but that’s racing for you. I must mention a huge thank you to those who made the race possible. The rest of the trip was memorable, and a huge eye opener for me to decided if this is actually what I want to do with my life...

Till next time!

J

Gearing up to go!

Well this last week since the last update has been an interesting time. Since it is impossible to get any fitter, the riding consists of mostly spinning your legs to keep the jeg lag at bay and finalise your specific race. Tim Bently, the only downhiller staying with the rest of us who are all cross country riders has found this entire week very boring as the downhill track is closed and he is not allowed to practice. Mariska Strauss, Candice Neethling, Rourke Croeser and myself head daily down to the track to practice lines and get the feel of the race.

Besides training and getting lines, we have all been busy getting in contract with family and satisfying various different needs. Today was the first day that it rained, but even so it is not too bad. The city is filled with many foreign cyclists, all very professional looking. The other day Rourke and I were riding a climb in the course and this junior looking cyclist came flying past us, seriously fast. We were both very impressed, and then we discovered that it was a girl! We were shocked, but it was very funny.

With less that a week to go, it's a very nervous and serious camp, but with it's quirks and laughs. Should be a good time:)

Till next time!
J

Chilling in Australia

Well I'm sitting in a small internet cafe in one of the hugest shopping centers in Australia. Seriously, it could rival Gateway. The trip over was memorable, filled with laughter and fun. Tim Bentley, Mariska Strauss, Rourke Croeser, Candice Neethling and I made the trip over to compete in the 2009 World XC Champs. Jet lag was not as bad as expected, but I suppose all the numerous pills that were taken by all of us to counter the effect did their job.

Today we went to check out the course. All I can say is that it is nothing like what is in South Africa. IT IS HUGE!!! Some of the rock drops appear unrideable. The singletrack is super technical, and the mix of sharp corners and rocks and big drop offs make for some interesting equipment choices. It has a good mix of climbing and single track, with a lot of jumps. Today we saw some of the Swiss team, as well as Burry's competition, Lukas or Mattais Funkliger (can't remember who is who). Tomorrow we're all going back to check it out again and get lines right. I am so glad that we got here this early because we need the time. The girls are doing really well in the tough sections. There are some super cool dual tracks for overtaking. The entire course seems to be carved out beautifully. I'm in a super hurry because the internet here is really expensive, but quick. Will load pics sometime, but keep checking to keep up to date with our adventures.

Till next time!
J

Ready, set, GO!

Well I'm sitting at home with about ten minutes to go till I leave for the airport and begin a long series of flights which will take me to Canberra, Australia for the 2009 World XC Championships. Bubbling over with excitement is a good way to describe my mood right now!

Last weekend I took part in the Cowan House Classic, a local race that has turned out to be bigger than many other races I've ever been to. Brandon Stewart, Max Knox, Rourke Croeser, Craig Paul, Pete Smith and Burry Stander as well as many others were all present for a tough 40kms of racing. I started hard, and managed to surprise many with a good speed out of the blocks. Very quickly I worked myself into a break with Stewart, Knox and Stander and felt super strong. Then a quick error in one of the many technical pieces saw me loose a few seconds and I found myself in no mans land, in 4th position. I held this till about the half way point, where things quickly went pear-shaped. Travis Walker and Pete Smith had caught up, and I went down hard a few times due to a front wheel puncture. I stopped numerous times and used a total of 5 bombs, but it just was not sealing. Rather irritated and 'over-it' I headed slowly into the finish, not too phased with the lack of result. Well done to Burry for doing what he does best...

Then disaster struck, as a few days ago I discovered a crack in my Scott Scale, my pride and joy. Many thanks to the Standers for quickly organizing a Specialized, which I will ride for the World Champs. So I have a bike box that says Merida, I'm wearing a kit that says Scott, and I'm on board a Specialized:)

Will keep the blog up to date over the next few days, so keep checking up!

J

SA Marathon Champs - Dirty Harry

It's been a good few tough weeks since my last update. All I have been doing is building up for World Championships in 2 weeks time, but in the process I made the trip up to Harrismith for the annual Dirty Harry which was a SA Marathon Cup race, and also the championship. I decided to travel up on the morning of the race, as it is only about 2 and a half hours away. Candice Neethling (DCM Chrome) and Michael Hughes made the trip up with us, and we had an amusing road trip. Since the junior distance is limited to 45km, the race was likely to be fast and hard...

There was a long neutral zone to begin with, allowing ample time for the legs to warm up. I stayed near the front, and as soon as the cars moved, Arno du Toit (teammate on Mr Price/Scott) and I made the pace hard to get rid of as many as possible. Attacking at every slight rise, we succeeded in getting the group down to 4 as we hit the main climb of the day, which was also the KOM. We sat on the pace of Ruan du Toit (Cycle for Diabetes, and no relation to Arno) and then about 300m in, I attacked and gapped both of them. Passing back markers in large herds, I put my head down and did some hard work. It worked!

As I approached the top of the climb (it was about 4km) nearly everyone was walking. I dodged and weaved my way through them and did not look back once. Towards half way I realised that I need to be careful to preserve my lead and not to puncture. I rode hard to the finish, just over 2mins ahead of teammate Arno du Toit. I was a super quick race, and afterwards me and a few friends did another lap of the course for training.

All in all it was a good experience, but I guess I'm frustrated that they do not let juniors ride the 75km as that is true marathon racing. Really good and positive for world champs. This weekend I'm off to Cowan House for some single track heaven, join us, its an awesome route!

Till next time!

Eston Illovo 40km Race...

This last weekend I competed in the 40km Illovo Eston MTB Race, and what a race it turned out to be. I won this race last year, and I only have good memories of the stunning area. In normal conditions, this race is super flat and fast, comprising of mostly fast district roads mixed with some fast flowing singletrack and grassy tracks. But this year the conditions were far from ideal. After a brisk, intense warm up on a trainer (it was far too muddy to go anywhere), I went through my usual pre-race routine. I was shivering on the start line waiting in freezing temperatures which had scared away a lot of this years entries, but there was still a brave turnout.

