Alistair Schorn‘s grand mountain biking adventure, the 2015 Old Mutual joBerg2c, drew to a close after nine glorious days of riding. Here he shares the best of the final charge towards the coast. If you’re having withdrawal symptoms, read his Confessions of a Weekend Warrior on In the Bunch.
For the majority of the field, the final day of the Old Mutual joBerg2c is a day of relatively little pressure, knowing that the hardest parts are over.
There are only a few minor obstacles to be negotiated, including Hospital Bend in the Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve (so named because it has over the years caught out and dispatched more than a few joBerg2c riders) and of course the infamous floating bridge on the Scottburgh lagoon.
Before we get on to stage nine though, a word on Jolivet Farm. This venue has been transformed in the past year, with the bathrooms and shower facilities seeming to have tripled in size. The kitchen and meal venue has also seen a complete rebuild, so credit where it is due.
The route for day nine has also changed somewhat over the years, with the addition of some pretty stiff climbs in the plantations and cane fields as well as some great singletrack forest tunnels. At the same time, some of the climbs inside the Vernon Crookes Reserve have certainly become more rideable.
Alistair Schorn reflects on his personal journey, and that of others, on the final day of the 2015 Old Mutual joBerg2c.
I really enjoyed the day. The 84km seemed to fly past really quickly and, before I knew it, I was onto the floating bridge, which I and all the riders ahead of me thankfully negotiated with no drama. Then it was over the pallets on the beach and across the finish line.
The mood at the end of the event is an exceedingly festive one. Family and friends wait for riders to arrive, plenty of photos are taken and people swap memories and war stories of the past nine days.
I’m pretty sure that over the next few days, as the aches and pains subside, we’ll all start to forget (to some degree at least) the suffering that we endured, and rather remember the sights and views that we were privileged to see, and the good times that we shared with our fellow riders, supporters and crew.
My overall impression of the joBerg2c is that, in the space of five years since doing the inaugural ride, the level of the event has improved in leaps and bounds in every conceivable way – from the organisers’ attention to detail to the infrastructure that has been created, the impact that the event has had on the local communities and the level of preparation and dedication on the part of the riders.
All of these aspects, big and small, combine to make this a world-class event that can compete with any stage race internationally.
Finally, a last word on two guys who have during the course of the event come to epitomise grit, dedication and a never-give-up attitude – Douglas and John, our two Kenyan friends on their tandem.
They finished the race despite several broken wheels, mechanical issues and two huge crashes on day eight, which left John with a suspected broken collarbone and necessitated a change of pilot midway through the stage.
I think I speak for all the riders, supporters and crew who gave those guys a standing ovation on Friday evening at Jolivet Farm (when they were presented with the Paolo Beltramo Award*) when I say that they’re an inspiration to us all.
So now it’s back to normal life and waiting to see what surprises arrive for the 2016 Old Mutual joBerg2c . . .
*The award, which is presented for courage in the face of adversity, was named for Paolo, who rode the 2014 event with stage four cancer and passed away in December.
