RavensLog

The year was 2008, the event was the Tour de France stage 16, the team was Barloworld… The rider John-Lee Augustyn…

It was his 1st Tour de France and he was the youngest this year being just 21years old but he made quite an impression going up… and evidently down mountains.

This talented young South African rider showed them how to climb to the highest point of the 2008 tour. He was first to the top.. and very nearly first to the bottom… the quick way down… the side of the mountain. Now I know he’s a mountain biker as well but the Tour de France is a road race where cyclists are meant to stay on the road…

Watch out for this guy in future… I think he will win some Tour de France mountain stages in years to come… And I think it’s been proven that climbers usually do better overall… Go for yellow dude!

It seems this past weekend was a bad one for cyclists… There were at least two incidents that involved a car and cyclists…

(Extracted from a story posted on http://www.thehubsa.co.za/)
Renaldo, with Fear in his voice:” Marius, you would not believe what just happened, I’m lying in the grass next to the road, please come fetch me, some one knocked me off my bike on purpose and is trying to kill me!” Those were the words of a cyclists who had to run and hide in the bush along the road after being knocked off his bike by a motorist…

This is his story:
“I was riding nearly on the edge of the road, I saw from the corner of my eye a White Open Kaddet coming into the yellow line close to me, I looked into the man’s eyes and could see he wanted to kill me. He drove into me, sending me flying over my handlebars into the gravel and grass on the side of the road. He stopped, Got out with a Panga and come for me. I run into the bush, through wired fences I don’t know what else, I just wanted to get away. The guy then loaded my bike into the car and drove off..I laid in the grass till now (when his friend fetched him) afraid he might come back to me.”

And in another incident taken from http://www.thinkbike.co.za/talk/phpBB2/index.php

Posted by ‘Big Blue’ “A friend of mine was cycling with 2 friends on Sunday morning when a car ploughed into them. One was killed on impact while the other 2 were admitted to hospital. My friend is at home today recovering from a Broken jaw, Broken cheek bone, torn ear and grazed over 30% of he’s body. This was a hit and run so I hope they catch the b%$#&^% who caused this senseless tragedy”

These are only two of the incidents over the weekend… how many more were there?

So the weather is changing… no more hot sunny days, instead we have cold and wet stay indoors kinda weather… with “what’s on TV” days and “I’m sleeping late” weekends… ahhhhhhh the joys of winter…

Unless of course you’re one of the crazy people who plan on doing the Double Century cycle tour in November sometime.. I say November sometime because the date is still to be confirmed and so is the start venue and well… the route.

What we do know about the Double Century is that it’s a team cycle event reserved for the crazy people. It covers a distance in excess of 200km with a cut-off time of 10hrs 30mins and the terrain is Not easy… but with enough training it’s achievable by any keen cyclist. And Yes, I am one of those crazy people but I’m not That crazy because I’ve only done it 3 times so far…

It’s a fun (in a sadistic kinda way) event though and quite an achievement for most recreational cyclists… it’s like one of those “Every cyclist must do… before you die” kinda things. So get 6 to 12 cycling buddies together get training and do this milestone event…

And if you not crazy by the time you start the Double Century, you will be when you get halfway and realise that you still have in excess of 100km to the finish! So that’s like doing two Argus Cycle Tours in one day… it’s Madness I tell you!

The third stage of your training should be your power training. This should be the last thing that you need to focus on. Once you have a solid stamina base (building stamina improves strength as well) and you’ve developed some strength, do a bit of power training. On your weekday rides, choose a climb, switch to your big chain ring and your 15, 16 or 17 at the back.

Then, remaining seated, maintain a steady pace for at least 1km up the climb. Change to a lighter gear and relax for about 1 to 2km. Then once you’ve recovered, repeat the exercise. If the climb is long enough keep doing this till you get to the top then spin and recover. Remember that by the time you get home you must feel totally recovered.

Power training should be the very last phase of your training, so if you are training for the Argus tour, don’t even think about power training until February. And remember no pain sometimes strain all the gain.