Then the racing started and the planned neutral zone abruptly ended as the lead motorbike crashed in the first few meters. All the usual snakes were there, including ex-teammate Travis Walker (DCM Chrome), Brendon Davids (Jeep) and Luke Roberts (Maverick) and it was clear that it was going to be a good race. Nothing happened until the King of the Mountains at 5kms in, where Travis jumped me to win on the line. Travis and I then created a small gap to the rest of the bunch, and I urged him to keep the pace high, to stop a fast flying Brendon Davids from joining us. At about 10kms in, we reached wattle climb and at the base, I attacked and got a good gap...

From there I pinned my ears back and hit the accelerator. For about 8 or 9kms I stayed out in front, but Trav was slowly clawing his way back in the muddiest sections. We reached the split and he had caught me and we entered the second half together. From there we just marked various attacks until about 5 kms to go where I put in a serious effort to shake him. It was going well, but I crashed in a river bed to watch my minuscule gap diminish before my eyes.

Into the last km, and I was in front by a few meters. As we descended the final section, I hit the last corner first and began the sprint. With mud flying and gears jumping, I managed to win be a wheel's length or so. Well done to Trav for an awesome race, and to Brendon for a well deserved 3rd.

I was happy with my result as it bodes well for World Championships in Australia in 3 weeks! This weekend I am off to Harrismith for the National Half Marathon Champs... should be a blast...

Till next week,

African Continental Champs and more...

Well it has been an good couple of weeks since I last updated. The major focus of these last few months has been the African continental champs which were held this last weekend in Nelspruit, near the Kruger National Park. I have been doing a few classic races in and around KZN to keep the racing miles in my legs and so far things seem to be working out all right. Also a good training camp down in Port Shepston with the Stander family (parents of international cycling superstar, Burry Stander) and the rest of the team have worked wonders with my approach to cycling, and all the other (often neglected) components of attaining success on the bike.

Giba Gorge MTB Race
Well this race is on my doorstep and my regular training ground, so I was racing to win. I got to sleep in a bit and arrive at the race feeling fresh and ready after a tough day of training the day before. The race started a little early and it was rather chilly in the morning, so the pace was 'easyish' over the first climb. The route comprised of two laps of around 22km, on mostly wide open climbs and flowing single track. Early on I managed to get into a break with Roan Exelby and David Leiman, the two Fullimput riders on their custom Morewood bikes. As we entered the first section of singletrack, local knowledge played in my favour. I took off down a technical piece and never looked back. I felt strong throughout the race despite losing my bottle early on. I came in around 4 minutes ahead of the second place David Leiman, and the entire race was quite positive.

I found a cool article about the race too. Check it out - http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global%5B_id%5D=24983

Safire Insurance Super Classic
Well after an eventful training camp at the Standers, including nutritional and training talks as well as some tough riding with Burry, the team headed to this super classic which was held at Baynesfield Estate just outside Martizburg. We were amped to race, as in the previous week we had done not much besides eat, ride and sleep. It was a good tester for the legs before the big event, African Continental Champs. On the menu was a fast 45km consisting of mostly wide open road and the occasional piece of semi flowing singletrack. I started hard, attacking from the gun and pushing the pace. At the KOM which was early on, I was pipped by Tavis Walker, ex-teammate and now riding for DCM Chrome, but we had created a gap to the chasers, teammate Arno du Toit and Jeep rider Craig Paul. Travis and I pushed the pace for the whole of the first 20 kms or so, but then things started going pear shaped. I lost pressure in my front tyre from either a puncture or from burping it (loosing air randomly) and when I stopped to bomb it, the valve shot off into the grass and was nowhere to be seen. I looked for 10mins or so and eventually found it and pieced it all together. I got going, but the race was lost and I chased hard to come in 5th overall, satisfied with the training, but not the bike behaviour. Oh well, that's how it often goes....

African Continental Champs
It was a good memory to return to the original national course, which I won earlier in the year. The course designers had evened out some of the climbs and cut out some of the sections of singletrack, bringing the lap times down to around 20mins or so. After a perfect pre-race meal on friday night with burry and co, I was ready to go the next day. Off the start grid, I timed the opening straight nicely and entered the singletrack first, with Adriaan Louw and Rourke Croeser (both DCM Chrome) right behind me. Up the first steep climb, and Rourke and myself created a small gap to a few chasers. We completed the first lap together and then disaster struck for Croeser midway through the second as he punctured and suffered further technical problems later on. From there I put my head down and gunned it. I knew the course well and it was a short race, with my time being a little over 1'20, 2 mins ahead of Adriaan. I was very happy with the result, and a huge thanks to certain people must be made. To Johann Wykerd, a coach and mentor who has helped me fantastically over the last couple of years. Also to Allegra Wykerd, Charles Stander as well as Charles and Linda Roberts for helping me out all the time.

here's a cool link and a different perspective - http://www.chainwheel.co.za/?p=210

Even better news is that I was selected for World Champs in Austrailia in the first week of September. Aus here we come:)

I'll put photo's up later... till next time,

Caio

Here

Big Induna Mi-Way Half Marathon

This last weekend the entire Mr Price/Scott team made the trip up to Hazyview from their various locations to compete in the Induna Half-Marathon which was one of the marathons in the National Series. This years ruling only allowed juniors to compete in the shorter distance (45kms), so it meant a long trip for a short race, but nevertheless I was excited. We arrived on Thursday night after a long day of driving and slept well. On Friday we checked out certain parts of the course and went over the river crossings. The race start/finish area was at Induna Adventures, and there was an interesting mix of forestry roads, banana plantations and thick singletrack forests.

