Tuesday 6th 22:30
Dust settles on a day another “normal” Freedom challenge day:
• Minus 18 degrees on the Witteberg plateau
• Cut-offs
• Broken equipment
• Bruised bodies
• Antibiotics
• Hunger Games
• Osseberg
Seasoned mountain biker Mike Nixon is still in Slaapkrans, technical issues, infection of his shin and super hospitality made him stay a little bit longer.
Paul, Martin and second lady Franci had a faultless day from Slaapkrans to Kranskop not bad going for these rookies to the trail.
The Brothers Payne left with Franci’s band but pushed on to Brosterlea which recorded minus 17 degrees this morning. They will find Scott Danoher who’s Specialized Epic decided “this type of racing is not for Epic’s” he is serving a 6hr penalty for new bike.
Gavin Horton’s tracker woke up again to show him just outside Kranskop this morning. His Gummy Berry Juice ran out and he has now settled into a normal touring pace. He caught up to the remainder of the once chasing (not racing) bunch aka CAC bunch (Casper, Axel, Carlo) in Romansfontein (Hotel California). They are joined my MMM (Merak and his Merry Men) Merak, Oliver and Greg. They have been moving well and were catching the CAC Team slowly.
Hotel California was minus 18 this morning. Carlo and Casper were minding their own business when they got mesmerised by the Romansfontein Kitchen fairies… they stayed behind as Axel Poser went in pursuit of the ballsy Fjord Jordaan that has shown some real hunger to be the fastest trialist to Diemersfontein.
Fjord has been picking up speed (oxymoron) since he slept at Brostelea and left @0240 he has shown the hunger by not wasting anytime at support stations and apart from small spider webs at the Blockhouse and loop at Elandsberg he has been showing his intent.
Gary Scoular has a tooth abscess and has struggled to Hofmeyr. RG du Toit is also on meds for a stomach bug that has been bugging him for the past few days. He will reach Fietskraal tonight.
Jan van de Putte and Greg Philps are in Elandsberg and was briefly accompanied by Fjord for a short while but probably without knowing about each other.
Charl van Der Spuy had shown the tendency to get things wonky at the most unexpected times. Yesterday it was shooting past Romansfontein and today scratching around at Groenfontein. He is settling there for the night.
The Erasmus Kommando (Richard Erasmus, Jason Wesson, and Steven Kitto) pulled into Pearston Hotel for a rest. They have been riding well together with little web spinning. Jason will be getting his own bike back after he borrowed Rooi Buffel’s (Mike Roy) Steel Hard Tail 24 Speed Machine (used by the Russians to torcher the Fins in the 1864 Siberian War).
Richard Cole and Greg Perret had a good day from Fietskraal to Toekomst steady ride little incident.
Pierre Singery is serving a 3 hour penalty for new spokes. He is with Derrick Muller, Andrew Green, Brett Andrew, and leading lady Sarah van Eeden in Bucklands. Will be interesting to see if they will leap to Cambria.
In Hadley we have Kemsley Wood, Derrick Bingham, and Kevin Meier they will do Osseberg tomorrow and might go for the 13h00 gate otherwise settle at Cambria for the night. Let us see what the crowd in Bucklands will do as they bunked early.
Roger and his Trophy Team of semi fits are safely in Willowmore and kept to their one day at a time recipe. Andrew Cromhout is also serving a 3-hour penalty for a new shifter.
Which brings us to the rider of the day. In his very first Freedom event with no prior route knowledge, he has made no big mistakes. But his ride today makes him earn the converted Eland Whisper award for rider of the day. Sandy Inglis navigated from Hadley to Cambria through the Osseberg with the finesse of a Gazelle. Well done, Sandy!!!
Working hard to get us super cool Pickies, Llewellyn has upgraded his transport to a more capable rental from Bloemfontein… Ja, you guessed right he now drives a Toyota.
Race pics | 6 July 2021 | Llewellyn Lloyd // Reblex Photography