Welcome to Cape epic stage one.
I feel like it's finally started now.
Uh, the prologue happened.
Sure.
But this is really when it really starts.
So I'm going to give you just some quick context on this stage.
And then after that we'll get straight to the teams and you can hear more about.
So 61 miles or 98 kilometers for today, 5,900 feet of climbing
or 1800 meters of climbing.
And this one had 97 feet climb per mile, uh, which is technically the flattest
stage that we have, but it certainly was not flat, lots of climbing, uh, that comes
out to about 18 meters per kilometer.
Uh, the stage was book-ended by a lot of, uh, kind of like strange circuitous
routes through some vineyards.
And I think that that's why it drugged down that average in terms of the
amount of climbing, but just the same, let's hear from the teams and hear
how everything went on stage one.
Okay.
Recap is stage one.
Sadly, I am by myself and we'll get to that in a moment, but
let me start with the race.
Um, I told the guys that today the race is going to start fast and
I don't think they quite believe me, but I was like, no, trust me.
Over 15 minutes between the pro women and our first group, and then
five minutes behind everybody else, like we're wanting to go fast.
So also be prepared for a really fast start.
Um, and then right before we started, the announcers warned us
that there was a big water crossing on course, and two K into the star.
We get to this raging river and I was like, are you serious?
It is, we just went through it.
I think it was, I need deep.
So it was a very rough way to start the stage.
But, uh, yeah, we were able to kind of be in the pack split.
We were in the second error that split into three.
We were in the second part.
We caught up to the first part of the group.
Um, and we could see the co-ed leaders up ahead, Nate and
I were having a really good.
And then we got into the really long climb and we got passed
by one of the co-ed groups.
And, you know, we just kind of let me do his pace and that
just kind of followed behind.
Um, it was really interesting to see just how different we tackle climbs, where
he would actually tip, put time into me on any of the flatter parts or where
we were traversing on a switchbacks.
And then as soon as it kicked up, I was able to just cut, just kind
of stand up and catch on to him.
Um, we made it to the top, started descending one of the groups behind them.
I think they're from Switzerland.
So this one in Germany, I think it's a co-ed group.
They kind of caught us past us.
So we were like, okay, we're in fourth.
Like, this is totally good.
Let's just, you know, get through this part and then really start
to roll in the second half of the stage where it was going to be flat.
And, um, You know, we passed, um, we come around and turn and we see the people
that had just pass us, got a flat tire.
So we were like, okay, we're on third.
We just need to, you know, keep things to say.
And then about two minutes later, we come up on a turn and it's a left-hand turn.
And, uh, Nate lost his front wheel.
Tipped over and crashed to the side.
And, um, I think he was cramping a little bit, you know, he definitely
said he wasn't feeling that good after.
So we make it to the next aid station, fill up our bottles, he chokes a
bunch of water and then we kind of keep going at a pretty easy pace.
And then all of a sudden, you just said, you know, it's time to.
Let's take a second regroup.
Um, and the Nate thought he was concussed.
Um, so we just took it really easy for a long time.
We just didn't really know where the course was going and
what the best way was doing.
He had quite well mean to hit SOS yet.
So, um, no we're just going as it was.
And then all of a sudden there's a paramedic walking up because there was
a guy that had broken his collarbone.
So he actually checked down the age, ran a few tasks, asked them a bunch of
questions and, um, diagnose a concussion.
So we walked down the trail and there was an ambulance there.
Um, so.
They did a few more tests on him.
And then he was being able to be taken care of.
And at that point I had the choice of, do I go with Nate or do I continue solo?
Um, because I think you have the option of eating continue the stage
where you stop stage the stage, and then you can start the next day,
but then you don't have a time.
Um, so I knew it was taken care of well when I go by myself and see
what I can do in terms of time.
And, um, I think, you know, I was still.
Fairly strong by myself and I'm comparing the lap splits.
Um, but yeah, going into the next six days of racing, I am by myself.
I don't know if it means that I will, um, be standing on the back of the
pack or if you're going to let me start a little bit further up just because
my speed is closer to Becky group.
Um, but I'm still, you know, excited to take on the race
and see what it's all about.
Get some experience and, um, make the team proud.
And, um, yeah, I really enjoy the opportunity that we have.
And I think it's going to be really hard to do it by, by myself.
I think always having that partner there kind of keeps you in check, is you
someone to communicate with and check in with and kind of keeps you in balance.
So I think going at it by myself is going to be really hard.
Um, but I'm just looking to, you know, keep going, stay safe, be smart,
and hopefully make it to somebody.
So let you guys now have stage two goes tomorrow is the queen stage.
We'll see.
Oh
guys, the check-in from a stage one second day.
