Lance choppered onto stage, stayed 41 minutes and 23 seconds before Range Rovering out, President Zuma style in a motorcade.

While on stage, he dazzled us with his whit and amazing speaking skill. He chatted with the iconic Phil Liggett and his new South African Team Radio Shack team mate, Daryl Impey.

The day before there was a funds raising group ride along the ocean from Cape Town to Hermanus. Too bad it rained all the way - probably one of the most scenic rides in the world. R175 000 ($23k) got you in. Word from the bunch is, Phil Liggett gave Lance “the look.”

Off course, Lance spoke about the Livestrong Foundation (I think they have raised $360 million for cancer so far) and about how to beat Contador. “The best climber in the world, and a great time trailist”

I cant remember the words he used, (like I said, he is a magician with words, PR and business) but basically he said “We will take him to the cleaners (excuse the pun) on tactics and race smarts.” Lance then referred to stage 3 which is basically a mini Paris Roubaix with lots of cobbles.

This weekend however, by the sounds of it, their (Daryl and Lance’s) plan on winning the worlds biggest fun ride, (The Cape Argus cycle tour), is: Either Lance rides everyone off up Chapman’s Peak or “the bossy hill - I have enough bossy people to remember that name” - LA (Suikerbossie), or Daryl Impey will win the line sprint with Lance as lead out man.

The Lance quote I took home was: “The key to improving your riding is: Lose weight, or buy a lighter bike.” Since I already ride the lightest Specialized available, I guess its back to the drawing board and empty out the cupboard. (Thats a joke)

Well, Lance was in such a hurry to Zuma off again, he completely missed out on his book signing and photo opportunity with me.

So Lance, my next appearance is at The Basic coffee shop in Stellenbosch on Tuesday at about 7.30. You can pick up your signed book there, and I’ll even throw in a personalized Specialized poster.

Damn, cant wait for Speedos to make a come back. They are so functional.

A big thanks to the JAG foundation for the invites and chapeau for the amazing work you do with Songo.info.

MultiSport | March 11, 2010

Poised to dominate the triathlon world in 2010, Specialized has launched its first-ever comprehensive triathlon team, with multiple athletes in each of the three major specialties: Long Course, Short Course, and Xterra. Hand selected by Bobby Behan, Specialized Global Marketing Manager for MTB and Triathlon, the team athletes represent the best in the business – from decorated vets to young, upstart pros.

“It’s super exciting to be instrumental in the construction of this star-studded global team, many of which have inspired my own triathlon career,” said Behan. “Collectively, the team has won every major title in triathlon from the Olympic Games to World titles in ITU, Ironman, and Xterra.”

Long Course Triathlon Team

Chris McCormack “Macca”
Rasmus Henning
Philip Graves
Jordan Rapp
Desiree Ficker
Peter Reid

Long Course standouts Chris “Macca” McCormack, the 2007 World Ironman and 1997 ITU World Champion; Peter Reid, three-time Ironman World Champion; and Desiree Ficker, 2008 Ironman South Africa 70.3 champ, have all returned. “It is a great honor to represent the big S around the globe,” said Peter Reid, longtime Specialized ambassador and athlete. “For more than 10 years I’ve been like the kid in the candy shop – my candy shop being Specialized, of course.”

And this year they are joined by three more ringers. Jordan Rapp won the 2009 Ironman Arizona, smashing the bike course record. Philip Graves, also a cycling ace, is the youngest ever Ironman Champion (at just 20 years old) after winning in the UK last August. And Rasmus Henning – who just crossed over to Long Course racing after an accomplished ITU career– placed fifth in his first attempt at Kona last year, despite breaking his wrist two weeks prior and being told not to race.

The Long Course team will ride the new S-Works Shiv and S-Works Transition – bikes that Henning thinks will help him accomplish a huge goal. “I am really happy to be a part of Specialized for the 2010 season. My big goal this year is winning Ironman Hawaii, and I am certain that the professional team surrounding me with my bike set-up will be the best I have ever had.”

Short Course Triathlon Team

Javier Gomez
Simon Whitfield
Lisa Norden
Gavin Noble

ITU Development Team

Leonardo Chacon Corrales
Barbara Riveros
Abrahm Louw

Specialized will also be diving head first into Short Course – a timely entry with the London Olympic Games only two years away. “The Olympic Games is the world’s greatest sporting event, and the athletes competing in ITU triathlon are the ultimate testament to the athleticism that defines the Games,” said Behan.

