Another Challenge beaten

The Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge was a fun race – almost 98 kilometres of hard slog and fantastic support, and finally, the thrill of beating a personal record.
IT took me six hours and 32 minutes to complete my first Cycle Challenge; just two years later, I finished the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge in four hours and 48 minutes, knocking a full hour and three-quarters off my time.

The 2011 Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge was a joyful rideThe 2011 Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge was a joyful ride for the writerAnd I sure had fun riding the almost 98 kilometres of it on Sunday.

I was cyclist number 13858 and was allocated a Momentum Peleton start time of 7.45am; But I had a wobbly beginning – I forgot my race number at home and the officials refused to let me ride without it.

So I missed my allocated start time by an hour. Even this hiccup, though, could not dampen my mood. I was excitedly psyched for the challenge, having trained earnestly for the past two months.

After sorting out the logistics, I set off at 8.48am from the front entrance of Woodmead Retail Park on the R55 in Woodmead, leaving with the seventh last group of cyclists to race.

Playlist
As always, I pedalled slowly on the steady climb, building up speed and pace, accompanied by music playing from my cellphone. The first song on the playlist was Destiny by the new artist, Zahara. It was something of an irony because the song is about reaching one’s destiny despite unfavourable odds. It suited the mood, as the race would be as tough as it proved to be great fun.

I had resolved to thrash my 2009 record and give the race my all, and indeed I did. About 15 to 20 minutes in, I was already whisking past Sandton. This timeframe serves as the yardstick for cyclists who want to complete the race in five hours. I knew that if I reached Sandton under that time, prospects of my finishing in that time would be great.

But I paced myself, my ride determined by the alternating slopes of the M1. There were not many spectators at this point, only those cheering spouses, children, siblings or relatives, so I made haste past them.

I had enough stamina, having cycled the gruelling Momentum 94.7 Mountain Bike Challenge the previous week. It meant that I was well prepared.

Lesego had to contend with all kinds of cyclists The writer had to contend with all kinds of cyclists in unconventional outfits We took the Jan Smuts Avenue off-ramp into Saint Andrew’s Road in Parktown, riding a fairly steep slope to the first water point, at the intersection of Victoria Road. Loud cheers could be heard, while a myriad of cyclists stopped to fill up their water bottles, some with an energy drink. Others just whisked past.

I stopped, filled my bottle with energy drink and stretched my muscles a little to avoid cramps and burning out. It was the 18km mark.

Hospital
From here, the ride was fast downhill past Wits University’s Education Campus around Charlotte Maxeke Hospital on Carse O’Gowrie Road, and then it was right into Joe Slovo Drive, through Hillbrow and Berea towards the city centre. I was egged on by various spectators, including people shouting from a taxi on the opposite side of the road. Others were sitting on the roadside and pavements.

We then raced south towards the M2 East, riding in a lane reserved for oncoming traffic, passing Joburg’s city centre, its towering buildings both new and old scraping the sky.

I reset my speed as we navigated a steep incline and then took the off ramp into Eloff Street, usually one of the CBD’s busiest streets, packed with buses and minibus taxis. On Sunday, though, the hurly-burly had been replaced by cyclists whizzing past and spectators lining the streets, cheering loudly.

We turned right into Ghandi Square, left into Rissik Street and then back on to the M2 East along an uphill stretch. We headed northwards on the M1, taking the Carr Street exit to land in Newtown, just next to the Brickfields housing development. From there it was over the resplendent Nelson Mandela Bridge to Braamfontein.

We were now on Jan Smuts Avenue and I increased my speed, accelerating past the Empire Road intersection on a downward slope, past the Saint Andrew’s Road intersection, through the leafy suburbs of Westcliff, Forest Town and Saxonwold.

All types of bikesThe Cycle Challenge was a fun affairJust outside the Johannesburg Zoo, I grabbed two chocolate bars from street traders to replenish my strength. A little way further along, on the corner of Jan Smuts and Seventh Avenue in Rosebank was the second water point, at the 36km mark. It was time for me to fill up with all the necessities again, and stretch my muscles.

Taxi rank
The road continued up a steep slope past Blairgowrie, towards the Randburg Taxi Rank. I navigated the long, backbreaking uphill with ease. At this point, Jan Smuts merges with Bram Fischer Drive, before the route turned into Main Street, which led to the third water point on Homestead Avenue in Bryanston.

Again, I stopped to stretch and fill up on energy drink.

We reached the halfway mark of the race in Douglasdale, where scores of onlookers lined the street, cheering devotedly. We turned left into Witkoppen Road off Douglas Road, which was a steady climb. This stretch of the road was about 15 kilometres long and was the toughest segment of the race.

But the many people lining the street had turned it into a melting pot of all sorts. Some relaxed under gazebos and trees; others slouched in camp chairs braaing meat while listening to thumping funk beats. Some even sprayed the cyclists with their hosepipes, cooling the heat.

From Witkoppen Road we headed through Kya Sands towards Cosmo City. The streets were still teeming with locals come out to support us. I got a fair amount of cheering from well-wishers, keeping my spirits up.

The ride along Malibongwe Drive was taxing; however, it offered cyclists all the spills and spoils of road cycling. After passing the Lion Park informal settlement we turned right onto the N14, another taxing stretch of the road.

Crosswinds
We were hit by crosswinds and I had to slow down and reset my pace.

Video
Thousands of cyclists took to the streets of Joburg in the 2011 Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge. Watch video.
We curved to the left towards Diepsloot on Summit Road and I took advantage of the steep downhill slope, accelerating to catch up with some of the cyclists well ahead of me. We rode a moderate climb towards Olifantsfontein Road and turned right into Woodmead Drive, where we were met by a big red sign reading “20km to go”.

I enjoyed the downhill. It was overcast and threatening to rain, so speeding was the only way to avoid being soaked and to achieve my “destiny” in time.

As we approached the finish line inside Waterfall Country Estate in Woodmead, I climbed onto my saddle, still holding onto the handle bars, and finished off the race in style after an onerous four hours and 48 minutes.