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Dome2Dome Cycling Spectacular
The Silverstar Casino was the place for the start and finish, with a changed route that was challenging at the start, and again towards the end, but with relatively flat roads in between. Johann Rabie prevailed and won from a small group.
The race was dominated by a four man break that established itself after the initial challenges 20kms in, and stayed clear of the bunch over the flats and final obstacle of Sterkfontein hill near the end.
Johann Rabie (Team Medscheme), Pieter Seyffert (DCM), David Maree (House of Paint) and Dennis van Niekerk (EMG Cycling) made the good move after the early skirmishes. Their lead reached a maximum of 1min 20 over the bunch led predominantly by MTN, and assisted by Toyota Supercycling National Academy and Asics.
They brought the gap closer before the final climb, but the race was on in the front, as Van Niekerk was on a particularly good day and put pressure on the group. Seyffert was dropped, but the remaining three went all way to the finish atop Krugersdorp Hill. Rabie was the strongest in the sprint, and won from Van Niekerk and then Maree.
This event has undergone many changes in it's existence, with it's name associated with it's venue (which has now changed) and the route taking on a different form each year. This year it seems to be a winning formula, but for an elite race it is perhaps too short at 90km and although it has some hilly challenges, the total ascent is only 954m, which is not very difficult in the bigger scheme of things.
The race from behind was driven by Reinardt Janse van Rensburg for MTN, he attacked on the steeper slopes of the Sterkfontein hill, and drove the select group all the way over the hill and the final 10kms to the line. Although the chase group swelled before the final kilometer as riders regrouped, Janse van Rensburg still had the strength to sprint up the sticky incline and beat all of the rest for the remaining prize of 5th place! Very impressive, and if his MTN had been stronger on the day, then the race may have gone their way.
Race Results: 90km
1st Johann Rabie, Team Medscheme 2:08:14
2nd Dennis van Niekerk, EMG Cycling st.
3rd David Maree, House of Paint st.
4th Pieter Seyffert, DCM @ 10s
5th Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, MTN Energade @ 30s
To expand on that concept, it is worth explaining that the MTN Energade team had an accident while training during the week. While doing a team training session, including some speed work behind their team vehicle, Jaco Venter went through some broken tar - a pothole - while at a great speed, causing him to crash. the others behind the vehicle suffered the effect of this crash and Bradley Potgieter and Dylan Girdlestone also fell. All of them injuring them selves quite badly, with a broken arm for Venter, and broken collar bone for Girdlestone. This was the reason for MTN's underpowered team at the Dome 2 Dome as they were well short of riders.
The peleton of the Dome 2 Dome looked a lot more impressive than it has at recent races, with many new faces and teams joining the fray after the winter slowdown. Besides the usual powerful teams like MTN Energade, Team Medscheme, House of Paint, EMG Cycling, and DCM, there were other smaller outfits that included, Asics, Olympic, Toyota Supercycling National Academy, Mecer, Team Matlosana, and the African Continental Cycling Centre team but if I have left out a few others, please forgive me. This was exciting to see, but also added to the dangers of the event, as with many riders the chance of mishap is greater. An accident occurred shortly after the break established itself, and a number of riders went down hard. Waylon Woolcock (Team Medscheme) and Tiaan Kannemeyer (House of Paint) fell heavily with many others, after a rider managed to lose control after pulling a cleat out of his pedal. the ripple effect has at least 10 riders on the floor.
Woolcock sustained deep abrasions and Kannemeyer a heavily bruised elbow thought at first to be broken. The Team Medscheme rider, Woolcock may be out of action for a while as his wound is over the knee, and required numerous stitches. With so many of the top team's riders injured during the course of this week, it highlights the fragility of riders in the sport of cycling.
It is perhaps taken for granted that a rider is good, or has good form with the ability to be on the top step of the podium at an event. But if you consider the difficulties in getting on that top step, then it is needed to offer so much more respect to those that are winning or performing well. Think of the hours spent out training on the roads with the dangers that abound. Traffic, poor road surfaces, the chance of bad luck and slipping on a corner, crashing at an intersection or getting hit by a motor vehicle whose driver was just not watching, and didn't expect a cyclist? Once you have survived that and form is good, then to stay healthy in today's society, with the good fresh air on the highveld it is also a challenge. Then once lined up at the event, the rider has to negotiate his way through the dangers of bunch riding, with out crashing and then if he has some luck and things go his way, then perhaps he may have the chance to contest for victory if he is not outclassed by another when that moment arrives.
It is not such a simple sport then if you consider all of these factors in what it may take to get to that top step of the podium! Next time you see the winner of an event, give them the respect that is deserved, so that for that brief moment, when they are on top, they can enjoy all the spoils of the victory. For once they line up again for the next event, it is all back to square one, and has to be done all over again for that moment of the winning feeling!
"I am getting into the racing again, and my day started off reasonably well, although I had punctured just as Rabie launched his attack. Once I had returned, a move went which I followed but unfortunately somewhere behind me the big crash happened in reaction to that acceleration. My form is slowly returning, but on the final Hill I had to claw my way up to the front group, still lacking the big punch necessary for the big accelerations." - Nic White
