So you've finished more than a handful of 100 kay bike races and even a few stage races - 4 hours on a bike is not scary to you.
But now your friends, colleagues or club mates have drafted you into a double century team and you're wondering how you'll either keep up with them or get them to the finish with you come November?!
A 30km/h average speed will still take you almost 7 hours to ride 200 kays, so regardless how fast you may ride 100km, you're in for a long day out.
You'll need more nutrition & hydration, more training, and great team work if you plan to enjoy your biggest bike day out at the Old Mutual Wealth Double Century.
You can never be sure what conditions to expect on the day, nor what sort of form and temperament your team mates will exhibit. Some days you're the bug, some days you're the windscreen. You may be pushing others or being pushed, it can be heaven and it can be hell. You can either suck it up & suffer or you can put some planning in to be properly prepared.
Yes, riding 'the deecee' can be a lottery either way, so to help you work out what it will take to get your team over the line together, smiling - or as fast as possible. We and the team at Old Mutual Wealth are here for you, sharing some hard earned wisdom that you and your team mates can use to avoid learning the hard way.
This is a series of conversations we hosted between some of the most decorated and successful cyclists in South Africa who have all been there and have lessons to share.
Listen to the likes of Malcolm Lange and Anriette Schoeman who have both won more bike races than any other South African male and female, Candice Lill multiple Olympian and SA Champ, Grand Tour rider Songezo Jim, and coach and multiple road & mtb champ Darren Lill, explain just what makes this unique race daunting but doable.
Host and editor of Road Bike mag Paul Ingpen is a fun rider like you who's spent nearly 20 years learning the do's and don'ts of this legendary long loop.
Over the series the legends of our sport will share unique insights on how to ride together effectively, how to train and plan, how to hydrate eat and beat cramps, how to manage team dynamics and work together as a team, plus they all share sentimental anecdotes of the 20 years of DC gone by.
