The end of 2012

So the season is done and dusted and it’s been a pretty crazy ride with highs, lows and those average in between times…

 

My season started out great at home where I got 3^rd at the first national and my own race, The Avis Van Rental downhill challenge. The only problem was that I didn’t have my new bike yet by mid-March so I had to race the Pietermaritzburg World Cup on the old steed, the Glory. As it turned out it was my best ever world cup result with a 54^th which may not sound amazing to some, but considering how long I have been doing this and that these are the very best riders on the planet, I was very happy to start with that.

Then things started to get a bit tricky, I went over to Europe right after the world cup where I was going to sell my van from the previous season and get the new bike up and running before the first European cup in Monte Tamaro, Switzerland. I met up with Pottie and we got the bikes sorted  literally 2 days prior to the race. So off we went…. Little did I know I would try a silly gap and break my wrist, so the next week I flew home for an op which went well.

I spent 2 months at home recovering and trying to get strong enough to return to racing right before SA champs and the Val D Isere world cup. I managed to get in about 1 and half weeks of light riding before heading up to Mankele for SA champs which meant I did not really know what to expect. I managed to get 3^rd place there on a strange track and more than 2 months off the bike which was great for me and I was ready to head back to Europe.

I started out at the Val D Isere world cup being exhausted after travelling for 40+ hours to get there and as luck would have it, it poured with rain for my Qualification run which meant I was out of it. After that we headed to Pila for the next European cup which was not good either as I had a big crash during the week and hurt my wrist again. I did manage to ride but as you could imagine I wasn’t feeling too comfy and ended 55^th in the rain.

The next race was the following weekend in Spicak, I had raced there the year before in the rain and hated it, this year it was dry and I loved it! I felt comfy and fast on the track and the split times showed it. In the race run at the first split I was in about 8^th spot which would have been my best result until near the bottom I connected a tree with my shoulder at about 30kph. That sums up that race.

We then had some time off in Schladming which was good for me to rest up. Next on the list was an Austrian Cup in Mautern and yet again during the week prior to the race I crashed and twisted my ankle which again meant no riding. I did manage to race but yet again I had hardly ridden, my ankle was tender, I didn’t know the track and it poured with rain for the finals which left me in 12^th spot.

At this stage I was getting so fed up with it all as nothing seemed to be going my way, but I knew that things would turn around some time or another and at the next European cup race in Chatel they looked up. I managed to finally put together a clean run and ended in 15^th spot, only 6 sec off the winner (Brendan Fairclough) which was not amazing but it was solid and finally something to build on.

There were only 2 races left for me after this and I was feeling confident again. I had made arrangements to travel with Adi and Jonty to Norway for the final round of the world cup series as the team could not afford to send me.  As with these things, it didn’t let us have an easy go of it! We had a terrible trip, slept in the airport, got stranded in the rain, I lost my wallet, our accommodation was a disaster, we missed track walk, I missed my qualification run and finally my bike was taken away which meant my weekend was over…. J

As bad as that sounds I am still really glad I went up there because I gained so much experience, not all good but it’s good to get that behind me and move forward now knowing what I do now. It won’t ever happen again!

So as you just heard, I had no bike anymore which was a problem as I still had one more race left which I was determined to do. It was the final round of the European cup series in Todtnou, Germany. I am so lucky that I have a great friend, Christian Textor, who lent me his Nuke Proof Scalp for the weekend which I am very thankful for! So the last race was just for me, no team, no pressure and a new bike J

I really enjoyed the track there and the bike too which made me feel confident for the final event on the new rig. I actually had a great run going until I hit a slippery root at the wrong angle which sent me off the track and I lost all my speed. I got back on it as quickly as I could but only managed 37^th place which wasn’t  too bad  considering my mishap.  Looking at the splits, I was easily on track for a top 20 again but hey, that’s how the year went.

Overall I am definitely disappointed with the season, but in some ways I am glad to get it out of the way. As they say, nothing worthwhile comes easily. I am 110% focused on making 2013 my best ever season and getting to the top of the podium!

There are so many people who make it all possible, my parents, family, friends and great companies who support me: Seattle Coffee Co, Virgin Active, John Wakefield @science2sport, Csixx products, Leatt protectives, Adidas eyewear, Red bull ZA, Evoc and Flexfit. Thanks so much to all of you, it was a bumpy ride but I’m still here and ready to kick it in 2013!

WP champs report

This past weekend saw the last race of the season which was the WP champs and Monster Madness event which was held in Tokai forest on Saturday 24 November.

