本文作者Derek Chung (右) 與鄭澤誠在比賽前幾日，仍然努力操練。
(編按：3月13日正式展開嘅南非Cape Epic，香港隊Team ANS Baby – R3 – Voice嘅隊長Derek Chung，喺出發前專誠為各位Fitz郁民寫咗一個「作戰攻略」，希望大家喺觀戰嘅同時，都可以了解更多呢項比賽。Derek 原稿為英文，由小編寫成中文撮要。)
Getting In
Some say this is the hardest part of Cape Epic. The “early bird entries” are normally sold out in under a minute. If you are unsuccessful here you then need to go into the lottery.The lottery is generally oversubscribed with entrants from all around the world. If you don’t get a lottery space, then you can apply for the waiting list, which is how I got my entry this year.
Commitment
As one of the hardest amateur mountain bike races, it requires a fair amount of training. I would factor on around 9 months of training, though if you ride and race mountain bikes regularly you should be able to get away with only 6 months of training.
Cape Epic is held in March. That means you will be training during winter. Getting up at 4:30am to do a 5 hour ride in the dark, wet and cold is when you find out whether you really want to do the Cape Epic or not.
Commitment — 唔投入，就點會有拼死一搏嘅精神？ (Cape Epic 資料圖片)
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Equipment
Basically you want the best you can afford. More than 50% of riders at Cape Epic buy a new bike just for the race. 29” full suspension mountain bikes are the most popular. Components should also be high quality. Chains, tyres and brake pads should be new or almost new just before the event.
A professional bike fit will ensure that you obtain a position that is comfortable and also allows you pedal efficiently. I think of it as “free power”.
A similar approach should be taken with your apparel. Gloves, shorts and shoes are the most important and you should not skimp here. Teams are required to wear the same jersey each day so you should factor in the time design and manufacture your team jersey or order an off the shelf design. You will need at least four sets of kit.
Training
You should factor in a minimum of 8-15 hours of training a week. The support of your family and colleagues in order to meet your training goals is very important.
If you can, then seek the help of a cycling coach, preferably one who has experience with mountain bike stage racing. At a minimum you should train with a heart rate monitor; power meters are also useful if you understand how to use it.
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If you are time pressed, then you will be doing a lot of high intensity intervals during the week with a couple of long rides on the weekend.
Technical skills are also important – make sure you are comfortable with sketchy descents and rock gardens. Any experience you can get of gravel and farm roads is also useful.
A key factor of training is making sure that you understand nutrition and hydration. With long days on the bike for over a week, you will need to ensure that your body is getting all the energy it needs. It is not uncommon for stomach problems during these races. Knowing which foods that can cause an upset tummy is vital.
TeamMate
Although I have left this to last, this is the most important part of your Cape Epic preparation. Cape Epic can only be entered as a two person team, so finding the right teammate is important. You need to share the same goal for the event. If you just want to finish but your teammate wants to be finish in the top 100, then its unlikely you will both enjoy the event. Being able to communicate, understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses is also vital. Finally you need to get on as you will be riding together for hours and hours.
Final Thoughts
To successfully complete the Cape Epic requires a substantial investment of both time and money. However it can be done with proper planning and preparation.
If you have any questions, please leave them as comments below and I’ll try to answer them! Best of luck with getting an entry for the 2017 race!
Derek與鄭澤誠在2014年也有參加Cape Epic
中文撮要
報名要快
Cape Epic嘅「早鳥」優惠會幾分鐘內爆滿，爭唔到位嘅車友，可以參加抽籤。而我哋呢次就係由抽籤嘅後補名額成功報名。
要真正投入
我哋雖然名義上係業餘，但仍然要有一定嘅訓練。一般來說，參賽者最少要有9個月訓練，如果平時踩開車，咁6個月都可能足夠，而Cape Epic因為喺3月舉行，即係話大家要喺冬天進行訓練。點先係真係投入呢項運動呢？就係喺冬天嘅時候，凌晨4點半至5點起身操練。你做到，就即係話已經作好準備嘞。
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高規格裝備
買得起，梗係買最好，而過半數嘅Cape Epic車手，就係會買新車（29er最普遍），所有配件都要最高規格。其他裝備，例如頭盔、手套、衫褲鞋，更加要精益求益啦。
訓練要足
每星期最少要有8-15小時嘅訓練，所以家人與同事嘅支持相當重要，此外搵個單車教練，亦可以大大改善你嘅技術。訓練嘅時候，最少要有心跳帶（Heart Rate Monitor），如果識用的話，功率計（Power Meter)都會幫到手。另外訓練其中最重要一環，就係了解自己飲食同補水上嘅需要，令比賽時更易適應。
合拍隊友
呢個係備戰入面最重要嘅一環。Cape Epic嘅特色，就係以2人1隊為報名單位，比賽時亦要長時間通力合作，所以揀啱拍檔真係好緊要。而隊友間必須要抱著同一的目標，咁先可以勇往直前，衝破難關。
好好計劃
要完成Cape Epic，就必須要投入金錢與時間。與此同時，更要作出充份計劃及準備。
有興趣嘅車友，如對比賽有任何疑問，可以在下面留言，我盡力解答。
2017年比賽見！
更多：
Fitz.hk Facebook專頁
越野單車嘅環法—南非Cape Epic
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