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- May 21, 2009
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The crazies take on the Amageza
AMAGEZA!
A simple word Interpreted as you are crazy in Xhosa about sums up the offroad riders who all took on the course recced over months by Kameelkop.
Very much the same was said of the small group who introduced the Paris Dakar to the competitive world. But now look at the event.
I was also involved in the Argus cycle tour and on a warm March morning many years ago about 50 entrepid Peddle Power members were set off at 6am from the foreshore to the sound of a whistle blowing.
And now look at the event. Forty Thousand plus competitors try to get onto the event.
Again much the same can be said for the Cape Epic, which has now grown into a cycle challenge on the world calendar.
And why cannot the Amageza grow in stature to become an attraction to riders from around the world.
Well thanks to Alex we now have the start of something big.
The alarm jerked me out of one of my deep dreams at about 4am on Saturday morning.
Groaning, rubbing sleep out of my eyes I dressed and got ready for the drive to the start at the Wimpy in Langerbaan.
The night before I had been at the briefing and there was definitely an electric feel in the air. It in fact felt like a bolt of lightning had struck close to the Engen garage.
The riders were excited, some a bit apprehensive and the real offroad fundis out to prove a point and show how well they can ride and navigate.
Briefing over we all went our own ways and each got ready for the big day.
By 5am the Wimpy became busy as riders arrived, fuelled up and the normal banter flew back and forth.
Also a huge Wimpy breakfast helped fill the gap. The old army saying if you miss a meal you will not survive to the next was most appropriate for the day.
“So I see your KTM cannot make the distance on a tank of fuel.”
“Well it can still go where your Honda cannot.”
“Or I hope you can navigate because I cannot see the small type on the track cards.”
As the sun crept over the horizon and 7am loomed they all lined up and at 7am the first three hit the road at one hell of a speed.
Quickly followed ,in two minute intervals by the rest of the group of threes.
I jumped into my bakkie and raced off in an attempt to get to the refuelling point at Trawal and just made it to the hill descending into the town as two riders came flying down at speeds that would make Marc Coma proud.
Twenty minutes later the first in were the first out on the second leg heading deep into the Cederberg and about to take on terrain that donkeys are not allowed to traverse.
On a hill outside Trawal and heading to Brand se Berg summit I experienced riders jumping a cattle grid at speeds, which would make Cyril Dupres take note.
These boys and girls were flying.
Meanwhile we had heard of the tragic accident on Kapteins Kloof which put Fenderbender out of the race and in hospital. Hopefully all goes well and he will be back in the saddle showing us all how to ride.
I followed the riders across the mountain and then met up with some more sedate but equally stressed out mountain bikers all taking on very much the same route but sweating far harder in the heat which by now had reached into the late 30s.
And then out in the middle of nowhere Leftless was taken down numbers and sending the riders on their way to meet yet more hazards deep in the Cederberg and down into the Biedouw valley.
This is when a marshall breathes a sigh of relief as one gets into an airconditioned 4x4 and cuts across country to meet our crazy competitors.
At the checkpoint Rynet actually remarked and asked where is the sand. I am sure she found it somewhere on the torturous route.
By now most of the riders must have come to the conclusion that Kameelkop is a pevert who likes to make life really terrible for most people. Fortunately his wife makes up for his faults.
The next time I met the riders was on the Algeria passes where Weskus came flying through as if he had been down to the shops for his mother and had not flown through 500 km of moon like terrain.
On this stretch I had placed my video camera on a tripod and set it up on the shoulder of the road.
Now I am sure not one of our finest in Blue has ever set up a speed trap on a gravel road in the middle of the Cederberg but is worked.
I would hear the cars and bakkies come flying down the hill oustside Clanwilliam, spot the camera, see my bakkie parked off the road and immediately apply brakes and slow to about 50kph.
I am sure the apparent speed trap must be the talking point among all the locals.
Five PM struck and the cut off point had arrived yet riders still kept coming. Some had had punctures, or got lost on Alex’s intricate route or in one case blown a gearbox.
At last we arrived at Clanwilliam dam and the cameradie was fantastic. The riders were chilling, recounting their exploits, jibing one another or congratulating each other on their finishes.
The Aquatic Club catered amazingly and I am sure everyone had their fill plus the refreshments that flowed.
Alex as the sweeper arrived and immediately handed out the medals and prizes to the proud riders who had all finished the course.
Weskus took the top prize and well deserved as he can really handle the pressure, John was the oldest competitor and Rynet the only woman who survived the ordeal plus all other finishers got their well deserved medals.
Roll on 2012 and another challenge dreamt up by Kameelkop.