It was kind of a strange feeling for me because only a week ago I didn’t have a bike and was not planning on racing. How things can change in a week J Omnico organised me a great deal on a Mongoose Boot R which I will ride for the time being until I sort out a ride for next season. I was just really excited to have a bike again and to be able to race! I rode the bike 3 times prior to the race and other than that and a 2 day movie shoot I did a few weeks back, I had not been on a dh bike for almost 2 months! I had also just been sick for 3 weeks which made it tough in the pedal section as I wasn’t feeling 100% yet. Needless to say I felt a bit rusty, but I was determined to give it my best shot and have some fun again J

They race was running a little differently to the norm, it was all on one day so practice started at 8am and ran to 11:30am; racing started at 12pm. The day would consist of 3 race runs, the first 2 for WP champs and the last being the top 20 shootout. The weather on Saturday was really tough with rain, gale force winds and cold temperatures ; the wind was also changing direction all the time which made it very unpredictable through the long pedal section. Some riders had a head wind, others a side wind and others a tail wind.

We finally got going and I was up and running in my first race run, I pushed it where I could but made a few mistakes and tried to save energy for the bottom pedal and big step down jump. I came across with a (3:28) in 3^rd spot behind Pottie (3:23) and Duran (3:27). I was pretty disappointed even under the circumstances and would’ve liked to be closer to the top spot.  Luckily I two more attempts left and in run 2 I pushed harder, but still made a few critical mistakes which left me with a (3:25) in 4^th spot behind Gary Barnard (3:16), Pottie (3:24) and Duran (3:25). Again I was really frustraited with my run and result, I know I had more in me speed wise but my pedalling ability was suffering as I felt flat with no energy.

However there was still one more run and I was keen to get it done properly this time! I set off for the last time and I hit the technical section perfectly, way faster than before. When I hit the pedalling section it felt like the wind had died a little and I just forced myself to dig deep. I pushed everywhere I could and coming into the last big jump on the jeep road I sat down for about 40m to give my legs a rest; this allowed me to give one last burst of energy to get over it and through the last section. I sprinted across the line with a (3:16) and stepped onto the hot seat! I was really happy to put down a solid run and I thought I might have it in the bag…. Unfortunately Pottie  me beat me with a (3:15) and Gary screamed in with a (3:13) leaving us in dazed. The man can pedal a bike, that’s for sure J

So I ended up in 3^rd spot overall, 3 sec off the win but 9 sec ahead of 4^th place which I was pretty happy with considering the circumstances. I am just really excited to be back on the bike and to get the next season underway. Now it’s time to get strong over the next couple of months leading up to the Avis Van Rental DH Challenge in Paarl on 2-3 February 2013.

I would just like to thank everyone who has helped and supported me through this year, it’s been tough at times but I will be back to crack on next season! Thanks also to my awesome sponsors, Seattle Coffee Co, Virgin Active, John Wakefield @science2sport, Red Bull ZA, Adidas eyewear, Leatt protectives, Csixx products, Evoc and Flexfit! Without you guys I would not be able to do what I love and ride my bike full time!

Until next time….

 

Back in the game!

Hi all,

I am finally up and running again, I got my hands on a 2011 Mongoose Boot R Foreman thanks to Neil Cocker and Omnico who gave me a great deal! I did change a few things to get it a little lighter and look trick, but overall I’m happy that I can ride again!

Apart from a movie shoot I did last week, I did not ride a dh bike for around 7 weeks! Way too long in my opinion J

I have taken the bike to Tokai, Zevenwacht and Paarl already and I must say I am pretty impressed, it handles really well, pedals like a machine, and is fun to ride. Fair enough it does feel pretty different to anything else I have ridden, but I already feel at home on the bike, I am looking forward to the next couple of months on the bike. I needed something to keep me going for now while I wait for sponsors to make decisions and final calls. So in about two months I will know where I stand and this Goose will be put on the market, so stay in the loop if you want to grab a great deal!

In the mean time I will be having a blast on this beast and next up is WP champs at Tokai this weekend, Monster Madness! Pull in to see some bike riders pin it down a hill and get wild J

Until next time…

Recent News

Well since I have no dh bike at the moment I have decided to build myself a pump track to train on in the off season. There is a demand for a good pump track in the Cape Town area, so here we are J

Now there are just a few things to keep in mind for anyone who might want to build a pump track:

1.       The soil should be easy to handle but still solid when it sets.

2.       The rollers shouldn’t be too steep and should gradually level out.

3.       The gaps between the rollers should not be closer than 1m.

4.       The birms should be steep enough so that you can really commit and gain speed from them.

5.       Try and make sure that the rollers are at very least 30cm high and 60cm wide.

6.       The gradient of the area should be as level as possible.

7.       There should be water available close by.

 

I have found that these few steps really help to get it right the first time round! The only other thing you can do is have fun with and make some cool features!

This past weekend there were a acouple of events taking place, the Malelane Toyota Downhill Challenge and the Halloween Dirt Jump Jam at Gum trails. I obviously could not race the dh as I don't have a bike, but I got my jump bike out after 3 months of no jumping and went through to Gum Trails for some fun!

Here is an awesome pic taken by Retroyspective, thanks bud!

right now I am still on the hunt for a new ride....
Untill next time....

Red Bull Urban Assault 2012

This was a crazy week for me, I wasn’t even thinking about racing as I don’t have a bike at the moment. I had been building a pump track and doing some planning for next season. However on Friday afternoon I headed to The Bike Shed for an xc ride and to chat to Jaco Veldsman. It was the day prior the Red Bull urban assault and as far as I was concerned I was just going to go and watch.

