2010 World Cup Bike Tour - my wife and I - 3weeks, 7games & 8000-odd k's

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must be...

Pack Dog
Joined
Feb 20, 2010
Messages
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Location
Johannesburg
Bike
BMW F650GS / Dakar
Ok, I realised by checking other ride reports for inspiration, that I'm not the only one who goes on a tour then struggles to muster the energy to put up the RR.

Well, it's about time, I've really been working through my pics and decided to let them do most of the talking and I'm gonna try a different angle with the report...

this was the info on my facebook group before we left to explain it...

the Mission:

the 2010 FIFA World Cup - 3 weeks, nearly 8 000km... follow us as we embark on the epic adventure

the Concept:

1 bike...
BMW F650 GS (single)

2 people...
Francis and Marta Gersbach

3 weeks...
20 days

4 stadiums...
Soccer City (JHB); Moses Mabhida (DBN); Nelson Mandela Bay (PE); Green Point (CPT)

5 forms of luggage...
1 Top Box; 2 Panniers; 1 Backpack; 1 Tank Bag

6 months...
of planning

7 matches...
as many games as the eventual world cup finalists will play:
3 Group Matches; 1 Round of 16; 1 Quarter Final; 1 Semi Final; Final

8 provinces...
Gauteng; Free State; Mpumalanga; Eastern Cape; Western Cape; Northern Cape; North West; KZN

9 months...
Owning a Bike

10 / 10 experience

Well, that was the teaser, we didn't really know what we'd let ourselves in for... our biggest ride together was 300km, I'd taken a ride to Greytown for the Mighty Men's conference earlier in the year and took the "long way" back, so I thought we were prepared...

Here's how it came about:

I'm a soccer freak, since the first WC i can remember in 1986, I said "one day I'll go to a World Cup final" and 6 years ago we got the nod to host the first African FIFA World Cup... with that I realised that my dream was coming true...

When I finally heard that tickets were going on sale, I applied in the first round... there was a lot of theory to the way that I did it... I'm Portuguese, so I was gonna buy a team specific ticket for them... well, when it came to the crunch, they weren't looking too hot and I couldn't take the chance of missing out on tickets when everyone was sure of which teams were qualifying. So I chose the Dutch (my best friend is a dutchman) - they were the only team besides Bafana Bafana sure to be here and I couldn't chose them because the chance of me getting approved for all 7 tickets would be slim.

You could believe that I was like Paul the Octopus with my choice of team, but no matter what, because I got the Dutch specific 7 match ticket, I was guaranteed to go all the way.

Anyway, that's the picture. I said I was gonna let the photo's doing the talking, so I'll shut up now... but before I start I just want you to know how blessed we were... 

there was a cold front that passed before we left, there was one that happened after we got home, and the only problem we had with the bike was the morning we probably left the park light on for 2 days and couldn't start the bike...

now to the part most guys (like myself) skip the text to...

 

Attachments

  • Game 1 -Ned v. Den (by cage).JPG
    Game 1 -Ned v. Den (by cage).JPG
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  • Start Mileage.JPG
    Start Mileage.JPG
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  • Packed up and ready - Departure day.JPG
    Packed up and ready - Departure day.JPG
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  • Pit stop - Golden Gate.JPG
    Pit stop - Golden Gate.JPG
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  • Tickets - Game 1.JPG
    Tickets - Game 1.JPG
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