AMAGEZA!
A simple word Interpreted as you are crazy in Xhosa about sums up the offroad riders who all took on the course recced over months by Kameelkop.
Very much the same was said of the small group who introduced the Paris Dakar to the competitive world. But now look at the event.
I was also involved in the Argus cycle tour and on a warm March morning many years ago about 50 entrepid Peddle Power members were set off at 6am from the foreshore to the sound of a whistle blowing.
And now look at the event. Forty Thousand plus competitors try to get onto the event.
Again much the same can be said for the Cape Epic, which has now grown into a cycle challenge on the world calendar.
And why cannot the Amageza grow in stature to become an attraction to riders from around the world.
Well thanks to Alex we now have the start of something big.
The alarm jerked me out of one of my deep dreams at about 4am on Saturday morning.
Groaning, rubbing sleep out of my eyes I dressed and got ready for the drive to the start at the Wimpy in Langerbaan.
The night before I had been at the briefing and there was definitely an electric feel in the air. It in fact felt like a bolt of lightning had struck close to the Engen garage.
The riders were excited, some a bit apprehensive and the real offroad fundis out to prove a point and show how well they can ride and navigate.
Briefing over we all went our own ways and each got ready for the big day.
By 5am the Wimpy became busy as riders arrived, fuelled up and the normal banter flew back and forth.
Also a huge Wimpy breakfast helped fill the gap. The old army saying if you miss a meal you will not survive to the next was most appropriate for the day.
“So I see your KTM cannot make the distance on a tank of fuel.”
“Well it can still go where your Honda cannot.”
“Or I hope you can navigate because I cannot see the small type on the track cards.”
As the sun crept over the horizon and 7am loomed they all lined up and at 7am the first three hit the road at one hell of a speed.
Quickly followed ,in two minute intervals by the rest of the group of threes.
I jumped into my bakkie and raced off in an attempt to get to the refuelling point at Trawal and just made it to the hill descending into the town as two riders came flying down at speeds that would make Marc Coma proud.
Twenty minutes later the first in were the first out on the second leg heading deep into the Cederberg and about to take on terrain that donkeys are not allowed to traverse.
On a hill outside Trawal and heading to Brand se Berg summit I experienced riders jumping a cattle grid at speeds, which would make Cyril Dupres take note.
These boys and girls were flying.
Meanwhile we had heard of the tragic accident on Kapteins Kloof which put Fenderbender out of the race and in hospital. Hopefully all goes well and he will be back in the saddle showing us all how to ride.
I followed the riders across the mountain and then met up with some more sedate but equally stressed out mountain bikers all taking on very much the same route but sweating far harder in the heat which by now had reached into the late 30s.
And then out in the middle of nowhere Leftless was taken down numbers and sending the riders on their way to meet yet more hazards deep in the Cederberg and down into the Biedouw valley.
This is when a marshall breathes a sigh of relief as one gets into an airconditioned 4x4 and cuts across country to meet our crazy competitors.
At the checkpoint Rynet actually remarked and asked where is the sand. I am sure she found it somewhere on the torturous route.
By now most of the riders must have come to the conclusion that Kameelkop is a pevert who likes to make life really terrible for most people. Fortunately his wife makes up for his faults.
The next time I met the riders was on the Algeria passes where Weskus came flying through as if he had been down to the shops for his mother and had not flown through 500 km of moon like terrain.
On this stretch I had placed my video camera on a tripod and set it up on the shoulder of the road.
Now I am sure not one of our finest in Blue has ever set up a speed trap on a gravel road in the middle of the Cederberg but is worked.
I would hear the cars and bakkies come flying down the hill oustside Clanwilliam, spot the camera, see my bakkie parked off the road and immediately apply brakes and slow to about 50kph.
I am sure the apparent speed trap must be the talking point among all the locals.
Five PM struck and the cut off point had arrived yet riders still kept coming. Some had had punctures, or got lost on Alex’s intricate route or in one case blown a gearbox.
At last we arrived at Clanwilliam dam and the cameradie was fantastic. The riders were chilling, recounting their exploits, jibing one another or congratulating each other on their finishes.
The Aquatic Club catered amazingly and I am sure everyone had their fill plus the refreshments that flowed.
Alex as the sweeper arrived and immediately handed out the medals and prizes to the proud riders who had all finished the course.
Weskus took the top prize and well deserved as he can really handle the pressure, John was the oldest competitor and Rynet the only woman who survived the ordeal plus all other finishers got their well deserved medals.
Roll on 2012 and another challenge dreamt up by Kameelkop.
