11 May: Elandsbay to Yzerfontein

146 km to ride, with 605 up and 600 down.

I woke up to a range of birthday wishes from family and friends which was lovely, plus bout of gastro – not so good.

It getting much darker in the mornings now so we are not setting off until 7:15 when it gets light enough, so won’t need to get up at 5:45 anymore.

I hadn’t told anyone it was my birthday until I told Peter last night when he came and chatted to us at the hotel, and he has told everyone. Peter even told the shop owner  when I stopped at 55 km to get a drink. I was sitting at a table drinking my ginger ale outside, next thing the store owner comes out with soft serve in a cup with a candle on top, singing happy birthday, followed by Peter laughing.

With my birthday ‘sundae’ and shopkeeper

The first 12 km today included 7 km riding on a gravel road around the coast, with beautiful views of the sea and shoreline. After this it was pretty flat but with either a cross wind or a head wind.

12k of gravel alongside the ocean leaving Elandsbay

We had to go in a convoy in groups of 12 – 16 from lunch for 67 km, due to being on main highway and we had to be seen to be a “bike event” because of police regulations. Two groups went with police escorts and I was in the group with Tallis. Unfortunately Tallis went way too slow downhill and on the flat and a bit too fast up hills. Of course all the climbing had to be in afternoon! I was getting helpful hints on how to maximise my speed by a couple of riders, so after 40 km I was getting stressed and had had enough and got in the lunch truck as it came past.  It’s my     I should be enjoying it! 

At camp I put up both the tents. I had literally just banged in the last peg in Brett’s tent when he showed up. He said he hadn’t waited behind a bush until I had finished.

Last night in a tent, beach camp at Yzerfontein

After putting up the tents and having a shower etc we walked up the toad to a nice bar called Yzen Bru. They are also a craft beer brewery and I had a great IPA, best beer I have had in Africa, and also yummy pizza.

Most of the riders either stopped there on the way to camp or came back there.

Unfortunately at 5:30pm we had to be at the riders meeting. Tallis must have been worried that most of us wouldn’t turn up given there was great food and cold beer (I suspect he was right) so he turned up to remind us about the meeting at 5:30, and that we wouldn’t want to miss it as we were going to discuss a lot of details for the final days ride tomorrow.

The bar shut at 7 otherwise I suspect a few of the riders would have gone back.

Dinner was pumpkin, corn, salad, and garlic bread, plus fruit salad, chocolate and custard. I was pretty full from the pizza so ate a couple of pieces of garlic bread and shared red wine with Dan, Shirley, Fritz, Carl and Brett to celebrate my birthday.

We got our trip riding shirts to wear tomorrow.

Yay! The last night in a tent . It’s going to be pretty cold. 

Rider’s meeting and jersey presentation. Stephanie on the left, Tallis on the right.