SAPS Cycle Tour 2012 in aid of SAPS Educational Trust fund : Day Three

Thanks to Buddy from Club Mykonos  all of us had a lovely nights rest and a warm bath or shower.  I could not wait to get clicking and capturing all those special moments along the road. Day three was a long day. It was a hard 111km with rolling hills.

Everyone gathered in the parking area around 7 o’Clock so that we could  pack the trailers, discuss the days route and to collect the keys to the units.

After the trailers were pack and everybody was ready we head to the Bouzouki restaurant at the yacht club for a lovely breakfast and a nice warm cup of coffee.

We all had a lovely breakfast and coffee or tea. Our Master of Ceremonies Boesman and his wife Christelle also joined us for breakfast. Boesman of course had everyone in stitches and made sure that those who were in pain  forgot about it for a few minutes.

After breakfast we all headed to the parking lot where we were going to depart. Bicycles were checked, water bottles filled and thank you speeches were made.

We left Club Mykonos for Hopefield via Langebaanweg at approximately 8:45.  Well we were suppose do go Langebaanweg way but instead of going straight over the West Coast Road we turned left. After about 2,5km we stopped and we realized we were on the wrong road. Haha the riders did not think it was funny.  Day Three in the saddle of a bicycle is the toughest. You must keep in mind the riders are not professional riders they are policemen who most of the time sit in a vehicle or at a desk.  Well we turned around and headed back to the road that  we were suppose to take.

Going the wrong way….

Realizing we made the wrong turn…
Heading back to the right road

We just came from there haha
The right way….

The Langebaanweg road was very narrow and the surface of the road was not helping either. It however got better when we got to the road heading for Hopefield.

When we stopped for a break we had a small accident. One of the riders stopped dead and Karien crashed into him. Luckily there was no fatal injuries only a few scratches from the fall.

After the medics made sure Karien’s wounds are disinfected and everything is in order we headed  towards Hopefield. I started getting bored just sitting in the combie so I got courage from somewhere and started hanging out the window to get some action shots. I was so impressed with the photo’s I took hanging out of the window I was angry at myself for always taking my time and over thinking my every move. Why do I always do things so late in life…

Fixing flat tires in the bus

It’s not only at the Tour de France where beverages are handed to cyclist from moving vehicle.

After we went through Hopefield the cyclist took a break just outside the little town. We were under the impression that we would have stopped at Hopefield Police station but they made other arrangements. The riders then decided that time was running out and we did not have time to go to school that was out of our way.

After our pit stop we hit the road to Morreesburg. Sun getting very hot on the road now. Along the road we took a few quick pit stops just to fill up water bottles and have a drink and rest the legs.

Slow down I want a lift…

We left Morreesburg with full tummies  and the legs were rested. Next destination Piketberg.  Rolling hills is not funny. Up hill, downhill the men and ladies did not have it easy I was so glad I was sitting in the combi when I saw the road ahead…

Just outside Piketberg Boesman came to encourage the cyclist for the last few kilometers. The last stretch was uphill…. Our destination on top of the hill….

The police station is next to the Church and Church hall. We put away all the bicycle and was allocated to our different places to sleep. This was the first town where we were split up some slept at the hotel, Guesthouses and at the local community. It was very nice and the community of Piketberg really went all out to make our stay comfortable.

That evening after a nice warm shower we all headed to the Church hall for dinner and we attended the concert for a few minutes then we all headed back for a good nights rest.

Le-Lue Roode
Boesman as Gammad Fortuin

Jomari Greyling

Sunday Post: Morning

Here are a few  photo’s I took early morning on day three of the SAPS Cycle Tour in May 2012.

Just look how peaceful.
Yachts in the harbor
Nothing beat the cold in the early morning than a cup of coffee and good company.
This dassie came out looking for the morning sun but all it got was my flash…

SAPS Cycle Tour 2012 in aid of SAPS Educational Trust fund : Day two

After only getting to bed after 12 o’clock  I was not very happy when my alarm went off and we had to get up to start Day two of the Cycle tour. It was freezing cold outside and I really felt sorry for the cyclist.

