Winning Xterra Buffelspoort – The Race Report

I ran home in 2h20 a wilted man in scorching heat after a tussle with Xterra icon Lieuwe Boonstra to take my second Xterra win at Buffelspoort Dam in Gauteng yesterday. The course and elements were testing to the extreme, with a rocky and rugged 25km ride before a sweltering 10km run with some ‘compulsory walk sections’ asked deep and meaningful questions of every Xterra warrior to be. Elated to emerge strongest from the melting pot, I got to build on positively from Totalsports and Triple Challenge.

(Quiet before the storm – slipping into my Orca suit for race start)

The majority of entrants set off for roughly half the distance I was to cover later on in the morning during the Xterra Lite event, which is a healthy and encouraging sign for the Xterra Brand in South Africa. They were lucky to miss out on the brunt of the African sun we’d face over mid day. Grateful that they were off before us, as the 10am start gave me some grace to sort a new back wheel after a freakishly unlucky incident with a bottle neck pre-riding the afternoon before.

(Course scouting with Eszter on Friday afternoon)

I knew as Stan’s came squirting out my back tire that serious admin would be needed to make it to the start line. This was more than a minor thorn puncture. The Stan’s was semi-sealing, but not convincingly enough, so in the evening good friend JP van der Linde offered me a spare tire of his. We battled trying to seat it tubelessly, and in the end, I mayday’d to a friend in Joburg. If he could sort a spare wheel for me, he’d have to find a cluster tool and chain wip as well, all of which seemed a hard ask at 9pm the night before a race. Charl produced the goods, and I owe him greatly for the assistance.

(Guilty as charged – I didnt see it)

This pre-race excitement taken care of, it was down to the business end of the day. Iain Don-Wouchope had not come up, leaving Lieuwe Boonstra and Charl Keet to race. This mellowed the swim tempo not having a class runner like Iain who’d be chasing down till the end. I felt real comfi in the water and swam on Charl’s feet for most the way, with Boonstra swimming on mine, till Terrence Parkin moved past us mid way on the second lap. This shuffled the group and lifted the pace a little, but we ran into T1 together all the same.

(Lieuwe leading, myself, and Charl just behind)

I snuck out onto my bike ahead, but made a tactical mistake trying to get my gloves on before entering the first single track some 200m away. Boonstra edged past on the corner into the single track, and I was stuck behind. This was the first of many rocky tracks, testing bikes and riders temperament as well as technical skill. I made an early break at the first opportunity I could get by, and foolishly thought I might just have an easy day out after putting 50m of daylight between us over the next kilometer, but there’ll seldom be a day when a great will give a youngster an easy race.

(Mounting my S-Works)

Just before entering a game reserve for an 8km loop, I glanced back to see Lieuwe and Charl both within 45sec of me. Boonstra rode across the gap in the reserve, and was looking the stronger. Some very technical hillside, with rocky climbs and bumpy descents were better handled by Lieuwe and I had 50m of my own to close on the open gravel after the reserve.

It would have a been a perfect course for the my new S-Works Epic due in the next month or so. I cant wait. The course at Buffelspoort had ‘soft-tail’ written all over it. Next time…

 The bike course had bits of everything, and though a spectacular bit of forested single track, I nearly slammed breaks at the site of a 2foot wide 3m bride across an empty canal, but Lieuwe was on my wheel and my ego managed to over-ride rationale. Through fruit orchards I kept pulling, thinking I was handing it to Lieuwe, but little choice I felt with his running being stronger. I could but only hope I was doing some damage to soften his run.

With 4km left on the mountain bike ride, it became quiet behind, I couldnt believe it at first. But lifted my tempo to test if it was for real. The heat had set in properly now, and I was out of my USN drink. I rode my Specialized S-Works hardtail battered and bruised into T2 with a slim 20sec lead to Lieuwe Boonstra, and as I ran out of the pound, I heard Paul Kaye commentating to Charl making his way in.

(Running out of T2 with a narrow lead)

Only 45seconds in it from first through third, all in what felt like a dry 45degree heat. I grabbed two USN CytoGel’s on my way through as well as four water sachet’s. I felt more in-control soon after and was running well till we dropped down a long cement staircase behind the dam wall, across a rocky river bed, to the start of a 150m climb that wasnt run-able. At times it didnt feel walk-able. For me that is. I was at my limit. I was spent. Altitude and oppressive heat were applying the hurt as I sucked on air with my hands on my knees.

There’s always that still small voice inside us, saying you cant, whether at work or play, but it seemed he was shouting louder and louder. I could think of many a reason why this shouldn’t be my day. But for some reason I thought to keep going and postpone the lie-down under a shady tree. Turning after lap one I couldn’t see anyone, I had built a 5min lead after lap one, and Charl was even further back.

I connected with some mid-fielders who were doing their first lap and mentally knowing what lay ahead with the lead I had I relaxed up, had another CytoGel and kept pushing on as I ran past Eszter Erdelyi leading the girls race from Carla Germishuis. Eszter is Hungarian and based out here for our summer before returning to Europe in 08 to defend her Xterra Euro Series Champion title.

It was a special day for me, winning my second Xterra. Its different going to a race thinking you ‘shouldnt’ win versus you’re ‘expected’ to win. I hadnt felt my best on course, and really had to dig. A bitter sweet symphony.

(Finishing Xterra Buffelspoort)

All these photo’s are thanks so Johan Small-Smith, who made the trip out to come support me. Good man. Was really appreciated. Thanks Small-Smith.

I’ll try get the official results soonest. Thanks for the interest and support.