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Boks’ competitive spirit never dies

2015-03-17

From a distance, the wooden table with Butch James, John Smit and former Sharks lock John Slade hunkered over it could be the Situation Room for a rugby match post-mortem. 

Smit, as he surely did in his days as Sharks and Springbok skipper, is holding court with James and Slade listening intently. Joel Stransky starts to wander over, and just a few metres away Marius Hurter and former Wales captain Colin Charvis notice that an intense debrief is taking place. They nod knowingly in the direction of the gathered ex-rugby stars.

But this time the conversation has nothing to do with rugby. It’s all about the bikes. And the route. And the weather. And what tomorrow might hold in store for these rugby mountains turned mountain bikers.

All are participating at the Absa Cape Epic for a first or second time (though in the case of Stransky and Hurter, it’s a sixth and fifth respectively). Charvis is paired with Hurter in what must be the most terrifying mountain bike team ever put together – particularly when the two behemoths gather momentum on the famous technical descents of the Cape Epic.

James is riding with Slade, Smit with his long-time best friend Shane Chorley, and Stransky is participating in the Mixed category for the first time, paired with eight-time SA road champion Anriette Schoeman.

The round table talk, rucks and mauls no longer pertinent, now revolves around the climbing and the technical descending, familiar themes for all riders at the Absa Cape Epic.

“There’s been some tough climbs and some sketchy downs,” says Butch James. “My approach is to go as fast as I can. It works the hands and arms because the trail is so rough, but that’s my strategy.”

James is well into his second Cape Epic and looks far more relaxed than he did a year ago. “John and I are having a good time so far. We’re feeling really good, and we ride well together. I’m definitely less nervous now that I have one under the belt.”

Though the “big boys” aren’t racing for top honours, it’s the gruelling challenge of the Cape Epic that provides an outlet for their competitive spirit. “Most rugby players have pushed their bodies to the limit and that’s exactly what the Epic challenges you to do. The difference being that one is for 80 minutes and the other for 8 days!” says former Bok captain and Epic finisher Corne Krige (he rode with Tiaan Strauss, another fearsome dual-suss duo). 

“That competitive spirit is a monster that needs to be fed,” says John Smit, who was only introduced to cycling two years ago by John Slade. “I’d just got back from Saracens, and before I knew it John had me on the bike. I can honestly say that ‘Slugger’ is my cycling hero.”

There is an acceptance amongst the group that Stransky is too fast to bother chasing, so they leave the title of “fastest Bok on two wheels” to the man with the Golden Boot. There’s also a consensus that James and Hurter are the two most technically gifted mountain bikers. “If only Butch spent some time training,” shouts Slade from across the room, “He’d actually be quite good at this race.”

For his part, Stransky is enjoying flying high in the Mixed category. At the time of writing he and Schoeman were sitting ninth overall in the category.

“We came into this a bit on the back foot,” he says. “I had just recovered from a broken collar bone while Anriette had been doing lots of road racing, which isn’t ideal for an event like the Epic. But I tell you, Anriette is an absolute champion rider – gifted and gutsy. We’d riding as hard as we can for as long as we can.”

The conversation at the table turns back to the race’s coming days. Tactics are discussed and routes analysed with the kind of precision and detail once reserved for rugby opponents. Smit looks over his squad and smiles, knowing that his team has what it takes for one of the toughest endurance events out there.

Results for Stage 1:
145 (GC). Liqui Fruit; 102-1 Joel Stransky (South Africa) 102-2 Anriette Schoeman (South Africa); 6:40.31,3 – Mixed
385 (GC). Barney's Army 1; 106-1 John Smit (South Africa) 106-2 Shane Chorley (South Africa) 7:54.06,8235.
440 (GC). Barney's Army; 227-1 Andrew David James (South Africa)  227-2 John Slade (South Africa) 8:12.38,9
579 (GC). Westin All Stars; 126-1 Marius Hurter (South Africa) 126-2 Colin Charvis (Wales); 9:23.08,2

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