Then it was race day. With Caitlin de Wet, Arno du Toit and myself all present on the front row, we looked the team to beat. This was my first marathon this year, and I was keen to give it a bash. The first tar section was too slow for my liking, so I put down a half hearted attack to split things up before the big climb. Then into the 2,1km climb only after a 3 min warm up. I sat on the front tapping out a tempo for Arno, teammate and series leader. We shed the pack quickly and towards the top section of the climb there were only five of us left. I opened up a gap to Arno and another competitor who was sticking with him and continued to push hard up and over the higher slopes. Then I had about a 30s gap and decided that this was my race as I was feeling super strong.

I went flat out for the first section of the race and as there was no immediate pressure, I flew into some single track pieces and really flowed. Then the race was almost over, I started to really enjoy myself and started catching some of the 75km participants who had started an hour before us. I hit the finishing 8kms which came past where we were staying and rode it time trial style till the finish.

Official Results

MiWay 45km Half-marathon

Men
1 James Reid (Mr Price SCOTT)1:41:00
2 Arno du Toit (Mr Price SCOTT) 1:45:19

Women
1 Caitlin de Wet (Mr Price SCOTT)

Well done to Caitlin for wrapping up the womens race in fine style. After the race I went with a few friends on the 75km course, and what a route! We got horribly lost and ended up spending another 2 hours on the bike, but it was awesome fun!

Till next time,

Bit of Classic Racing

Well these last two weeks have been frustrating at times, but also very good for training. As I've only recently started on a training programme (3 weeks ago), I've been arriving at races feeling more tired than usual, to use the race as part of training for the bigger events. Two weeks ago I competed in the Mtunzini Super Classic, a 55km race up near Richards Bay area. On the menu was roughly 55kms of mostly sugar cane, forestry road and flat fast sections. The race was very much a roadies race minus a few technical sections. All were present and accounted for, except Craig Paul and Andrew Hill, with Craig suffering from a training accident which we all hope he recovers from, and Andrew down with flu.

Out of the starting gates and up the first hill, it was David Leiman (Fullimput) who put the hammer down and gave us a little glimpse of what was to come. That was countered by Brendon Davids (Jeep) and I but it was waaay to early on. We all entered the first single track piece with about a bunch of 12 and it was clear that the racing was going to be a whole lot of fun. After 5kms of flat cane roads, we hit the first real climb and David attacked again like a man possessed. He strung the field out and again Brendon and I were chasing him down. We came out at the top and David had a good gap with four of us chasing. It was Brendon and I, Shan Wilson and Shaun Peschl. The group was not very co-operative as everyone was thinking about the length of the race. Brendon and I did the lion's share of the pulling and it bore fruit as we almost caught David at the 20km mark. Shaun Peschl then very cleverly jumped the gap and provided David with the horsepower he needed to carry on. Unfortunately Brendon and I were left to chase as Shan Wilson, a very well know roadie who won the Masters section this year at the Cape Epic, was very unco-operative. 

Towards the 10km to go mark I sensed the other two were tired and so I went for it up a short incline and got the gap which I maintained to the finish, finishing just under a minute behind the two in front. I was happy with the result. Well done to Brendon who managed a good 5th with a few mechanical incidents. 

Howick Super Classic

Then this last weekend I competed in the Howick Super Classic, a local race which was pretty much all single track through the recently burnt forests. Everybody seemed either sick or scared off by the weather or else racing the Dusi Mfula, a stage race being held on the same day. Nevertheless, I was up for a good two hours of racing. Through the neutral zone and away through the first climb I attacked and again it was Brendon Davids who followed with Travis Walker (an ex-teammate and now racing for DCM Chrome) just behind. I led for 10 kms and then was caught by both of them in one of the many, many technical sections as I was not riding comfortably. It became clear that it would become a three way battle between the youngsters. I lost my water bottle in an early tumble and this would cost me slightly in the end. Throughout the middle of the race it was a ping pong match between us three with each of us taking turns trying to get away. 

Then disaster struck for Brendon Davids (Jeep) as he punctured exactly when Travis and I decided to put the hammer down harder. He soon fell out of sight and then it was just two of us left fighting for it. Into the mist and rain we raced, higher and faster, the two ex-teammates trying to edge each other out for the win. At the main climb of the day Travis drove the pace, but I was going nowhere and attacked near the top. I desperately wanted to win and at 10kms to go I was flying trying to get away. Travis was not letting me me out of his sights and we raced closer and closer to the end. Then disaster stuck me, and while cornering on wet tar I felt the front wheel slide and caught a glimpse of Travis ducking into the final single track section to take the win. I picked myself up with a few sore roasties and came into the finish second, just over 30 seconds behind Travis. Disappointed to not get the win, but happy with the way I rode. 

I'm building up for African Champs, so these next few weeks should be fun. The Induna Marathon Series is this weekend so we'll see how that goes. Till then,

Ciao

Pretoria National XC # 5

Well this last weekend was that last of the National XC events for 2009. This race took place at Fountains Nature reserve, on the outskirts of Pretoria. As I am in the middle of exams, I flew up on Thursday night with my books for exams. One more week and then they're all over, so I guess that is a big positive. On Friday we went down to the track for a quick look and a test run and I was shocked. The track was unlike any other that I had seen (not that I've see that many:) comprising of 85% single track with little space to over take anywhere. It was very flat, a complete opposite from the world cup course. When it's very flat, it also means that there is no time to recover. 