Then while chatting to Jaco he offered me the chance to race a Rocky Mountain Element 50 xc bike which he has as a demo bike from Hullabaloo. At first I was sceptical and a bit worried how the bike would hold up, however I decided it would be better than watching J So I thought I would give it a go and have some fun. We fitted some dh wheels, cranks and bars which gave it a more dh feel to make me feel a bit safer.

On Saturday afternoon I headed out to Cape Town to sign in and do some runs down the hill. I did get some funny looks when I arrived but after a few runs down I was having fun and felt I could go pretty fast on the xc machine! I did feel quite loose down the high speed section of the track and also down the stairs but it was a blast.

Sunday morning came around and I was a little tired as my good friend had his 23^rd birthday the night before, but I was just here to have fun and do my thing. I got in 2 practice runs before the race run, I felt solid, smooth and in control.

In the first run I had a good run, I did make a few mistakes, but I still felt good down towards the bottom and I came across with a 2:49, I was sitting in 2^nd spot overall behind Johann Potgieter with a 2:43. I would normally be disappointed with that time, but considering I was on an XC bike! I was very pleased and quite surprised to be honest J

Now that I had seen where I stood I felt I had some more in the tank for run 2 and was looking to close the gap a bit. I also knew that I had to keep it together because in Urban assault they average out the 2 run times and don’t take the fastest run.

In the 2^nd run the wind came up slightly and I really pushed hard, I didn’t make any major mistakes and felt that the run was better, however when I crossed the finish line my time was slower, a 2:50. This was a bit of a shock to me because I really thought that I would have a faster run, thus I was a bit disappointed in myself at the time. I did come around a little while later when I realised that I was still in 2^nd overall and that I had done it on a full on xc bike!

I would like to give a big thumbs up to Jaco Veldsman and Rocky Mountain bikes ( Hullabaloo ) for hooking me up with the bike for the weekend. For anyone looking to get an awesome xc bike that get the job done both up and down hill, go and speak to Hullabaloo Products.

I would like also like to thank my other sponsors who have stuck by me, Seattle Coffee Co, Virgin Active, Red Bull SA, Leatt Brace, Evoc, Adidas eyewear, Flexfit, my trainer John Wakefield @science2sport and Csixx. Without you guys this wouldn't be possible!

Until next time…..

Final European race of 2012

After last weeks disaster, it continued into the final IXS European cup in Todtnau, Germany, as my bike was taken away from me after the race….

That’s right, I headed back to Germany with no dh bike, however the team did say that they would bring it to Todtnau for the final round of the IXS cup series. In the mean time I headed to Christian Textor’s (TEAM MOUNTAINBIKE RIDER) house who invited me to come and stay J

It was really cool there and I got to do some dirt jumping, pump track and endure riding which was a nice change. However there was still one race left and I was looking for another good result; I had arranged to go to the race on Thursday evening with another friend, Arie Schindler. On Thursday morning I finally got hold of my team manager after an email, facebook message and a whatsapp message. She just said that she was not bringing the bike and my season was done, this left me in a panic because I had already arranged to go and now I had no bike. Luckily for me my friend Christian was able to lend me his Nuke Proof Scalp for the weekend and I was able to stay with Arie J Thanks a lot boys!

Anyway, we finally got there and I was excited to end the season well even though I had the flu and I was riding a bike I had never ridden before. We set up camp, registered and walked the track, it all looked good, pretty fast, long and physical.

Friday practice came around and I was having fun in the sun, I was also loving the bike even though the setup was pretty soft for me, it was still good and tracked like a beast! I got in 5 runs and felt pretty good for the weekend. However this is Europe and it couldn’t let me leave without some rain, so on Saturday morning I woke up to thundering rain and a very wet track. I was a little disappointed but still excited to have some fun playing in the mud! I was not too bothered about Saturday as I knew that it was just seeding and nothing more; I just used the seeding as further training for Sunday and I ended up 54^th. I knew I had way more in the tank for Sunday and the weather was supposed to change so I was feeling confident.

Sunday was upon us and it was time to get it done; I got some new lines in the morning practice session and was ready to let it hang out! We had a long wait until the final just to get the nerves going, but that’s all part of it J Finally I heard those beeps and I was off, starting off really well, carrying good speed and letting off the brakes. I was feeling really good until about one and a half minutes into the track where I popped into a fast, flat root section and landed a bit off the main line; I got bounced right out of the track into a boggy hole. I almost came to a stop and lost all my speed, I knew then that I had blown it but I thought just keep pushing to see how you do.

I got to the bottom 10 sec faster than seeding even after the mistake, I ended up 37^th for the day which was not too bad considering what happened. Looking at the splits, I would’ve been in the top 20 again for sure. All this while on a strange bike and being sick; I’ll take that J

So the European season has come to an end for me and I could not have done it without all the support from sponsors, friends and family!

