Day 3 - Ntsikela to Masakala

Due to differences in their training Albert seems to be stronger and faster on the straight sections. There is very little hills in the flat Bloemfontein to prepare a Free Stater for these mountains. John is a great climber when on his bike and a fair climber when the bike is on his back.

These strong points do not help either of them when it comes to directions. They lost their way again last night, only reaching the support station at 21h30.

They quickly made up lost time after a slow start this morning. According to Albert they carried their bikes over two mountains. Considering his frame of reference, it might only be small koppies or even speed bumps, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Either way, this slowed them down enough to guarantee that they will only reach the next station after dark.

Planning for tomorrow, this is what Albert and John can expect from the route: A fairly short 59 kilometer ride from Masakala to Malekhalonyane. However, the distance is a bit misleading if you look at the massive climbing section right after the 40km mark. I won't be surprised to see the riders walking/carrying their bikes up a mountain again.

All maps and route profiles courtesy www.freedomchallenge.org.za

To receive updates from the blog every morning, use the 'Follow by Email' section on the right. If you are already following the post by email, remember to check back to the site regularly to see updates of the information pages, links and other content not included in the Main Blog section.