Saturday was all too soon upon us and it was race time. Wearing my new colours, I got in a good warm up before our 15min delayed start time. I had a 3rd grid rank, which meant that I was the third rider to choose my place on the start line, but luckily still in the front row. Our start batch was larger than usual, with more than 40 juniors lining up. Then the gun went off and it was full speed ahead. The opening straight was a tar road and I was third into the first piece of single track, which in retrospect was not good. Rourke (Croeser, DCM Chrome) managed to pull away and I was caught behind his teammate, Adriaan Louw. After a bit of jostling for position, I managed to get my way past him and set off in pursuit of Croeser. Things were going well on the first lap, but I went out a little too hard and fell back a bit, conceding valuable time. I then crashed on the second lap in the most technical section and lost a bit more time. From then on I was a bit more careful managed to maintain the gap to third place. Up front Croeser had punctured and still his gap was big enough to stay ahead. 

Towards the end I realised that catching was a tall order and I stayed focused on keeping upright and maintaining position. I came in second, just under 2 minutes behind the winner, Rourke. I was super happy as it bodes well for selection for world cup in Australia in September. I'll put some photos up later. 

Official Results:

Junior – 6 laps
1 Rourke Croeser (DCM Chrome) 1:45:35
2 James Reid (Mr Price - SCOTT) 1:47:18
3 Ruan du Toit 1:49:38

On the brighter side, I forgot to mention that our team is sponsored by fast fuel, one of the best energy products out there. Check out their website at http://www.fastfuel.co.za/.

catch up later...

Karkloof Classic Festival and a change of sponsors

Well its been an eventful time since my last update, the world cup now seems like a distant memory, and a good one at that. I've been going through some good times and some bad times, but all in all, life is awesome. I still that ordinary kid involved in an extraordinary sport. First of all is a change of sponsor, as I am now a part of the Mr Price - Scott junior MTB team. Life in Motion, my previous sponsor was an awesome bunch of people, but was a stepping stone into the 'bigger league' teams like this one. 

Mr Price - Scott is a junior MTB team that is mentored by Burry Stander, who can simply be described as one of the most potent forces in mountain biking in the world. Mr Price as the primary sponsor needs no introduction. As a South African sport, clothing and household retail

 giant, they have been a personal sponsor to Burry for the last 8 years. The team ride Scott Bicycles, the superlight Scale 2009 series. Pics of the actual ride to be added soon...

Well with all the gear I was a set and secure for a bash at some of the classic races in the calendar. On the menu last weekend was the Karkloof Classic MTB festival, and what an event it turned out to be. The night race on Friday night was a complete laugh, and a whole different experience. I started well, in a big break containing all the DCM Chrome guys and at about the 4km mark things got out of hand. There was a massive puddle that we all crashed and skidded our way through, with only three people getting through unscathed. 

After crashing three more times, as well as getting lost a few times, I managed 8th overall and the first junior home. Tired, happy and very cold.

On Saturday I opted to skip the XC event in the morning, due to a slight flu that was worse that morning. In the afternoon I was all in for the Bell Sprint Shootout, a lapped race around an obstacle filled 400 or so meters. I was forth in the qualifing rounds, but the finals turned out to be a big disappointment. I crashed on the second lap coming out of the truck and the hanger was bent in a bad way. A lot of fun, but not quite the result I was looking for. Well done to my new teammate, Arno du Toit, who won the Junior shootout slightly ahead of a fast moving Brendon Davids (Jeep).

So it was full steam ahead for the 40km Aquelle Half-Marathon on Sunday. All the Junior racing was in the 40km, and what an action packed field we had. From the gun the pace was pretty relaxed, but that lasted about 1.5km and then the real racing began. On the first climb an elite bunch of all U18's formed, consisting of myself, Arno du Toit, Brendon Davids (Jeep), Luke Roberts (Maverick), Travis Walker and Adriaan Louw (both DCM Chrome). This was the bunch that stayed together the majority of the race, and there was little to separate us. Attacks were thrown everywhere, but nothing got more than a few seconds. Towards the last 15kms or so, Travis Walker showed his hand in a big attack, but we managed to bring him back.By now everyone was tiring and when Travis attacked again, the bunch blew. I clawed my way into second on the last big climb of the day and held the rest off for a satisfying result. 

Well done to ex-teammate Travis for pinning it. Adriaan Louw rounded off the podium, with teammate Arno arriving in 4th. It was a super tight race that could have gone anyone's way. 

Otherwise, its all eyes on next weekend's last XC National in Pretoria... Till then!

World Cup - Junior Men XCO

Well the World Cup has come and gone and it went decently well. At the end of the day I am very disappointed with the outcome, but not disappointed with the way I rode. The entire experience of competing in the world cup was one I will remember for a long time. What was super disappointing was the lack of international entries into the event, and we only had two Swiss riders who had made the effort to come down and give the SA team a run for their money.

The race was unlike any other XC race that I have ever done. The biggest factor was a strong rain that had dredged the course the night before, creating a slippery, slick paste on the surface that we all had to contend with. Straight out the blocks the pace was not as fast as normal, and I was fourth into the first piece of singletrack. Up the first steep climb the entire field had to jump off and run, changing the dynamics of the race completely. Coming down the singletrack was a different story all together. We all slipped and skated our way down to the bottom somehow and then madly scrambled to clip back in and get going again, only to have the same experience again a few minutes later. I felt good with the new running element and by the end of the first lap I had moved up into third and was having a blast. One Swiss rider was ahead and Rourke Croeser had a gap to me as well. For the next few laps we all held position and the time gaps slowly increased. I was stoked that I was currently in third and on the way to the podium. At the start of the last lap I still had some 'petrol in the tank' and decided that I was going to give it everything.

Then disaster struck. Another brutal jump on the pedals, then a sudden chink and then nothing. Words alone cannot describe the disappointment that surged through me as I stared down to a broken chain and bent hanger. But there was no time for thoughts. I had a 'quick-link' but I could not remove the pins to allow it to work. So I ran the first half of the last lap to the tech zone where the other riders caught me. A quick change, but the damage was done. Three riders had passed and although I chased furiously, the bent hanger caused the gears to slip more and prevented me from making any headway. I rolled into the finish 6th, and very unhappy. 