Thanks to the great companies behind me, Seattle Coffee Co, Virgin active, Leatt, Adidas eyewear, Csixx, Evoc, Red Bull SA, Flexfit and my trainer John Wakefield @science2sport

Thanks in particular to Christian Textor, Arie Schindler and Lars Peyer for making this last race possible!

Norway trip

Well this was one of the craziest adventures I have been on…. It was one big ride from Tuesday until Monday!

To start off, I was travelling there on my own as the team was not in a position to pay for me and it would have been too expensive to travel with them. Thus I decided to join up with Adi Van Der Merwe and Jonty Neethling after the Chatel IXS cup and travel with them to Hafjell.

I was really looking forward to it and getting a good result at the final world cup of the season. I stayed with Adi and Jonty in Basel for two nights before we set off on the Tuesday evening. We were flying from Frankfurt which meant we had a good 4 hour drive to get there and our flight was at 08:30 on Wednesday morning. We had some fun while driving there when we almost ran out of fuel, we only had 0.5 litres left in the tank! Thankfully we made it and caught our flight the next day.

When we arrived we had to take a bus, train, train and another bus to get to the venue, we arrived there at 15:30 in the afternoon which meant we had to really hurry up finding our accommodation and walking the track etc…

We had a few problems already as our accommodation was supposed to be at the track and it turns out it was 10km up the mountain! Not ideal! This meant trying to sort out other accommodation ASAP…. Luckily my team was there and there was space at their apartment block, so we booked in there and it was all good. That Wednesday evening I built up my bike, had some good food with the boys and got all my stuff together for the next day. It was going to be really hectic as we still needed to register and we had not walked the track yet.

The next morning we rolled down to the track, I noticed that my brakes weren’t working properly and kept fading, so first thing I did was take my bike to Sram and luckily they sorted that out for me. While my bike was there I headed over to registration to get my number etc, however I had just then worked out that my wallet was missing, I was in a state and knew that I was in big trouble without it as all my cards, licences and money was in there! However they did let me enter without my licence when I explained the situation and I tried my best to put it out of my mind because I was there to race and that was first priority.

I got back to Sram and went up for my first run; I was a bit nervous as I hadn’t even seen the track yet. I got out of the gondola and started following some riders down to the start, however they got too far ahead and disappeared into another trail. I presumed that it was the way to the start…

I was wrong; I ended up rolling half way down the mountain and having to grab another chair lift up to the top. Then I took another freeride trail down the mountain and finally reached the start of the DH track after about 45min of searching! Finally I set off and rolled slowly down for the first run, the start was filled with huge jumps, then there were some fast sections with rocks and roots, then bike park, some grass high speed and finally some really steep technical rock gardens. It was a really good challenging track and it would make for good racing.

After riding like a granny first run to check it all out I set off in run two, I hit all the jumps and carried good speed, I felt good and confident that I could have a good qualy on Friday. I got in 5 runs on the Thursday and was ready for Friday! I did get some good news because the bus driver had found my wallet; I was so stoked about this! Friday morning came around and I was able to put in 3 more runs before qualy, I found some good lines and was determined to crack on!

I got up to the top about 30 mins before my run to ensure I had a really good warm up as it was really cold up there. I then found out that there was a 20 min delay which meant more waiting around. Time ticked on and it was getting close to my run, I was working with the numbers as the times were out, Johann was 74 and I was 94, this meant 20 riders between us at 30 sec intervals, 10 minutes. I was warming up until the last moment to ensure I didn’t cool down before my run due to the cold and the way it was set out at the top, you could not see the start area while warming up on the road. I had worked out the time on my watch and when it got to 5 min before my start I headed down to the start only to find out that I was 30 sec too late! I was in shock, I couldn’t believe it, there were seven riders missing between Johann and myself which I didn’t think mattered because they always keep the gaps. NOT today, they closed the gaps and I missed my run, I tried everything to get a run at the end of qualification, unfortunately they would not allow it.

I was so gutted after everything it took to get there and everything we went through. I know that maybe I should’ve been there slightly earlier but I also did not expect something like that to happen, it was the first and LAST time!

I rolled down the freeride track only to be greeted by a very unhappy team manager. I was so upset; I loaded my bike in the car and walked back to the apartment. Little did I know that this would be the last time I ever rode the bike, but I will get to that later. That was about how my weekend went, I was still really happy with my riding and I am glad to have the experience behind me. I still got to grips with the difficult track and I will know what to expect next year. Even after what happened I do not regret going there, I will just make sure things run a little smoother next time.

Anyway I would still like to give it up to my great companies who support me, Seattle Coffee Co, Virgin Active, Leatt, Adidas eyewear, Evoc, Csixx, Flexfit, Red Bull South Africa and my trainer John Wakefield @science2sport. It’s not easy to find good support, so I am really thankful for this.

Until next time….

CHATEL IXS EUROPEAN CUP RACE REPORT

Ok well I finally have some good news!

