Wines2Whales Chardonnay: Life lessons at the bottom of the barrel

Every race that I have done has taught me something, about managing myself, managing those around me, managing adversity, and carrying on when things don’t quite go according to plan. Over the years, these lessons have become more and more applicable in real life, as I’ve come to realise that being blindsided by the unexpected is part of the game.

The Elite women set off into the Lourensford vineyards. Image by Sam Clark

This year’s Wines2Whales Chardonnay was a good example of how things don’t always work out the way you expect. Having ticked off a few Wines2Whales over the years, I am pretty blasé about the event, and tend to think of it as an awesome three day training camp. This year I was looking forward to riding it in a ladies team for the first time, in the biggest Elite women’s field the event has seen.

The unique thing about the Chardonnay, is that the organisers have dedicated it to the racing women: meaning we get our own start batch and the lion’s share of the media coverage. Although I am by no means a professional, I am part of a pool of the working class who are racing with the Elites, to help grow the field and the sport (and mostly because we just love racing bikes). It has been gratifying to see the size of the field grow over the years, and hopefully we can see this trend continue.

I lined up with power trail runner Marzelle van der Merwe, and after less-than-perfect preparation I was expecting to enjoy suffering horribly on her wheel. A series of unfortunate events meant this was not to be. But I learned a few important lessons which apply mainly to stage racing, but probably in real life too.

Stage 1 – Lourensford to Oak Valley

My favourite days are the two transfer days because of the sense of adventure and achievement that comes from riding from one geographic location to another. Stage 1 is also always the toughest for me because it begins with a significant climb straight out of the start chute. The rolling hills and single track that lead you to the infamous Gantouw pass portage take no prisoners. I’m also not gifted on my feet and the portage inevitably ends with me “puffing like an aged labrador” (thanks Seamus) with my heart rate shooting through the roof.

At some point on the climb above Lourensford things began to unravel for us. Image Sam Clark

This year things played out a bit differently. Some way up the first climb my phone rang, and I’d just realised that the person in blue behind me was not Marzelle. Which brings me to the first two hard lessons learned.

Having lost the group we took it easy, to the portage. I wasn’t feeling amazing and Marzelle did all the hard work on the front in a raging headwind. True to form she bounced up the portage like a gazelle, while I wheezed and puffed my way up cursing.

Marzelle saving the day in the headwind on Stage 1. Image by Sam Clark

It took a solid twenty minutes for me to find myself again post-portage. The A-Z trails in Grabouw began to work their magic. It was dry and super sandy, meaning there were no free kilometres, but the wind calmed down slightly making for a much happier ride once we were over Gantouw pass. A fun, flowing bermed downhill into the finish at Oak Valley meant we ended on a high note and in good spirits.

Stage 2 – Oak Valley to Oak Valley

Stage 2 is dubbed “Play Day”, because the route crams in a large amount of singletrack on Oak Valley and the surrounding farms.

We set out in the early morning chill, and the bunch soon splintered on the undulating jeep tracks. It was the first time I got to appreciate the ladies start batch, and we had the singletrack to ourselves for the most part, which was a pleasure. The iconic Vissie’s Magic and Sounds of Silence on Oak Valley were definitely the standout trails of the day.

The punchy nature of the course began to chomp away at our legs, and around the halfway mark Marzelle’s epic Otter trail run two weeks earlier caught up with her. 

We limped home as best we could, but it was horrible seeing Marze suffer and not being able to be of any help. Everyone has a day like that at some point. Having had many of them myself I know you can only get it over with as quickly as possible, and hope that a rest and a good night’s sleep do the job. Unfortunately for Marze it didn’t and she made the difficult call to be safe rather than sorry. 

I started Stage 3 alone. This leads me to lesson three.

Stage 3 – Oak Valley to Onrus

Stage three has always been my favourite, probably due to its relatively flat profile (I climb like a wounded buffalo), and the epic scale of the landscape we cover. Going point-to-point just feels good!

A highlight for me is the ride over Karwyderskraal into the Hemel en Aarde Valley, as the scenery changes so dramatically and very quickly from the open fields to towering green mountains. It’s a loose, sandy, energy-sapping climb, but the knowledge that it’s mostly downhill from the dam wall serves as a carrot.

The singletrack home down the gorge is always harder than I expect, and this year was no different. Rain started falling heavily halfway down, and every little rise in the trail felt monumental. It was with great relief that I rolled into the finish at Curro school in Onrus.

Kim le Court and Vera Looser celebrating their well-deserved win. For all the details from racing at the sharp end of the field click here. Image Simon Pocock

While I didn’t have the outrageously tough race I was expecting, in many ways this year’s event was one of the most challenging experiences I have had.

It reminded me that the team dynamic is the core of stage racing, that it takes two to finish a race successfully, and finally that no matter how many times you do something there is always more to learn. This brings me to the final lesson learned.

I’m looking forward to trying again soon!

Ups and downs are part of the game. Image by Sam Clark