Although it was not the best time for this to happen, these things do happen, so the best you can do is to accept it and move on. I must say a HUGE thank you to Johann Wykerd, Ann and Trav Walker and to all of my awesome friends and their creative support for the race. The rest of the weekend was a blast, getting to see Burry and the world's best race right here in SA. The Downhill was electrifying to watch, and the sheer energy of the spectators was a wondrous spectacle. Greg Minaar was unbelievably fast, and the entire event was a resounding success.

Till next week...

All ready for World Cup?!?

This last two weeks have been a testing time for me. Training has been tough and I am just not finding the form that I was having in the first part of this year. I feel tired often I know there is something wrong with my training. It can't all be plain sailing can it? After the world cup I am going to take a break and start more carefully. Just another challenge in this super challenging sport, but that's what makes it fun in the end.

This last weekend I competed in the 4th XC National held and Cascades, PMB. I felt decent in the week leading up to the event and thought that the recent lack of form was just a passing thing. I hit the first climb hard and was chasing the eventual leader, Rourke Croeser, and feeling strong. Midway through the first lap things started going backwards. I felt lightheaded and realised that I had gone too hard in the beginning and my legs were not good. Bad turned to worst when I lost a lot of pressure midway through the second lap and had to stop for more air. Thoughts of pulling out crossed my mind more than once, but I stuck it out for an eventual 5th. Defiantly not the form I was needing the weekend before world cup, but that's just a part of life hey? 

I have been looking very carefully at what went wrong, and scrutinizing every part of my ride. I realise that my nutrition was wrong, as well as my setup. Yep, it's a tough, lonely sport when things are going badly. Learning to cope and grow through failure is a very important life skill and it's a journey that I'm going through. 

On the positive side, I am doing things very differently for this weekend at Worlds. It's going to be awesome to race on the course with some of the best juniors from around the world. See you at the action!

Thats a bit better.... Bushman's MTB in Escourt

Well this last week went well from the training and racing side. I've been putting in some quality training and my body seems to be responding well. Yesterday (Saturday) I did a 2 hour ride with good friend Luke Roberts from my house to the World Cup course, and then switched bikes and went out for a couple of laps of the World Cup course. Well one thing led to another and I ended up doing around 5 laps and spending the better part of 5 hours on the bike that day. The course is looking super challenging, but I've decided that it's now a favourite...  I suppose that anything that is a bit smoother than that George course is cool! There are a fair number of brutal climbs, and nut much time for recovery. I also got to see Greg Minaar in action which was spectacular. That red Santa-Cruz is poetry in motion!

Then on Sunday I race the Bushman's MTB race in Escourt at the stunning venue of Wagendrift Dam. The settings were perfect, a bit on the hotter side temperature wise, but otherwise very sweet for racing. My legs were a bit sore from the previous day, but not too bad. On the menu was a long 55km super classic, a good training ride for the next few weeks of brutal racing. The pace was decent out of the start, but as soon as we hit the first climb things started ironing out. Pete Smith and Craig Paul (Jeep) took off, with Brendon Davids, Andrew Hill and I chasing hard. The legs were still warming up, and by the start of the second climb it got better. I went hard and only Andrew Hill managed to follow. We worked together for 15km or so, and then were joined by Shaun Peschl. The pace was good over the main KOM, and we were making inroads to the lead the two Jeep guys had.

Then disaster struck, as my rear wheel punctured. I stopped to bomb it, but it would not seal properly. I was now back in 5th place, and riding a flattish tyre. I then stopped a second time with a second bomb and it seemed to seal. Brendon Davids (Jeep) managed to catchup and we worked together for the remainder of the race. We managed to catch Shaun and I took 4th on the line, winning the Junior category. I was happy with the result, considering the quantity of training this last week.

I'm already getting nervous for the World Cup in 3 weeks time. The track is awesome!

Till next week

A Quick Pic from the weekend...

SA Nationals - George

Well the National championships have come and gone for another year and I must say that I am disappointed with the outcome.  Last week I was in a bit of trouble with doing a bit too much training, but that turned out all right. I tapered correctly and arrived in George feeling strong after the long 12 hour drive. We went down as a Life in Motion team and enjoyed a good few laughs along the way. On Friday we went to check out the track and it was very different to anything I'd ever raced on. The course was extremely tough and physically taxing, not only on the legs, but on the entire body. Very bumpy and with a few drops thrown in for fun. 

The pace off the start was extremely fast. As I was seeded first, I had a good line (or so I thought) on the left hand side. I decided to ease the pace in the beginning to compensate for the extra lap that we had to do. This was a terrible mistake I never quite recovered from, although I did learn from. I was fourth into the first piece singletrack, and the two leaders had darted away. I needed to get past Adriaan Louw to chase them down, and when his gears jumped midway through the first lap, I darted off and ran past, only to get knocked down by him coming past again. We both fell, and about 5 guys went past. Then, on the last stretch of gravel road before the start/finish, I tried to overtake again, only to be brought down hard by some guy who was not paying attention. I hit the deck for the second time in the first lap and this time the bike was a bit messed. I rode into the start/finish with bent handlebars and stopped to adjust a few things. Now I was about 12th or so, way back. I must admit that I felt like giving up right there and then. It was clear that things were not going my way. 

But I needed to points, so I clawed slowly back, chasing and passing guys constantly. Little things started to irritate me, like not drinking consistently after concentrating too hard in the beginning, and a quick release popping loose twice. At the end of the six laps, I felt really strong, and actually wanted a few more laps to make up some more places. I ended up 5th, and quite happy with what I salvaged out of a terrible first lap. I learnt heap loads, and things that will only make me faster in time. 

My teammate Travis Walker had a solid ride, finishing 6th, just behind me. Huge thanks to Johann Wykerd for an awesome weekend and to the entire Life in Motion team for an unforgettable experience. 

