It was Braam’s day. Stage 4 was a beast – 112km with 2 150m of climbing between the town of Greyton and Oak Valley Wine Estate in Elgin. But along the way the Epic riders crossed Wildekrans Wine Estate, the place Braam calls home.
Before the stage Braam Gericke had already talked about how emotional it was going to be when pumping through Wildekrans. “Those people standing along the route supporting the riders, they are my people,” he said. “Together we cleared the paths, laid the tracks for Wildekrans mountain biking. To have the Epic pass through our farm is just a wonderful occasion for us all, whether you are riding it like I am, or just experiencing the thrill of the event coming through Wildekrans.”
And so it was. Jacques Wentzel, riding with Braam for team Black Elephant Vintners and Wildekrans Wine Estate in association with Amorim Cork, said that the team had home-ground advantage today. “The support was incredible, you could feel every cheer and shout of encouragement from the Wildekrans crowd egging you on,” said Jacques at the end of the stage. “Stage 4 is where the Epic really begins – it is now a mind-game, with the race finish in-sight, but still a way off. So having this support for myself and Braam was just what the doctor ordered.”
Stage 4 saw cooler conditions, but trust nature to throw another curve-ball: wind. The sun was out, the temperatures down but the south-wester came blasting over the route. Extra pedal-power is called for, as well as a bit more concentration to keep the wheels going where you want them to.
“The official route guide talks of elevation of 2 150m, but at one stage I said to Braam is feels as if we are climbing all the damn time,” says Jacques. “However, there were some awesome sights along the way, like pedalling past those massive, science fiction-looking wind-turbines.”
Once again, our team is not riding alone. Bonds have been formed with other riders and the groups are sticking together and helping one another along the way. Taking turns in on another’s slip-stream. A bit of manual support from behind. Words of encouragement and the odd joke.
Getting up in the mornings, it’s not the legs that are stiff and sore. “Your lower back really takes the strain,” says Braam, “I’ve raised my saddle a little bit to stretch the muscles out, but that’s where you feel it the most.”
With a bit or rain having fallen on the route, the riders are looking forward to less dust. “As wine farmers we know it has been dry as hell for the past few months, so were not surprised by the dust experienced over the past few days,” says Jacques . “The lick of rain has moistened the tracks, so we should have less dust to contend with. Same sweat, less dust.”
