More about that later; to start, let’s dip into his first (and, he claims, only) leap into the unknowns of ultra-endurance racing.
What is the Sedgefi eld500?
It’s a 500km, self-supported tar and gravel race, organised by Rae Trew-Browne and Outlaw Media. This year, we only had about 15 competitors; but for 500km in one go, that’s quite a lot I think! The essence is simple: we started and finished in Sedgefield, via Uniondale, Oudtshoorn, Calitzdorp and George. A couple of guys planned from the start to do it as a multi-day, while the rest of us chose to roll the dice and ride through the night.
Why?
Why not?! When the entry became available, I didn’t have a good reason to say no. And I’ve always wanted to see how I would go on an event that long. It ticked two things off the list: 500km, and the all-nighter.
What was your goal?
Personally, I just wanted to finish. I’d never done more than 220km in a single ride, so I was confident I would make it up to about halfway; but then beyond that, I had no idea. Everything after Oudtshoorn was going to be a complete mystery.
This story is from the January/February 2023 edition of Bicycling South Africa.
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This story is from the January/February 2023 edition of Bicycling South Africa.
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