This past weekend I raced the 6^th leg of the IXS European Cup series in Chatel, France. We arrived there on the Friday morning at 2AM after a long 8 hour drive from Schladming. Needless to say I was a bit tired on the Friday for practice, luckily I had raced there last year and knew most of the track already so I just needed to remind myself a bit J The track was about 2 and a half minutes long with some pedalling at the top, steeper technical riding in the middle and some bike park at the bottom, a good all round track.

We drove down to the track at lunch time on the Friday , we registered and walked the track which looked really good! I was excited to be back here and I was looking for a good result which I know I am capable of. At 14:00 practice started and it was a rough start for me as my brakes had somehow gotten air in them and were not working at all, luckily for me Erich Wiland had some spare brakes on his trail bike which he kindly lent me for the weekend, thanks bud! I managed to get in 5 runs on the Friday and felt pretty solid on track, we then headed back to the hotel for some good food and well needed rest.

Saturday came around and things were looking up, the weather was good and I was feeling very good for seeding. I got in 4 runs in the morning before hand and was having a ball of a time on track! I was keen to see how fast I was because its always tough to tell until you get out there. It was time for seeding and I set off on a good run, I tried to conserve energy and have a smooth run, I came down with a time of 2:40, the leader was a 2:31 and I was sitting in 19^th spot, I was happy and knew that I could go much faster in finals. I went up for a track walk in the afternoon and got some better lines for the Sunday which I was really confident about.

Sunday rolled in and it was crunch time, I got in 4 runs in the AM before the finals which is more than most people do but I am the type of rider that likes to do a lot of runs on a track to be confident in my myself for a race run. 14:02 was my start time and it arrived really quickly, I put aside my nerves and got down to business. I set off and really pushed hard at the start, I pedalled more and focused on good exit speed in the corners, I did have a few sketchy moments but I was determined to keep it together this time. The finish line came into sight and I gave it everything I had down to the line, I knew as I crossed that it was a good one and looked over at the time. I did a 2:34 which was good enough for 15^th spot, less than a second off top 10 and 6 seconds off the win.

I am so relieved to have a decent result in the books after the year I have had, I finally put in a solid run in a Euro cup, it is also my best result in a European cup so far! The field was also stacked as there were riders there like Brendan Fairclough, Damien Spagnolo, Michael Paskal, Josh Button, Florent Payet, Robin Wallner etc.

Thanks so much to all my supporters and all that have stuck by me! Also a big thanks to the LE CANNABIS CANFIELD Factory Team, Seattle Coffee Co, Virgin Active, Adidas eyewear, Leatt, John Wakefield @Science2sport, Evoc, Csixx and Flexfit!

Now I’m off to Norway for the final world cup of 2012, until next time….

Mautern race report

Well this last week I some more issues unfortunately but luckily it didn’t turn out too badly considering…

Last weekend we travelled to Mautern, Austria to do some training on the course before the last Austrian cup race of the season. However on the first run of he day I was rolling down slowly to check out the course and I didn’t see a hole which had me twist my ankle. I wasn’t sure at the time if it was broken or not but I took 5 days off and I was able to ride again, it was still a bit swollen and blue but I could ride so I was happy!

We arrived at the track on the Saturday for practice and for me it was basically the first time riding the course because I had not ridden or raced there yet other than my half run the week prior. I managed to get in 5 runs on the Saturday and then it was time for seeding. I just wanted to put a full run together and keep it on two wheels which I did and I was sitting in 6^th spot, I wasn’t too bothered because I knew I had much more in the tank for Sunday. Sunday rolled in and as always it was pouring with rain, this made the track very difficult as it was covered in roots which aren’t too grippy when wet!

There was only enough time for 2 runs that morning which were super slippery and wild but still fun. I was looking forward to my race run but I knew that it was going to be tough to keep it together. Finally I was warmed up and ready for action, I set off in my run and almost immediately my feet were blown off in the first wood section and I lost all my speed. Then it just spiralled from there, I was all over the place, feet off, ball riding etc….

I got to the finish without crashing but I had such a messy run, it was crazy, but still fun! I ended off 12^th on the day, this was disappointing for me but at the same time I am happy that I kept it on two wheels in the extreme conditions. I know I need more experience in wet conditions to get better in them, that will come with time. I also only had 9 runs in total over the weekend and all the other riders up there had raced and practiced there before so that was a bit of a setback too.

All in all I am satisfied with the outcome and look forward to the IXS EURO Cup in Chatel next weekend!

One last thought, I was so stoked because there was a pump track challenge on the Saturday which I won! The first place prize was a Commencal bmx!

 

Thanks to team LE CANNABIS CANFIELD, Seattle Coffee Co, Virgin Active, Leatt, Adidas eyewear, Evoc, Csixx, Flexfit and John Wakefield @Science2sport for the awesome support!

Spicak Race Report

Well here I am again, this time it is the Spicak European IXS Cup in Cjech Republic….