Racing on their new S-Works Tarmac SL3 and S-Works Amira bikes, the fearsome new squad will include: Olympic gold and silver medalist Simon Whitfield; Multiple World Cup winner and former World Champion Javier Gomez; and former World U23 Champion and current second-ranked woman, Lisa Norden.

Norden and Gomez are looking forward to their new toys and the benefits of a major sponsor. “My new Specialized S Works SL3 is so light,” said Gomez. “You really feel that all your power is transferred directly to the bike, and you don’t waste anything. And of course, it’s beautiful!” Norden added, “Having someone at the race site looking after me and my equipment is huge – it’s new to me and the sport.”

Just as committed to grass-roots level racing as their international stars, Specialized has also teamed up with ITU Development Director Libby Burrell in support of the ITU Scholarship Program. Responsible for fostering the rise of stars such as Norden, the program was created, in part, to support national federations and regions where there are limited human and financial resources.

Xterra Triathlon Team

Conrad Stoltz “The Caveman”
Dan Hugo
Melanie McQuaid

Of course the team wouldn’t be complete without Specialized veteran athlete Conrad “The Caveman” Stoltz or Melanie McQuaid – both three-time World Xterra Champions and both hungry for another podium. They are joined by Conrad’s fellow South African and upcoming Xterra athlete Dan Hugo. All will be outfitted with S-Works Epic and S-Works Epic 29er bikes.

“I’m really excited to be part of such a diverse group of triathletes,” said Stoltz. “Being part of a team feels really good; it’s only logical to have such a phenomenal group riding the best bicycles out there.”

Visit I Am Specialized.

MEDIA RELEASE

(Caveman report to follow shortly…)

For Immediate Release

Stoltz claims scorching victory

(Stellenbosch, 7 March 2010) Approximately 4,500 riders battled it out in this weekend’s Cape Argus Pick n Pay Mountain Bike Challenge. The 2010 MTB Challenge will certainly be remembered for its unbearably hot conditions, with temperatures reaching up to 42′C on today’s 35km and 55km routes.

Triple XTERRA world champ, South African Conrad Stoltz, was first to cross today’s finish line, winning the 55km race. “I stopped three times to refill my water bottles. Pros don’t stop,” Conrad explained when asked about today’s heat. Also known as “The Caveman”, American-based Stoltz was impressed with the course: “It’s of a high technical standard and really challenged the riders. My Specialized 29er Epic was the perfect bike for this course- the big wheels just floated over the rocks and deep sand”

Meurant Botha, Co-Organiser of the MTB Challenge, is very happy with how the revised format, which saw the event taking place over two days, worked out. “Saturday had a more laid-back family vibe, whilst Sunday was noticeably more competitive with some great racing. This is exactly how we envisioned it.”

Due to the extreme heat, the event doctor, Dr Basil Bonner from Medi-Clinic, enforced a cut-off on the 55km route at 10h30. “This was 90 minutes earlier than we had originally planned. Our first priority at events of this nature is the safety and well-being of the participants. The extreme conditions necessitated the enforcement of the early cut-off.”

Despite the heat wave, a record number of cyclists took part in this weekend’s MTB Challenge, the country’s biggest mountain biking event. “There’s a wonderful atmosphere here at the Boschendal Wine Estate. Both days saw parents picnicking on the lawns while their offspring played in the Canal Walk kiddies zone. Our family-friendly set-up plays a large part in the event’s phenomenal success,” commented Botha.

RACE RESULTS

55km
Men:
1. Conrad Stoltz
2:18:42

2. Nico Pfitzenmaier
2:27:03

Women:
1. Kasha Dickie
2:55:41

2. Michelle Lombardi
2:56:39

ISSUED BY
Cycle Tour Media Office

ON BEHALF OF
Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust

MEDIA INFO OR VISUALS
Adele Kruger / Andre Fourie
Tel: 021 686 0222
Cell: 082 495 7223
Email: media@cycletour.co.za

Xterra Grabouw

Kevin Flanagan, 23 Feb 2010

Grabouw, 1.5km swim, 25km mtb, 10km trail run

By Kevin Flanagan

I “raced” the Xterra off road triathlon on the weekend. It’s really the grand daddy of off road triathlons in South Africa. It is a series of triathlons held around the country, and it was Cape Town’s / Western Cape’s turn last weekend.