This week I am doing some local races, getting ready for the nationals and then worlds in 'maritzburg in the holidays. On a brighter note, two weeks left of school and then the World Cup is on us! Till then...

One step forwards... two steps back

Everybody has bad days. Some people have bad weeks. This last week was terrible. Everything just went wrong. While trying to put in some hard training for George this weekend, I made the mistake of training too hard. I got a couple of good training sessions in, but too many of them. Then I started to fall behind at school, resulting in later nights and less time to recover. This weekend was the third in the Provincial series and a good tester before SA Champs. I had big expectations, but ended up way behind what I was aiming for. I was looking for a dice with teammate and friend Travis Walker but it didn't happen. 

The location was Uvongo, just outside Port Shepstone. The course was on a nut/banana/sugar cane farm and it was a really bumpy track. They decided to group us with the Elites for the start, and that promised for some really competitive racing. Due to the distance of the track from home, I was unable to ride the course beforehand, a really stupid idea. So we took off on our first race lap, and Travis hit the front, full systems going... I clung on, but the pace was too hot and I realised that the previous week was taking its toll on me. Towards the end of the first lap, in a muddy section, Travis ground it out while I spun in the mud. Wrong tyres for the conditions, and I had to hop off and run. From then I really didn't feel good and so I decided to go on cruise control for the rest of the race. I ended up doing 6 laps instead of 5, and felt better towards the end. All credit to Travis for riding an awesome race. 

Well, I hope that things come right before this weekend, the big one... SA champs in George! Remember if you're not feeling it after training too hard, take a break! It's all rest and recovery for this coming weekend but I hope it's not too late... till then,

Ciao

Testing in Stellenbosch and IDT... a lot of IDT...

Hey there! Sorry for the lack of updates, life has been quited busy recently. My school opened it's new sports hall, and decided to have an event officially open it, originally named the '24 hours of sport'. Yup, you guessed it, there was continuous sport for 24 hours. I had (stupidly) signed up for an attempt at the most distance in one hour, and then a crack at how far I could ride in 12 hours, even though I knew that I would never make it. I'm an optimistic guy, so I had a bash. In one hour I managed 49km at about an average of 97%HR! It was sheer hell, and I think it'll be a very long time before I try something like that again. Then there was an hour break before the long stuff started. I got going slowly and managed 175.7km in about 6 hours. I was incredibly bored and tired so I decided to call it a day and went to sleep. Total days riding was around 7 hours and over 200km. 

Then this last weekend when I was supposed to be racing a provincial at Cascades (the venue of the World Cup), I was instead invited and flown down to Stellenbosch for the National High Performance camp that was being held there for junior riders. On Friday, I got very sick with some sort of blood virus that seemed to attack the joints. It was nasty and the worst part was that nobody knew what it was! Feeling weak and shaky, I got onto the plane and made it down to Stellenbosh with my road bike, having been told that most of the good mountain bike routes had burnt down in wildfires a week before. 

The camp's purpose was to establish some sort of baseline testing for a new generation of Junior cyclist that would hopefully raise the standards to make SA more competitive on a global level. We did all sorts of tests, ranging from flexibility to vision etc. I was a bit mystified as to why they did not do VO2 max testing individually as they had the facilities and the time. We attended lectures about nutrition and psychology and a whole lot of other stuff. It was very useful knowledge, and all in all it was a good camp. 

This weekend I am putting in big, hard miles for Nationals in 2 weeks times. Next weekend is a provincial again (I desperately need to rescue my provincial campaign, 3rd then DNE!) Till then...

OH WOW!

This last weekend saw me achieving one of my year’s goals in cycling. I surprised myself and everybody who knew me by winning the Junior Men’s XC race at the second round of the National  XC MTB series, held at Mankele MTB park, just outside Nelspruit. We arrived late on Friday afternoon and hit the track for a few practise laps to familiarise myself with the course again (I raced my first ever XC event here the same time last year) The course was a long 8.8km track that suited my style of riding, being very fast and flowing. I slept well on Friday and felt better prepared than I ever had before a MTB event. Our start was at 12:45 and the worst part was the long wait while the nerves built up. I was seeded second on the start grid, and ready for some pain.

We started relatively slowly and after a few hiccups in the first section of single track that I managed to avoid, I broke from the main pack with current SA champion, Rourke Croeser and we built a small lead. The course had one long power climb of about 700m and then it was pretty much sweet single track to the finish. On the singletrack on the way down, still on the first lap, Croeser cracked something in his seat and had to stop at the tech zone on the start of lap 2. I was very surprised to be leading on the start of lap 2, and decided to sit up and wait for the two chasers. They caught me on the power climb, previous winner Adriaan Louw and Ruan du Toit, and I joined them for some sweet group riding on an MTB. As the pace was not too hot (although the temperature was!), I decided to use my head a bit and think about what was going on, rather than just going flat out all the time. 

For three more laps the three of us stuck together like glue, never letting each other out of sight. The race grew and grew into the race of the day with bets being placed by the spectators and some wild commentating. On the last lap I knew better than to not sit in line and take 2nd or 3rd, but I was almost at the end of my limits. I put in one final attack on the long power climb, realising long ago that if I was not first there, my race would be lost. I went at about 99% HR for 1 min and still Louw beat me to the top. He had ridden at the front for the most of the race, setting the tempo. I almost registered defeat but I saw a small gap almost immediatly afterwards, and then went flat out to try and pass. It was an attack on a recovery from the previous interval and I made it, and then took to the finishing singletrack like an energiser bunny (still 3 or 4 km). I did not once look back and came into the finish over a minute ahead, unbelievably happy to have come so far in such a short time. This was my fifth XC race ever, and I throughly enjoyed it.

The rest of the weekend was awesome, hanging out on Saturday night with friends and realxing by the fire. There was a live band, and it was the perfect icing on a perfect day. Although I realise that this result only comes once or twice a year, it was still awesome to have it so soon as a confidence booster before SA Champs. 