The weekend was good and bad for me, I will now explain J

We arrived on Friday morning before practice, we got tent up and got sorted for practice. It was going to be a good weekend weather wise and I super excited to get things done J I did around 6 runs on Friday and was loving it, I felt fast and confident again. I knew I had some speed again and was ready to put it together.

Saturday was the seeding run and I was ready, I put in 4 runs in the AM before hand. I set off and had a really good run, not amazing but good. I did make a few mistakes but I was happy to have a solid run in on the super tech track. The run had me sitting in 33^rd spot which again was a big improvement, so good for the confidence.

In 2011 it poured with rain here and I really battled with the track, so the fact that I felt really good was awesome, I was really loving the track! I had a look at the split times after seeding and saw that I needed to pick it up on the top section, so Sunday morning before the race I put in 3 timed sections to the first split which saw me do it 5 sec quicker just to there! So I was really confident that I could go way faster in the race run and was excited J

Finally it was time for business and I set off…. I was having an amazing run, really, it was one of those where everything just worked, I hit all my lines and was giving it everything on the pedalling. However coming into the final 30 sec of the track there was tight line between 2 trees and the main line was out left and to turn in late. I don’t know why but I decided to come in on the right which left me heading straight towards the inside tree at 30kph…. Suddenly I was ripped off the bike as I hit the tree with my right shoulder and then it was a cart wheel into the some more trees.

As I was lying there wondering if I was in one piece or not I felt so mentally drained and could not believe that this was happening again. I really felt that this was the weekend and result I had been waiting for, but it was not meant to be. I was unable to finish as my shoulder was too painful, I rolled down slowly after the last rider and that was that.

At this stage I am just so disappointed and yeah I really want things to turn around now, I feel like my riding speed is back to where it should be, now I just need some luck on race day J

IT WILL HAPPEN SOON I PROMISE YOU! I WONT GIVE UP!

Once again thanks to my awesome sponsors, LE CANNABIS CANFIELD Factory Team, Seattle Coffee Co, Virgin Active, Leatt, Adidas eyewear, my trainer John Wakefield @science2sport, Csixx, Evoc and flexfit!

On final note: BIG SHOUT OUT TO MY FRIEND AND TEAM MATE JOHANN POTGIETER FOR WINNING IN SPICAK!

Until next time….

Pila Race Report

One week after the World Cup in Val D Isere was the IXS European Cup in Pila, Italy. Last year I really enjoyed the track there and was really looking forward to the race, I felt I could do really well there and I thought the weather would be good because it was in Italy. We drove down on the Monday after the World Cup, I got a lift with the MS Mondraker team, so huge thanks to them for that! The drive was around 4 hours in the big bus which was pretty cool, it has a PS3 upstairs and 8 beds too J

Tuesday we headed out for some runs on the tracks in Pila, it is really amazing to ride there with many different tracks and one which is about 15 minutes of full on dh, super fast and loose. It was awesome, I was just finding it really tough to hang on. We also did a few runs on the race track and I was feeling better and better, however on my 3^rd run I entered the steepest section of the track that was used in the 2005 World Cup there. There was a tricky high line which I was doing and I just made a small mistake by getting my weight slightly left of where it should have been. I crashed hard over the bars landing on my injured wrist in the process, it was really painful and it felt really week afterwards. I was pretty sure it was just a hard knock and not serious but it was still a bummer. I attempted to ride on the Wednesday, but I could bairly get down without crashing, it was so disappointing. I gave myself a rest on Thursday and just hoped that it would be better on Friday for the start of practice.

Friday came around and it did feel better, not perfect but good enough to ride. The track was dry and rough but still really fun, I felt good and was ready to go. I got in 5 runs on Friday and 3 on Saturday morning, I felt good for seeding. Finally I went up for my run but as it so happens in Europe it started pouring with rain just before my run. I could not change anything then so I just set off and hoped for the best. I had a pretty solid run without pushing overboard but as I entered the last few hard pack birms I felt the front wheel let go and down I went, it was just so slick. I got up and cruised to the finish, I was not too bothered as it was just seeding. I had a time of 4:32, the leader was a 4:03 but he went in the dry and didn’t crash so I wasn’t too worried about that. I knew I had loads more in the tank.

Sunday came around and it was race time, the track was very wet after loads of rain on the Saturday night, but on Sunday morning it wasn’t raining, just overcast. I did one run and the track was a bit lick but not bad at all. However it started raining again and then it was very wet, I did two more runs and it was super slippery but with spikes it was ok. It stopped raining and by the time finals were starting the track was on its way to being dry again, so I felt confident that I could go fast! J

I got up to the start and yet again about 10 minutes before me it started raining, this time it was really coming down. I knew it was going to be slippery I am not the best in mud but I had to give it my best! I set off and it was like ice skating, super glossy but I guess you have to get a bit loose in those conditions. I made a few big mistakes which cost me some time but I was just happy to get down without crashing and getting a race run into the books. I ended 55^th and had a time of 4:50, the winner was a 4:17 but in almost dry conditions so I was not happy but satisfied with the way things went. A few days before I wasn’t sure if I would be able to race so in the end it was a good start.

