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| Leigh's Cycle Centre offers
the widest range of cycling equipment in KwaZulu-Natal. Drop
in to our shop or click
here to join our cycle club. |
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| Cycling News |
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| Keeping You Up-to-Date |
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| 1. The
Race in the Swartberg Mountains... TO HELL AND
BACK... |
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To Hell and Back must be one of
the most grueling cycle tours in
Africa. In November, this epic takes
riders all the way to hell and the
next day back. Once a year, mountain
bikers clash on the uphill hairpins
of the Swartberg Pass and the hairy
descent to Gamkaskloof in the Klein
Karoo. Only the very brave and venturesome
can claim the unique distinction
of having been to hell and back.
Rather than the distance, it's the
destination that makes this event
such torture. The summit of the infamous
Swartberg Pass registers 1560 meters
above sea level. At this point, you
are at an altitude higher than Johannesburg.
And then approximately 40 kilometres
of seriously undulating mountain
roads await...
At 50 kilometres I ask somebody... "Hi...
Is Hell before or after that hill...?"
"After..." came the answer, "that
is Heartbreak Hill..."
We plunged into the most spectacular
hangs and valleys, smashed through
streams and a signboard, crudely
strapped to a 'dehydrated' bush,
popped up. It read 'Heartbreak Hill'.
A four kilometre climb awaits, legs
aching with the pain of lactic acid.
A glance down at the bike computer
with only 8 kilometres left... One
last effort, every muscle fibre in
your body is stretched to the limit.
Please God, enough now, I want to
go to hell where I can rest... And
then all my prayers are answered.
Level ground and the summit. The
beginning of a road called Elandspad.
The only way in to the HELL.
The drop down is severe, very severe...
470m in 4 kilometres. Switchbacks
snaking back on themselves like impossible
hairpins. I could not help thinking
of the Black ski runs of Austria.
Elandspad would be off the grading
scale for snow skis. The surface
is loose gravel. There are no barriers
and a long fall if you get it wrong.
The start of the second stage was
very different from that of the previous
day. It was altogether more serious...
People were altogether more tired
and oh goodness it was steep.. The
start was straight into granny gear...
Eventually we reached the top. What
had taken an hour up Heartbreak Hill
the day before whizzed by in 5 minutes.
My good sense of humor was short
lived. Thirty kilometres of grinding
started and it went on and on and
on... The Top of Swartberg Pass beckoned.
For the NOVICE, DIE HELLER I could
not
stop babbling out my war stories
of experience down Swartberg pass.
I was HOME and time to rest. Wash
the Karoo off our bikes and start
preparing mentally for next year.
For more info on this race visit
www.tohellandback.co.za or Leigh
and Susan at Leigh's Cycle Centre
in the Pavillion, Durban. |
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| 2. Team
Leigh Cycle Centre Won the 3rd Stage of Sani2c
2009 in the Masters Category |
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They may have
a combined age of one hundred
plus
years, but the Masters category
was racing all out today with
six minutes separating the
top five teams home. The stage
win
went to Leigh Durham
and Gerald Holland (Leigh's
Cycle
Centre),
a minute ahead of diehards
Paul Lancaster and Frank Bradford
(Broken Backs) with overall
winners
Robbie McIntosh and Tim James
(Macs Team) 26 seconds back
in third. On GC Lancaster and
Bradford
took a hard earned second
ahead of Charles Nienaber and
Joe Visser
(Carpetworx).
From www.sani2c.co.za
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| Need cycling advice? Call us
on 031 265 1581 or visit
us at Shop 404, Rooftop Level, Pavilion Shopping Centre,
Westville. |
| Leigh's Cycle Centre offers
the widest range of cycling equipment in KwaZulu-Natal. Drop
in to our shop or click
here to join our cycle club. |
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