[Cape Epic 2016] 第一站 Stage 1

Derek
中文 by Fitz.hk

Today was a very tough but fun day on the bike. I was told to expect a lot of gravel and farm roads but it turned out that we spent most of the day going up and down single track!

Stage 1 比賽日，雖然辛苦，但十分好玩。本來以為路上有很多碎石路和農莊泥路，後來才發現，我們大部份時間都是在只能給一輛單車通過的窄路上（Single Track）上上落落。

Our start was largely uneventful. We kept our eye on our pace and tried to stay safe in the big bunch that we were caught in.

起步沒什麼特別，我和鄭澤誠一直保持車速，與主車群一起前進。

It wasn’t long before the climbing started and it was here that we started to make some ground on the other teams. It was also a great time to meet up with some teams from the 2014 race as well as making new friends such as Ilya whose petite frame meant that she could outclimb us on any hill. Fortunately her partner wasn’t as strong.

不過很快就到了上山路段，我們越過了不少隊伍，遇到很多2014年相識的車手，也認識了新朋友。例如有一個叫Ilya的女車手，上山能力非常厲害，幸好她的拍檔沒那麼強，所以我們才能碰上。

The singletrack was very similar to Tin Ping Shan. Rocky, sandy but nice berms on the way down and plenty of rocks to challenge your skills on the way up. The very steep, get off and walk sections were relatively few but it was still hard due to all the sand we rode through today that required you to power through.

Stage 1 的賽道十分像香港的天平山 — 落坡時雖然有很多碎石和沙，但兩邊就有不錯的護堤，上山就很多很多石頭。那些斜得需要下車步行的路段相對較少，但仍給我們不少挑戰。

The downhills were quite challenging as your bike could wash out any time. Ken kept a very easy pace to avoid crashing as well as damaging the bike and tyre punctures. However, there was so much dust that our rear derailleur would start screaming due to all the grit in the jockey wheels. It was also hard to see where we were going to due the dust and there were a lot of culvets that we had to ride through that were quite dangerous as they were dark and you couldn’t see anything.

相對而言，落山路段充滿挑戰性，因為一不小心就會發生意外，鄭澤誠決定保持低速以防「炒車」，也避免單車受損或者「爆呔」，不過沙塵實在太多，我們的變速器也不停在叫。另外，沙塵也令我們視野非常侷限，很多時都需要「摸黑」騎過大大少少的洞，所以也有一定危險。

Nutrition was pretty key today.  Unfortunately I didn’t get it right – probably too much coke at the aid station and I bonked with 20 km to go. Poor Ken had to push me most of the way to the finish. The heat also took its toll with an average temperature of 30c but it did get as high as 40c at one point.

飲食補給是Stage 1最重要一環，不幸地這方面我沒有做好。在補給站我喝了太多可樂，結果最後20公里出事了，完全踩不下去! 鄭澤誠差不多要全程推我才能回到終點! 還有，酷熱天氣也是一個大問題，本來平均溫度已經是攝氏30度，有某些路段更達到40度，所以體力消耗得很快。

We finally made it though we were pretty battered at the end and we were completely covered in dust. The great thing about the Cape Epic is how they treat each rider like a pro. After you finish the bikes are taken from you for a wash. Then you are given a drink (chocolate milkshake), food and a wet towel to help you recover. There is also a rest area for you to recover.

最後我們也成功以7小時50分衝過終點，大家從相片中也看到，我們滿身都是灰塵和泥濘。Cape Epic最令人窩心的地方是，它真的會把每位參加者當成專業車手看待。當你完成比賽後，大會人員會幫你洗車，也會給你食物、毛巾以及朱古力奶昔作補充，當然還有一個休息區給車手唞唞。

Stage 1 大會精華片段：

Tomorrow looks like another tough day with a similar amount of climbing. It also the 100th stage of the Cape Epic so I’m sure the guys at the front will be very keen to win it.

Stage 2 將會是另一個高難度賽段，它剛好也是Cape Epic史上第100個賽站，相信不少前列車手都希望贏得冠軍。

Stage 1 Summary

Distance 距離: 108km
Climbing 總爬升: 2,300m
Time 時間: 7 hours 50 min
Overall Stage Position 分站排名: 419
Overall Race Position 總排名: 429

更多：
Fitz.hk Facebook專頁
[Cape Epic 2016] 序幕戰 Prologue
[Cape Epic 2016] 決戰前夕 Rider Registration
[Cape Epic 2016] 到達開普敦 Arrival in Cape Town
[Cape Epic 2016] 香港6人挑戰南非賽道
越野單車嘅環法—南非Cape Epic
Fitz Cycling單車