A big thank you to the course organisers and the Johann Wykerd and Kim Phillips for an awesome weekend. 

Some pics of the weekend

First lap and going for it!

Me and Travis dicing throught the first lap

Disaster strikes! But it all works out in the end...

Momentum Health XC Provincial #1 - Stainbank

This last weekend I competed in the first of the Momentum Health KZN Cup Series races in Stainbank, just outside Durban. During this last week I had a fear of a bad muscle tear in my right quad, so I took Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday off, mostly because I wanted it to recover in time for this coming weekend's national in Mankele. Thanks to Brent from Emberton Sports and Wellness center for getting me right in no time at all.

The course was a long 7km grind, with a few nice sections of singletrack and a long 900m climb included. As this race was not an 'A' grade race, I went out for 3 hours on Friday and Saturday, and was planning to use the race as training. Our start was at 10:30, and by that time it was very warm, although the track was still very muddy in places.

I started out tenderly, and halfway through the first lap me and my teammate Travis Walker had built a slight gap. Feeling good, I took to the front and the pace hotted up, with both of us pushing the limits. Then, midway through the second lap, disaster struck. I was leading Travis through the one rocky single track section and I hit a stray rock way to fast. The air dissappeared from my rear tyre and Travis was left uncontended for the win. Although it was early on in the race, I knew Travis was strong so I gave up my hopes of winning. After numerous bombs I discovered a cut in the sidewall, and ran/walked back to the tech zone, a good 3km or so away. By the tech zone I was pretty much last in the Junior age group. With 3 laps still to go, I decided to borrow a rear wheel and go out for a bit more training. I rode hard and managed to catch everybody except Travis on one other, suprising myself and taking 3rd place.

More importantly, I had a blast. For a provincial race, there were a large number of entries and there was an exciting vibe, with Max Cluer commentating and stunning elite racing. Well done to Roan Excelby for winning the XC Mens 6 lap race.

This weekend I am off to the second round of the National XC series at Mankele, just outside of Nelspruit. I'm trying desperately to keep mind-strong about it, but I'm not too sure about my form. Also discovered a large ding in my rim, resulting it it having to be replaced. (deep sigh...) Will keep you posted!

Ciao,

Training and more catchup...

So its been a while but I am finally managing to integrate back into my programme after the 3 months or so of doing nothing much. In hindsight, taking a break of that length was one of the best things that I could have done. While doing hillclimb intervals the other day, I was putting out more power at a lower heart-rate than I had ever done last year. I think my body really grew during that period and will allow me to reach to higher places this year and beyond.

Otherwise its just been a whack load of training and work. I'm still at school, just starting grade 11 and I take my school work pretty seriously. I'm aiming at straight A's next year, and I think it is possibly through the right balance of work and cycling. So many youngsters (I say that like an old wise grandfather!) get so caught up in sport at school and fail to realise the value of education. My plan is to go to varsity, get a degree in either accounting or engineering and then have a crack at becoming one of the world's best on the MTB circuit. Call me a crazy dreamer, but somebody once said that its better to aim at something and miss than aim at nothing and hit.

Didn't race this last weekend, I was up in the Drakensberg hiking (another hobby of mine!) but I'm racing the next four weekends in a row! Also finally saved up enough for X.O Gripshift, so thats going to be a cool upgrade. Will keep you posted!

Ciao,

And now... a word from the sponsors...

Athletes need organisations to sponsor them, and organisations need athletes to represent and promote their brand or cause. So a sponsorship is a business agreement between an individual and an athlete (I learnt all about his at the High Peformance camp, see post before!) Cycling is a very elitist sport in South Africa, mostly because the running costs of racing and training are incredibly high. Sponsors are the people who, in exchange for putting their name on you back, plus a little bit more, will help you cover some of the costs involved in cycling... I am very blessed to have a few awesome people behind me every step of the way. The main man is Johann Wykerd, a guy who has done so much behind the scenes for mountainbiking in South Africa. He is a beast on the bike himself, and is also an absolute bike guru. He is the original founder of the bike shop/club Maverick, but now is involved in other businesses. He and his wife Allegra are also the creators of Life in Motion, the name on our kit. Here is a bit more about them

Life-in-Motion is a non-profit business that Johann and Allegra Wykerd started. It's aim is to create a vehicle through which young people who acknowledge their God given right to be someone, can be afforded the opportunity to live life by design.

Life-in-Motion is a vehicle for anyone that has a deep desire to make a difference; one life at a time. In our community right now their are young people who are alive, but do not have a life. They are in this position not because of their own design, but because of the hand they were dealt. Some are orphans, some come from broken families and some just never had the opportunity to excel before, because of their curcumstances.

The business supports the followin initiatives:

• Grassroots Mountain Biking team
• Makaphutu children's village
• Lily of the Valley community projects and children's village

Life-in-Motion raises funds through:

• Selling of Allegra Wykerd's art... (www.allegra-art.com)
• Hosting of cycling events
• Project Sponsorships

See www.lifeinmotion.co.za 

Other co-sponsors are:

Pure Adventure Wear

PSG Konsult (a short term insurance company)

KZN High Peformance Mountain Bike Workshop

(we were having a wheelie competition of one of the nights, I'm useless at it!)

With all the excitement and hype around the XC nationals at Jonkershoek, I almost forgot to write a little about the High Performance Camp that was held on the 5th and 6th of January, at a stunning venue called African Enterprises high up in Pietermaritzburg mountains. The brains behind the whole idea were Johann and Allegra Wykerd, who are also the main people behind the sponsorship of our team (Life in Motion). 

