Team Diary
Harry Heath , 2014 UCI World Cup round 1
When the mission of bag packing is done everything after that feels easy so to get the airport and have someone tell you they’re overweight…by more than expected makes me salty to say the least. “Oh wait Sir it’s OK you can fly with them but it’ll cost £880” at least they give them a sense of humour in that job.
Flying with a bike a load of kit is always fun…
The actual flight part of flying somewhere is class, especially somewhere far. Shoes off and see how many films you can get through. “Rush” is a top watch for any racer as it’s a look at the rivalry between F1’s Nicki Lauda and James Hunt from the 70’s. I don’t know hardly any history from F1 so it was like finding a whole new sport to me.
Good job there’s only me in the car!
I’ve been to South Africa for the World Cup DH before in 2012 but this time I was going it solo. It was already night when I got the hire car and going off some sketchy directions the B&B guy sent me I got the hire car on the redline and didn’t stop till I got there.
Even Mr Rubbish was friendly
Apart from the obvious that’s it’s the first World Cup of the year I’m really excited for this race as there’s been a lot of new for me this winter starting training with a new coach, Todd Schumlick from PerformX and of course signing for the Orange/Dirt World Team! Still got to race the BMX which I like to do in the off season, that practice and sprints will come into there own on this track.
To get to the uplift for the DH was a 5 mintue African safari itself and the drive to the top was another story itself. Each driver made up a there own route through the housing estates then there was a few miles up the motorway and if you were lucky you’d get the original redliner who left it in third and just nailed it at 6500 RPM the whole way undertaking lorries and other wild moves. Mental, but it gets you to the top!
There are worse views from an uplift.
I think everyone was more into the DH track than any other year with more technical up top but still pinned into the big jumps.
The changes to the track were definitely welcome.
Driving around the city it feels pretty safe but then you see the newspaper signs saying “armed robbery” and “school bus gets ambushed” which is a reality check to just how gnarly the place is. It’s always funny going to a new country and hearing the differences in the language, especially when it’s english and you can understand it. Gets really confusing when someone’s telling you directions and they’re calling the traffic lights robots and your driving down the road looking for the left turn after the 2nd robot just before Honchos (SA Nandos).
Each day the cleaning ladies would leave the windows or door open to my bedroom either to let some air in or they just forgot. Each night there was a different creature in there, one night there was a moth so big I thought it was a bird!
Thankfully none of these found their way into my room.
Great place to visit and is amazing where bike racing takes me. Safari Sunday and then some beach cruising on go carts and a blast round the skatepark Monday before my flight home. Some really cool sand sculptures the boys had made on the beach.