Thanks to my great sponsors: LE CANNABIS CANFIELD Factory Team, Seattle Coffee Co, Virgin Active, John Wakefield @science2sport, Leatt, Adidas eyewear,Evoc and Flexfit.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MARIA ULRICH FOR GIVING ME A LIFT  BACK TO SCHLADMING!

Val D Isere World Cup Report

Here is how my weekend in Val D Isere world cup went down….

After 44 hours of travelling from Mankele to Val D Isere, yes that’s right, 43 hours!

I left Mankele at 8:30am on Monday morning, 3 and a half hour drive to Jo burg, 9 hour wait at the airport, 10 hour flight to Munich, 2 hour bus trip to Salzburg, 7 hour wait, 9 hour train trip to Geneva, 3 hour drive to Val D Isere….. Arrival time: 4:30am Wednesday morning.

It was quite a trip but I made it haha! So Wednesday we registered and walked the track etc, and I knew it was going to be tough to qualify after my injury. The track looked super fast and super rough, but not too long which was good.

Anyway Thursday came around pretty quickly and practice got underway, the track had some big drops, really fast sections and some insane off camber sections which made it tough to hang on, but I was just so happy to be back in Europe and racing again it didn’t matter J I did 6 runs on Thursday and felt ok on the track, it was tough to hold on but otherwise not too bad. I was happy with it and thought that if I get in a few good runs on Friday before qualy I could qualify for sure.

Friday came around and I was out early on track, conditions were bone dry and good for racing, I put in some fast runs and was ready for qualifying. I got myself ready and went up for my run, I was 100 riders into qualifying and at about rider 30 it started pouring with rain! The weather in Val D Isere is crazy, rain, sun, rain, sun….. It can’t make up its mind. Anyway it rained for about 20 minutes pretty hard but then it stopped and the track was still in good race condition, not very wet. The track also dries out super quick there so it wasn’t a problem, however about 5 minutes before my run it started pouring again! This time it really let rip and the track got so slippery, it was insane and because I had dry tires and the track was super wet. I just thought, open mind and do my best, I started out my run and it was slip and slide from the get go; I was like an ice hockey puck! I came into the last really straight forward section on grass and I literally just slide off the track sideways into the bushes J I knew then that it was over and just cruised down, when I crossed the line I was in 82^nd spot. I was so frustrating because about 30 mins after my run the sun came out and by the last 80 riders it was almost dry again which was a bit unfair in a way but there is nothing you can do about the weather J

The weekend was a little bit of a letdown in some ways but in others it was great to just be back on the bike and racing again! I just feel like I have let my sponsors down this year by getting hurt and not being able to get up there on where I know I should be. Just hang in there; I will be back up there asap!

A big thanks to the awesome companies behind me, LE CANNABIS CANFIELD Factory Team, Seattle Coffee Co, Virgin Active, Leatt, Adidas eyewear, my trainer John Wakefield @science2sport, Flexfit and Evoc, you guys are awesome!

Lastly I would like to thank my team mate Johann Potgieter for fetching me from Geneva!

Until next time…..

SA CHAMPS RACE REPORT

As I write this I am sitting in the pit area for the Val D Isere world cup, but we’ll get to that later…

This is a run down of how my SA national champs went J

Myself and my dad flew up to Jo-burg on Thursday morning and then we had a 3-4 hour drive from there to Mankele. We finally got there at around 6pm and then checked in to our lodge around 15km from the track.

Friday morning was Registration and track walk, I was pretty keen to see the track because everyone was raving about it. The track consisted of 2 main sections, a fast open top piece and a tight tech forest piece, almost like 2 tracks linked together…. After track walk I was excited and nervous at the same time because I hadn’t raced for so long. I knew it was going to be tough to win considering the circumstances but I was determined to do my best!

Friday we some practice on the track and I was feeling terrible, slow, not confident and struggling. I had just not ridden anything this tech or steep or rough since before the injury so it was an eye opener for sure. However I brushed it off and looked forward to Saturday practice. It was quite a lot better on Saturday, although I still wasn’t feeling myself, I did a timed run and the best I could do was a 2:41 which was way off the pace and I knew it, but I just didn’t feel ready to go faster. So again I brushed it off and Saturday eve myself, Jaco, Duran and my dad went to see a movie to try and get my mind off things, it was nice and relaxed which was good before Sunday.

Sunday morning came around and I squeezed in 2 runs before seeding, they were both pretty solid but still not quick enough, it was down to the seeding and race runs, I knew it was a long shot but I just gave it my best. In seeding I managed a 2:36 which I was please about considering how I felt on the track. I also felt way more confident which was good for me, I was sitting in 3^rd spot after seeding, 9 sec back.

