So the 9th Epic has kicked off! For 1200 riders, months of training and preparation and weekends in the saddle have finally come to this. Now I'm not going to repeat what the Cape Epic website tells you (results; stages etc) - their website is really jacked (See it here: http://www.cape-epic.com/live/). I would rather dedicate a few entries into our amazing blog about our regular riding mates who are doing this race. We claim 3 riders from the Smooth Knobblies group (although one does have an identity crisis that we are working on.) Andew Koen has been riding with us for only 3 months now. His standard training regime has been to roll out his Rockstar 29er and ride with us on all of our pre-Argus road training. So whilst we were doing interval sprints around the Atlantic seaboard on the skinny wheels, we were constantly reminded of Andrew's presence by the buzzing of his knobblie tread right behind us. And no matter how hard we kicked - that noise just stuck behind us! He dropped countless roadies up the hills...I do think he is well prepared for this years Epic!
We also have John Gale (Epic John) and Riaan Meintjes (The Nutcracker) who are riding in their 9th and 5th Epic respectively. Rumour has it that Epic John had just completed one of the most brutal stages designed by Dr Evil a few years back. As he rolled in over the stage finish line, Dr Evil was standing in a group chuckling about the course and how this stage would be "the one" that radically culled the group size. So Epic John walked up to him and asked: "Is that it? Seriously?"
That was the last time they rode from Knysna....
Anyway - Cracker and Epic John have gotten their campaign off to a great start. At the prologue they achieved the following result:
Time of 1:42:18 (27km)
18th in the Masters Category
122 Overall
Here Epic John casually rides up the shadeless Northern Suburbs Durbanville MTB tracks. Please note the Tour De France inspired open chest jersey of The Nutcracker. We are currently taking donations so that he can suspend a gold chain and pendant that can swing openly and freely as he poses for TV and press shots up the climbs.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
This photo was supplied by none other than Twakkie - so it belongs to the Smooth Knobblie Group (Pty) Ltd. So if you're planning on downloading it and printing it into a A3 poster or something and haven't paid Twakkie his standard rate of US$25,000 for the image, then we will probably find you and sue you for the reproduction of this amazing image. You have been warned.... Don't end up living in a trailer park just because you didn't pay Twakkie his dues!! (He might accept a bit less...like a cup of coffee at Cocoa Espresso - but those a rumours for now).
