Father-and-daughter team finish the 947 riding tandem
It was the second one-day classic the two had ridden together, following on the Amashova.
Father and daughter team, Werner and Kayleen van Reenen are no strangers to riding long distance races, and they managed to power through a tough 947 Cycle Challenge on 18 November.
Werner and Kayleen rode their first long distance tandem cycle race together at the Amashova Durban Classic Race on 21 October. This is a 106km-long race that winds its way through KwaZulu-Natal’s largest city. They refused to stop there however, and less than a month later they found themselves saddling up to take on one of the country’s toughest races, the Telkom 947 Cycle Challenge, which had its route reversed this year.
In preparation for the race, they would train an average of two hours every weekend with Kayleen having to balance studying for her final exams with the training. “We always made sure academics came first so we would sometimes train a little less so that when Kayleen got home wasn’t too tired and unable to learn,” Werner said.
“She’s done really well to balance the two, and we’re incredibly proud of her.”When the day finally came round, the two found themselves with the misfortune of having to start in a ‘Z’ bunch towards the rear of the field of riders. The temperature was also a major issue for them once the ride began, as the mercury reached mid-high 30s on thermometers along the race.”The heat was really tough, and of course then hydration was a key factor for us during the race,” Werner said.
Kayleen and Werner did admit that the waiting times at waterpoints negatively impacted their race time, as hundreds of riders were stopping to replenish their liquids. Thankfully for them there was more than enough liquids to go round, and while the climbs on the route were difficult since one can’t stand up on a tandem bike, they were okay with their time of 4:50:00, all things considered.
“We were hoping for four hours, but the conditions simply didn’t allow it, and we can definitely live with the time we finished with,” Werner said. Kayleen (11), a Grade 5 learner at Charterhouse School, admitted that the climbs were definitely the most difficult factor. “It was a lot tougher than the Amashova, but I still really enjoyed it,” she said.
Next up for the dynamic duo is the 2019 Cape Town Cycle Tour in March next year, which should be just as tough as the 947.
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