African Continental Road Cycling Championships

Yesterday the Namibian team returned safely home after a long 24hours bus drive from Pietermaritzburg to Windhoek. With us we brought three medals as well as unreplaceable experience for all the young riders.

The African Continental Road Championships had me participating in the Team Time Trial (TTT) as well as the main event, the road race.

We departed Windhoek on the morning of the 6^th February with lots of drama as two of the riders, Fifi and Costa Seibeb, decided not to accompany his fellow countrymen to the African Champs. The long drive through day and night resulted in stiff legs and tyred minds which we were able to refresh by an evening ride around the loop that would face us for the team time trial on Monday.

Our elite team, built up of Dan Craven, Heiko Redecker, Michael Pretorious and I, went into the TTT very confident and in hope of receiving a medal at the end of the day. We were left disappointed with a sixth place and not a lot to take from it. The Junior men and Elite ladies though lifted the spirits with a bronze and silver medal.

Over the next five days I watched the others race and managed to soak in the beauty of Pietermaritzburg hills with some good training rides. 

With my instructions in mind and goals set we started the 161km road race on Saturday the 14^th. We had a team of 6 riders in a bunch of pro’s and probably the most competitive peleton that the African champs have ever had. The race consisted of four loops of 44km each with a total climbing of about 1900m.

Our teams aim was to protect our Capitan, Dan Craven, by making sure that there was one of us in every breakaway or attack. For two laps we managed to keep the bunch together with no serious breakaways forming even though I suffered a puncture after lap one. Halfway through third loop though, while I was already hanging on the back of the bunch like a droplet on a leave, I was involved in crash. Unlike Heiko I luckily managed to keep the rubber side down. I did lose touch of the bunch though and just didn’t have the energy to fight back. After a while of pain and suffering trying to catch up with the front guys I was mentally broken and decided to through in the towel and call it a day.

I finished my third loop and returned to our team bus only to find the other four riders there as well. This meant that Dan was in the race alone battling it out against the strongest riders in Africa. The whole team stood by the finish line eager to see the sprint and how Dan would finish. The South Africans managed to get three riders in a break. Once they finished we awaited Dan in the next bunch sprint. As they approached for the sprint Dan was forced off the road by another rider and crash with 100m to the finish line. He ended up walking across the line with a respectable 13^th place.

Even though we didn’t manage to get a medal in the road race I personally gained so much experience of racing at a pro level it was a huge success for me. 

These last view weeks of road racing have really been amazing. In the National Road Champs a week before our departure I managed to claim the U/23 Time trial and road title,

but now it’s back to the Mountain Bike in preparation for the National Marathon Champs on Sunday.

From my side, keep the tyres turning and until next time

Martin

A happy new year!

Dear friends, family and sponsors,

2014 has come and gone as fast as Josh Bryceland down the World Champs course in Hafjell. Yes, there have been some challenging obstacles and broken dreams, but what do you do in such a situation? You get over it (rule nr. 5).

The year had me traveling to places where I have never been before and hope to return some time soon. I met amazing people from Australia, Ireland, Azerbaijan, Argentina and other countries who as well had the privilege of being invited to a skills training camp in Aigle, Switzerland.

My racing and training have been turned down a notch as 2014 was my last year in school. I completed my Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC) and am very pleased with my results. This brings us to my plans for the next year:

I have decided to take a gap-year in 2015 and discover what it would feel like to be a professional cyclist. My plans include racing at some of the XCO World Cups as well as some local Swiss races to gain experience on a world class circuit. I will also be racing in South Africa to try make myself known in the southern racing scene.

Currently I still have a spot in the KIA Namibia Team that has been incredibly helpful and loyal over the past two years. I will however be riding in the colours of some other brands as well, so keep up to date to hear about my new sponsors.

Today I am participating in the qualifying race for the African Continental Road Championships. This will see us racing up our local Hill Climb (which will be a system shock after a richly consumed festive season), and then screaming back down again in hope to have made it into the team.

From my side, keep the tires turning and happy new year.

Until next time,

Martin