The purpose of the workshop was help young (14-25) mountain bikers specifically from KZN to reach their true potential by having a number of professionals come in and share their vast knowledge in different areas. It was a large amount of information in quite a short time, but this camp was the 'test run' for a possible national high performance camp, and it was a big success. We had talks from sports psychologists, nutritionists, physiotherapists, doctors, lap experts, event managers etc. I learnt that there is so much more to riding a bike fast on some weekends a month, and there were a lot of areas that I could improve in to help create a much more rounded athlete. I particularly enjoyed a talk by Max Cluer, of Max Cluer Event Management about presenting yourself more professionally at events. 

 We also had a chance to ride the world cup course at Cascades, which was just down the road. All I can say is that it is very steep, and still needs a lot of world before it is world class, but most of the single-track is unbelievably sweet. All in all the weekend was a great one for learning, and a valuable eye-opener. The food was great, and it was awesome to bond with guys that ride bikes in you province... Well done Johann and Allegra!

XC Nationals #1 - Jonkershoek

(this is the start of the Junior men's XC race, I am on the right of the front four, next to teamate Travis Walker)

Shock and horror! (but in a good way!) Yesterday I absolutly suprised myself and everybody I knew. I ended up 2nd in Junior Men in my second national event, and my forth XC event ever! I still don't know where I found the legs to ride, but somehow it all just went right. On Friday, when I was doing my practice laps, I was battling in the singletrack and when I went for a fast lap I felt pretty sluggish. With no major expectations I lined up at the start of the Junior Men XC race, as a first year junior, hoping for a top 10. Junior is a category for 17 and 18 year old boys and it is often the most hotly contested race, fueled by huge amounts of ego and testosterone. The race kicked off at a blistering pace, and I was 5th into the first singletrack with my teammate Travis Walker following right behind. The long singletrack climb left no room for error, and a group of five formed on the next long, rocky jeeptrack climb. I managed to break away slightly with top athletes Adriaan Louw and Rourke Croeser and we finished the first lap with me trailing slightly behind. Then Rourke had a mechanical and I was into second spot and very shocked. Because of the lack of training, buy the end of the third lap I was cramping and so my last two lap times were much slower. I finished 2nd, and very happy. Travis finished 5th, and Sbu, the other guy in our team was 11th. 

Official Results

Junior (5 laps)
1 Adriaan Louw 2:02:44
2 James Reid 2:07:46
3 Ruan du Toit 2:11:29

Now I'm finally at home and I can get down to some proper training. I'm trying to make a habit of posting once every two weeks, so till then...

Filling in the gap...

So this is the very first post. The beginning. Its like the start of a race, which, for me, is always the worst part. There is always that guy who is going to be just a little faster or a little stronger than you, and you have nothing to work with. Oh well, such is life...

I've spent ages thinking about starting this blog, and there are a few things that you need to know as a keen follower of my progress. It's about cycling, and not much else, so if you don't like cycling, then congrats for reading this far. I basic idea is that I write race reports like all those other kids out there (you'd be suprised be how many actually do!) and the people who told me to make it (the higher powers) would read it and think that I was following orders well. But they're wrong. This is not just a blog. This is so much more than a basic transcript after every race, this is a inspirational life story of a light-hearted, fun loving teenage kid who enjoys life enough to write about it and hopefully inspire others. Ok, that was a bit deep, but I think you'll eventually get the general idea. 

It's all about having fun, and to those who don't ride a bike regularly, you have no idea of the world you are missing out on. What is cycling? Is it art? Is it life? is it a science? To me it is all three, and it can be a lot of things to all different people. This may sound far to deep, but when you are out on the road for 3 to 6 hours most days a week, you have a lot of time to think about these sorts of things. Cycling relases endorphines, (a chemical more commonly known as happy drugs) in your body, which can block pain and create a feeling of happiness. How awesome is that? If cycling leads to happiness, then I'll always be up for that 2 hour burn in the early hours of a weekday morning, even with the idea of a tough school day ahead.  

So lets come down off planet Phli0, and get back down to Earth. I am 16, turning 17 in August this year. I am not only an avid cyclist, but also a runner, multisporter and duathlete. The one thing that people think I should do is swim, but lets just get this straight. I don't swim. Instead I sink like a drowning cat. So triathlons are out of the question. I started competitive cycling at the age of 15, starting out of inspiration from my older brother, Luke Reid, who was quite a hotshot mountain biker in his day. I got into the road bike scene and found an awesome sponsor through House of Paint, and road with them for 2007 and 2008, ages 15 and 16. 

In my second year as a Youth, or U16, I was blessed with a number of awesome victories in races, including 3rd overall in the U16 National Tour at Midmar, as well as the overall winner of the Illovo Eston 40km race. The other major acheivement was a solo win the U16 age category of the Amashovashova classic, a race which is hotly contested by youngsters all over the country. I also managed to do quite well in the Eric van Enter Cycling festival held at Gariep Dam in July 2008, winning the team time trial, the road race, the hill climb and finishing up 3rd in the final crit. 2008 was an awesome year, and I was incredibly lucky to have no injuries or major problems. 

Then came November 2008. I had been a part of a international exchange programme at school, and I applied to go overseas for half a term. I ended up in an awsome school called Boxhill, an international school just south of London. I ended up being overseas for about 2 months, and I did absolutely no training or excercise of any kind (it was the middle of winter). I came back a little pork pie, but the experience made it completely worth it. It was also incredibly good to give my body a break from all the training, and not just a short two week break.

So that brings us to where I am now.... Just about to race my first race of 2009, the first XC National in Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch. I have done about 3 weeks of training, and I am with a new team after switching to racing MTB full time, called Life in Motion (more about them later). I am not at all confident about tomorrow's race (I am writing this in a book on the dining room table of the place I am staying!) but I will give it everything. I have a brand new Kona Kula Delux, and I am anxious to put it through it's paces. I am racing in the Junior Men's category, a strongly testosterone driven one that is brutal. Normally I would have done at least a month of solid long base training, but with being overseas and everything I had no time. Oh well, we'll see how it goes...