Anyway it was time for finals, I felt way better and was determined to put it together. I set off in my race run and was way more aggressive with pedalling etc, but unfortunately only 20sec into the track 1 of the wooden birms had broken, sending my over the bars into the dirt. I quickly shouted to the start for them to stop the race. I demanded a rerun and pushed my bike back up to the start. I was pretty tired but still felt ok. I set of once again and had a solid run, I pushed harder and was more aggressive. I had a few small mistakes but overall not a bad run with a time of 2:32. It was good enough for 3^rd overall and 2^nd elite so it wasn't too bad, I really wanted to win and know that if I was 100% I could have won for sure but considering the circumstances I was not too disappointed. I was only 3.5 sec back from winner Tiaan Odendaal and after 4 months of not racing and 3 months of no riding it was a good starting point. I had also only ridden my Canfield for a few weeks prior to the race so everything was new to me.

I would really like to thank my parents, friends and my awesome sponsors, LE CANNABIS CANFIELD Factory Team, Seattle Coffee Co, Virgin Active, Leatt, Adidas eyewear, Flexfit, Evoc and my trainer John Wakefield @science2sport. Without you guys I wouldn’t be able to race my bike and compete all over the world, so thanks so much for sticking with me and you’ll see me back on top very soon J

Until next time…..

43 ride magazine article

A huge thanks to Zbigniew Nowicki and Ewald Sadie for the great article!

Good news

I am finally back on the bike…….. Whoop whoop!

It has been a long 2 months since I crashed in Monte Tamaro but I am finally ready to rip it up once again J

On Saturday the 30^th of June I did my first 4 runs down the Paarl dh track in the pouring rain! It was amazing to be back on the bike, almost surreal for me. It was the longest break I had had since I started riding because I had already not ridden for a month before Monte Tamaro and then 2 runs before getting injured. So it feels unreal to be on a bike again, even though I am going slow at this stage. I need to take it easy because I don’t want to do any damage because of pushing too soon.

My original doctor that operated on me said I could ride until 12 weeks! That was not going to happen, so I saw Dr S Carter at Sport Science and he said I could get going at 8 weeks which is what I was looking for, so my first ride was at 7 weeks and 5 days. I have ridden 4 times up until this point and the Canfield feels amazing so far, my hand is still weak but getting stronger with each ride, so hopefully in 2 weeks it will be almost 100% when I need to race SA champs.

I am planning to do as much riding as possible over the next 2 weeks to prepare, I have been spending loads of time in Virgin Active so I am already nice and fit due to a tough training programme from my champ trainer John Wakefield @science2sport J. I have also been on strict eating programme to try get the most out of my training, I wanted to make sure that I was in the best possible shape when I race again, so even if my wrist isn’t quite 100% the rest of my body will be.

This last week I got a sweet package from Adidas eyewear, some new sunnies and BEAUTIFULL goggles, so thanks guys! I have got my hands on a Go Pro thanks to Jazz Kuschke and will be posting some helmet cam runs asap for you all to monitor my progress, I must say you can do some cool stuff with that little camera.

 Anyway I am off to Seattle Coffee Co to get an amazing coffee and then do some riding, until next time….

THANKS TO: LE CANNABIS CANFIELD FACTORY TEAM, SEATTLE COFFEE CO, VIRGIN ACTIVE, ADIDAS EYEWEAR, LEATT, JOHN WAKEFIELD @SCIENCE2SPORT, FLEXFIT, EVOC AND CSIXX

Awesome pics by Photo Junction, Lee Viljoen, thanks bud!

First Time Experience

For those of you who have never had an operation, here is my experience….

I was told I wasn’t allowed to eat or drink anything from 7am on the morning of the op which was not ideal as we had no idea of what time the op would happen. I got the hospital at around 9am, I saw the doc who decided then and there to do the op that day, only problem was it was going to be at 7:30pm! This meant no eating or drinking for 12hours for me…. Needless to say later in the day I had a headache and was not in a good mood.

The nurse did hook me up with a drip which helped, but still not great. All I could do was wait all day, just thinking about how they were going to cut me open and how it would feel to be put to sleep. It was a long afternoon J

Anyway, the time finally arrived and they took me into theatre, they prepped me and got me onto that skinny operating table…. I was a little nervous at this stage. The doc told me to take some deep breaths into the O2 mask and then all I remember is wondering why my arm was sore…. I looked down and saw that my arm was all wrapped up. It was over, that quickly! Of course now they offered me some food which I couldn’t eat because my throat felt like I had swallowed a pineapple!

It didn’t take long before I had fallen asleep again and I needed the toilet at 3am… well that was not so easy. Try going to the bathroom when you feel like falling over and someone is watching…. Not going to happen J I finally managed to pull through and get the job done!

The next day I was checked out at around lunch time and on my way, but not before they pulled the drain out of my arm…. Not a pleasant experience at all. I was now hungry and had a big lunch on my way home!

So to anyone who has never been operated on, this was my experience, it wasn’t great but wasn’t as bad as expected either, so don’t worry about it!

Just a big shout out to all my sponsors who have stuck with me, LE CANNABIS CANFIELD factory team, Seattle Coffee Co, Virgin Active, John Wakefield @Science2sport, Leatt, Csixx, Adidas eyewear, Evoc and Flexfit.

Until next time….