Um, today was 97, 98 kilometers.
It took us about four and a half hours
for me, definitely a tough one.
I've been struggling a little bit with my.
Stomach.
So the best thing to kind of keep in what I eat kind of racing on an empty tank.
It's not a good idea in principle, but managed to just spend survival
mode and to limit, limit losses and just make it to the thing.
And
try and get better.
That was again, stage one of seven stages.
So I don't know why it feels like we've already done a few stages.
Maybe that's just the body of the today.
Um, but yeah, like I said, I mean, for me, for sure, it was frustrating
when the bottom is not there, but as a team you've got to keep going
and you've got to help each other.
Otherwise, I mean, my bad days are coming.
Um, well I hope not.
I hope we both wrote in foster Margaret to go.
Tomorrow stage is looking.
I think it's harder than today's stage.
Um, you just pretty much climbing the whole day.
Um, but yeah, takeaways from today was a bit more teamwork and, uh,
yeah, you sort of have to nurse each other when the going gets tough
and beautiful, like unreal views.
Um, if you've got to look at them and some pretty, pretty epic trails, um,
more often than I've seen in a while.
Yeah tomorrow.
I think it's the same plenty of rocks, but it keeps it exciting racing and riding.
Yeah, no, I think, uh, the valley we're in, at the moment around toolbox.
Um, it's quite unforgiving, like Robin said on the rocks.
So I think, uh, to use more time than we did today with having a bad
day and I'm hoping we can sort it out within the next day or two, and
then, uh, do what we came here to do.
And actually rice today was frustrating for me as well.
And also it's frustrating knowing both of us want the same.
But at the end of the day can only do so much is bought in the game.
Everyone's gonna have their ups and downs.
So yeah, better.
So it's
one stage of seven, so it can happen either way, but mentally
we preparing for the better way.
Oh, and yeah.
Luckily currently, where we staying a nice takeaway is that even though tomorrow
is one of the hardest stages so far.
We pretty much end on our doorstep.
So instead of transferring back to the race village, we're crossed the line
and we can go straight into a bunch of.
So one thing that if tomorrow it gets tough, like today was
then that's something in the back of the mind just to push us
line.
So we're looking forward to some good days it's weak, uh, maybe tomorrow, uh, CR or
things that, that, uh, went to the docs.
It was afternoon and more, some new medication and we're only feeling better.
So just kind of feeling out for tomorrow now, making sure my.
Hi, Brandon, do you want to tell everybody how that race started?
At five hour race started I've already
started much like a 60 minute crit.
Um, everyone was immediately fighting for position, um,
and it was kind of
madness to be awesome, to be completely honest.
How fast, how fast we went.
Um, it was cool though.
Uh, we got to start with.
Sophia Nate.
Um, so we got to ride with them for the better part of
probably 20 or 30 kilometers
or something like that.
And that was, that was pretty good.
Yeah, it was too hard for me.
Like the, and it's so it's weird.
It didn't feel too.
Uh, but it was too hard to start out a foreign almost five-hour day.
So it's kind of like one of
those ones that you're like, yeah, I know this is bad, but
I mean, I'm still driving.
I
don't know why.
Yeah.
Uh, I kind of worried it's going to be that like every day, most likely we
shouldn't need to start at the front.
Yeah.
That's for sure.
A learner or learning that we need that we have.
Um, but we actually learned from our mistakes, we, if it's
too hard, we kind of have of.
Because, uh, I think their main concern is like, if you get stuck behind a
slow rider on a descent, is that like you lose time or slow riders on the
climb, you lose time, but that's, you know, like a handful of minutes
maybe that you might lose and really.
If you blow up, you lose a lot of time.
So, but it was a really fun stage if, and I had a blast if like my
nutrition was on point, you already know a lot about the Sage from
Sophia and also from Robyn Russo.
So I'm not sure we need to go into too much detail on the stage.
Uh, Brandon you're descending is awesome.
Like, yeah, like, like the improvement rate.
It was just, it's so fast.
So slight, slightly
less like Bambi on ice cream
and decidedly less.
I would say there's no point in referencing that.
So Brandon could win, I think, an ECC national championship, uh,
particularly with the fitness you have.
So yeah.
Uh, no pressure, no pressure, uh, on the stage two now, uh, that's tomorrow and,
um, kind of more of the same, I think, but it's supposed to be really Rocky.
So, uh, I'm I think I'm looking forward to it.
I want to see how we feel.
I don't feel really blown out right now.
Feel
pretty good.
Um, Rocky stages, make me a little nervous, but, um, I'll just pretend you
didn't say it's going to be really Rocky.
We go and we'll just let it happen.
All right.
Thanks everybody.