Stage 8

The home straight! Well not quite! 80km with a couple of nasty climbs in btw.! We had the fortunate treat of lying in this morning as the start was pushed back to 8:30am from its usual 7am. That extra hours rest was much appreciated, and the chill had left the air by the time we cruised out of the starting blocks.

We started strongly but bike troubles forced us to stop, for some strange reason Chris’s brakes just gave up the ghost! When you pulled them there was absolutely no tension! We still don’t know what the caused it but with a little fiddling he managed to get them back up and running. A reliable regularly serviced bike is critical for the race!! I Can’t stress it enough!

There were very few flat stretches to this stage you were either climbing or flying down hill! Going over Sir Lawory’s pass was a special treat as we were taken through a spot where very few people are allowed to go. The neck which we eventually crossed was used by the foortrekkers and there are still old ox wagon tracks carved into the rock! We were forced to carry our bikes for this section, not that we would’ve been able to ride! Still amazed how those oxen managed! It was ridiculously steep and rocky!

The final 20km home were draw out and with 7km to go we had another flat! Fortunately the finish line was in ear shot and it didn’t take long before we crossed the line with our arms to the sky!

We had conquered the Epic! Chris rode with amazing guts and determination over the last couple of days! Each bump, and there are thousands, shot a bolt of pain up his leg! Hopefully you will all be able to see the bruises on TV some time soon! We managed to find two cameramen who filmed his rose buttocks!!

What an event! Incredibly well organized, to cater for 1000 tired, hungry, smelly and dirty cyclists for 8 days straight deserves more than a medal! I would definitely do it again and would recommend it to any keen mountain biker, or adventurer out there! The camaraderie amongst the riders and support staff is magical and the whole energy is electrifying!

Thanks must go out to our amazing support crew and sponsors! LPG Sport you are incredible and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without you!

To have Julia and Andrew there to hand us extra water bottles, sandwiches, to wash our bikes, clothes etc. Made it so much easier and more enjoyable! Thanks guys!!

Thank you to readers for following us and showing all your support we all really appreciate it!!!

A couple of points for future Epic riders

- Fitness: There is no substitute for fitness! Make sure you start at least 3 months prior to the event and ride regularly! We did on average 250km, 12-14hours per week!
- Reliable bike: When you have put some much time effort and money into this race the last thing you want is for your bike to give you constant up hill! Make sure you service it regularly leading up to the race and during the race. Soft tail is recommended!
- Partner: Know him/her really well. There are times out there when its just the two of you to keep each other going! There were teams which split up during the race and we did see quite a few riders on their own and when asked where their partners are they would say, back there some where but I can’t take it any more, they are struggling and it is too frustrating! You don’t want to be the one who is left behind!