(Note: you have a big artery running down the inside of your legs, so if you want to cool down quickly, drop ice in your pants… this will help explain the last little bit of the race report)

Keeping the faith - Xterra race report

Don’t worry; I’ll be that good oke! I’ll give you +-300 days of warning before the next Xterra. If you think you are going to pitch up on the day, take on the Xterra, go out there and dazzle someone, please kindly get back in your car and go home. I had been warned, I had seen the weather the report (42 deg C), I had even put in some extra training, but crisis I did not get told I was going to be racing in hell.

Click here for the rest of this hilarious piece…

Since I ate my helmet, (and embraced training technology when we started base training about a month ago.) I have been enjoying training with my Power Tap thoroughly. (Rent your Power Tap today from the folks at Saris/CycleOps, South Africa)

For Valentines’ Day, my coach Ian Rodger gave me 3 hrs at 300 Watts. So romantic.  I rode to the top of Franschoek pass, and being new to trying to keep a constant power, I’ll tell you, trying to do 300W downhill through the road works in Pniel or down the main street of Franschoek with tourist drivers, speed bumps and couples on Valentines dates, gave a new meaning to “adrenaline”…

Also, going down the pass I tried to shape myself into a parachute, because the 53×11 was not enough. Fortunately those 28mm Specialized Armadillo tires at 60psi helped slow things down and smooth the road a bit.

I’m really excited about this new way of training, focusing on maintaining a specific wattage and cadence makes for serious concentration. I noted a 15 beat higher heart rate at the same wattage when using Powercranks.

The riding is a lot harder that what I used to do my long rides at and I regularly burn 1000 Calories per hour. Surprised at how quickly I ran out of food. (4 gels and 5 scoops) 2h08 into this particular ride, and things became ugly soon thereafter. I was going to knock out a big sprint at the end, but by the time I got there I could only manage 870W. (As opposed to the 1160W I did at the end of today’s ride…

The task for this ride was: 3h30 with 4 climbs (Hells Hoogte and Franschoek) at 330 W and 75-80 rpm. The flats at 250W and 90rpm. On the flats, include 4 x 10min with Powercranks unlocked. Anyone who knows Powercranks can tell that 90prm at any watts is no joke.

The goal is 450W for 1 hr at 80kg on a 10kg bike. 11.2kg if its a 29er…

Good stuff- read Dan’s report here

Amber was 4th in the Ladies’. More later…

2008 Olympic Triathlon Champion, Frodo, as the likable African German is known, has been a constant fixture here in Stellenbosch, South Africa over the past few months.

You often bump into the smiling face at the local coffee shops and street restaurants. It wasnt always song and dance though, along with some friends (Christian) he did some serious training and I even joined in on a few swim sets.

Jan calls is informal swim group the “Lunch Time group”,  but after a few sessions I called it the “Skin Cancer group”, but yes, other than the hole in the ozone and my weak skin, (German ancestry)  lunch time is the best swimming time in Stellenbosch.

All the best for the upcoming season Jan, we are rooting for you!

(not the Australian way)

Here is an older post on Jan

In my everlasting quest of the unbreakable, I have settled on LOOK pedals since they brought out the Quartz MTB pedals 3 years ago.

I give these pedals a good thrashing and have never had one fail. For training I currently ride a Specialized Epic 29er with 2.20 Captain tires and 180mm cranks. The full sus 29er with fat tires means I can pedal anywhere anytime, but the 180mm cranks means I hit rocks all the time.

On the road I use the Keo2Max.

The Quartz clears mud really well, clips in easily and is light. In short- its a no brainer!

What a story.  Madiba, as he is fondly called, spent 27 years in prison for his political beliefs. When he was released, he changed a country and gave hope…

I’m proud to have been able to live the experience.

Pretty well documented in the new movie Invictus by Clint Eastwood.

Oh yes, we spent a few hours in Cape Town. Here are some pics of the Pavilion 50m salt swimming pool, on the ocean side. (Where I have swim lessons)

Stunning…

Sea Point, with Lions Head on the left and the pool in the right: