Category: Race Reports
XTERRA Alabama preview
Yup, I brought the big dog. This is the perfect 29er course- fast, rocky, rooty and technical.
For more on 29ers, visit my my 29er page on Facebook
-Command Post telescopic seat post. (notice dropped seat height for the technical terrain) I wrote about the Command Post exhaustively on this previous post
-Specialized Fast Trak LK S Works 2.00 tires. 24psi front and 29 psi rear. This course has a super rocky high speed section with some water bar jumps, so I run more psi than I normally would.
I’m very tempted to run The Captain 2.00 in the front- it has taller knobs and corners better in the loose (or if it gets wet), but they roll quite a bit slower, (about 30W vs Fast Trak) so I’m going to go with the Fast Trak, use the Command Post and finesse the loose corners.
-Roval carbon wheels- super stiff and light.
-LOOK Quartz Ti pedals
Blood Rock is famous here on the Oak Mountain, Alabama bike course. Thanks to BUMP for building, maintaining and advocating this epic course. On race day, its lined with spectators, who take incriminating pictures of failure and cowardice…
Getting technical- bike set up for XTERRA Waco
I’m very lucky to have a full quiver of Specialized bikes to chose from!
After watching a few youtube videos on the Waco course, I decided to travel to Waco with my 29er Epic (Aluminium)- it loves rocky, rooty and twisty. But 30min into pre riding the course on wednesday I had to call a friend to ship me a kiddie bike. (with 26inch wheels) Its true, TV (and youtube) makes courses look flat! OK, my legs were also seriously dented from training, but this course has about 20 short, granny gear climbs and I think the number of times your speed falls below 5mi/h was a lot, a lot. In other words, there was a lot, a lot of acceleration from almost stand still– the one 29er drawback. The (only) other shortcoming to this 29er is weight- the white bike is 5 lbs more than the one in the white wrapping. For now…
West Coast Warm Water Weekend
Just got back from a fun, super relaxing time at West Coast Warm Water Weekend. In fact, I’m so relaxed, I even drove the long way home!
Here are a few pics of the weekend. Words and a proper blog to follow once I find the cable to my other camera…
This is where the 2.5k, 60k 13k triathlon took place. -Kraalbaai- you wont find a more scenic venue. And yes, that is a Specialized Transition “flat” bike with skinny tires. The Caveman did his 1st road tri in 5 years! Come read more in a few days….
Where the Caveman sleeps. Langebaan lagoon in the background and the sound of the ocean in your ears. I never did get to see those 2 nocturnal porcupines the game ranger warned us about…
Where normal people sleep. A refurbished old farmyard stable.
Cant decide which picture I like best, so I included both. Voice your opinion below this blog or on my facebook page. (link in left column)
Not all competitors did the full tri. There were more than 8 events in total- ranging from triathlon to mountain bike to surf ski and trail run. Most of the events were low key (numbers were small as the weekend was per invitation only) with the emphasis on having fun, enjoying nature, mixing with cool, like minded people and consuming large quantities of fine food and wine…
The 6000 hectare West Coast National Park gets birders very excited (its a RAMSAR site) and we are very privileged to have been able to swim, bike, run, and paddle in a National Park. Between all the sports, eating and socializing, I took a stroll to one of the bird hides on the lagoon. Pink flamingos feeding in the shallows and lots of other water birds I sadly know very little about.
Hats off to the sponsors (who made the event possible) Carole (who did the work) and especially Paul Ingpen, (who did the thinking and talking!) for bringing such a neat concept to life. Too many people take sports too seriously. Seriously, its only sports, HAVE FUN DAMMIT!
“Stoltz claims scorching victory” Argus MTB media release
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.”
The Mario Cipollini board room at Specialized HQ
The Lion King “Super Mario” Cipollini was a delight to follow- on the road and in public. His flair for fashion, clothing and glamour bordered on preposterous. It was delicious. But he was a remarkable sprinter who hated climbing and was quoted “If I wasnt a professional cyclist, I would be a porn star.”
But Mario was an amazing marketing vehicle and his sponsors’ ad campaigns still come up in cyclobablle. His pro career spanned 20 years, he had 42 Giro stage wins, World Champs in 2002, the list is too long, go read it on Wiki.
