STATE OF THE REINCARNATION
RACE RELATIONS
T his hasn’t been a good year for races and events – massive wind caused the Cape Town Cycle Tour to be called off, severe heat saw a stage of the Cape Epic shortened, and crazy rain, hail, and snow neutralised stages of the Sani2C and Berg & Bush.
But I suspect extreme weather hasn’t been the only thing keeping road and MTB event organisers awake at night. I think their concern is that the everycyclist may be losing interest in races.
I’m probably projecting, but hear me out: when I started riding with the Argus virgins, we participated in all the local road races. Just about every week I’d line up with hundreds of other Lycra bandits, and race my guts out. I enjoyed being ‘ competitive’ against my age group, and I found it addictive: from the buzz in the start chute, to the endorphin rush of riding fast on open roads, to the sense of achievement after crossing the finish- line knowing I’d gone as hard as I could, to the ecstasy of the first sip of ice- cold Coke a few moments later.
After a few years, though, the allure of racing lost its shine. Getting up at the crack to get to the venue, battling to find parking… and my start chute just wasn’t fun anymore. The final insult was the endless queues to use the toilet – and when it was finally my turn, suffering the indignity of unbibbing in what can only be described as porta- loo hell.
Another reason racing lost its appeal was having to contend with cowboys riding recklessly in groups (after one particularly nasty crash, there’s a patch of tar that still has bits of my skin on it).
Maybe it’s just the riders I hang out with, but my perception is that while there are a lot of road riders, among the weekend warriors, racing has dipped in popularity.
About f ive years ago I turned my attention to mountain- bike stage races. With the Cape Epic and Sani2C leading the way, it was the golden age of MTB multidayers, with events popping up all over the country. Many soon had massive waiting lists, so organisers added more events to accommodate keen riders.
It’s easy to see why stage races were all the rage: days and days in which to forget about the cycle of ‘ real world’ stress, focusing only on the cycle of cycling. Your main responsibility was not mistaking your chamois cream for your toothpaste.
I couldn’t get enough of stage races – until I got enough of them. I suspect I’m not the only one. It seems the stagerace bubble had a slow puncture, and it’s not diff icult to see why: they’re expensive (not only the entry fee, but the extras: nutrition, mechanic packages and massages all add up); there’s the logistical nightmare of transporting yourself and your bike; and crucially, some races have succumbed to ‘corporatisation’ – the ethos of mountain biking seems to be eroding.
Strava has also changed the nature of racing: no longer do riders have to enter races to compete (KOMpete?) with each other. Even though I still take part in occasional road and MTB stage races – and enjoy them – this year, I realised that the real joy of cycling for me is being on my bike with my mates, appreciating being outdoors, having fun and getting fit.
Five members of our cycling group decided to arrange our own tour this year. But organising a tour takes, well, organisation, which is not our strength; so we hitched our wagon to the Knysna Bull. The five of us rode together, and waited for each other at the tops of hills. And when one of our party got lost, the other four went to find me – I mean, ‘ him’.
We weren’t there to record good times; we were there to have a good time. The four days of laughter, banter and friendship were a much-needed reboot. Races can be great, but the enjoyment of touring with good mates is unbeatable. For me, racing has been reincarnated as touring.
It’s easy to see why stage races were all the rage: days and days in which to forget about the cycle of ‘real world’ stress...