After a cup of coffee and a yogurt everybody started getting ready to hit the road. We packed the trailers and the men checked the bicycles to make sure that everything is still in order.

Then we all got together in a big circle to start the day the correct way and we asked the Lord to keep us all safe and without harm. There was a bib made for the “twak maker” of the day and this was given to the cyclist or person on the support team who did something ” wrong” and he or she had to wear the bib the whole tour. When the “Twak Maker” was announced everyone had a  laugh. Then  we got serious again and Ronald discussed the days route and what  they can expect along the road. He also told the cyclist that they must stick to the rules of the road and on roads without shoulders they must please keep it single file.

We all left Darling golf estate around  8:30 for Yzerfontein.  The SAPS photographers joined us for the day somewhere between Darling and Yzerfontein.  I must say I got some lovely action shots on this route.  The scenery was just stunning and I thanked our Heavenly Father for giving us all the opportunity to spend the time outside and that we could all admire His work of art.  The cyclist did good and we arrived earlier than scheduled at Yzerfontein even with the rolling hills.  The group of cyclist that went on the tour stuck together and the stronger riders helped those who needed help. Some of these riders don’t even own a bicycle and they borrowed bicycles to go with on the tour to help raise funds for the SAPS Educational Trust fund.  When I saw the rolling hills I wondered what went through some of these cyclists minds when they looked in front of them and saw the hills going up and down up and down….

At Yzerfontein we all enjoyed a lovely breakfast at the Padstal. After breakfast it was photo time before we were on our way again to Langebaan.

Off we went to Langebaan. We had one or two pit stops along the route.  The road on the West Coast is tuff and sometimes it feels like you’re not getting any where… But even when times were difficult there was time for some jokes. Anton one of our most experienced riders really enjoyed playing tricks on the other riders. He was also one of the riders that went back and forth to and help the weaker riders. I wondered how many kilometers a day he did extra to help the other riders.

When we got to Langebaan we had to wait for the communication officer to show us were we where suppose to go.  Little did we know that she would take us through the town to the Yacht Club up a another hill… But the food made up for that extra few kilometers. We had a whole spread of food and we could all  fill up those empty tanks… Thank you Langebaan for the lovely food and the even lovelier view.

Enjoying the Autumn sun…

By the time we left for our next stop Saldanha the fog was coming inland fast and it became very cold all of the sudden. The road to Saldanha was also very busy and one of our cyclist had to get on the support vehicle due to his knee and we had to go back to fetch him. I could not really take allot of photo’s on the route. I  took some photo’s  through the front window of the bus. When we arrived at Saldanha we were welcomed by sirens and were escorted through the town to the Saldanha Police Station. I got goosebumps and I think the cyclist also got a boost for that last few kilometers. It was awesome. Saldanha went through allot of trouble to make the cyclist and their support team comfortable and they even made up some goody bags filled with sweets and fruit for the road ahead. The Station commander and a  retired police officer thanked the cyclist for their effort to raise money for their fellow police officers children’s future.  They handed us a cheque for R3620.  The medics had some massage work and bandaging work to do before we hit the road again to our last stop for the day Vredenburg.

After resting the tired legs we hit the road for the last few kilometers to Vredenburg. At Vredenburg all the cyclist except for the two strongest riders got in the different support vehicles and we headed back to Club Mykonos where we spend the night.

When we got to Club Mykonos we all went to our apartments to take a nice warm shower or bath. I had a mega migraine and wished I could get into bed and close my eyes for the night. But we had to go back to Vredenburg High School   for the concert and then we had to go to Boesmanland for dinner. At Boesmanland  we had some live entertainment  and lovely food and desert.  We then headed back to our rooms to turn in for the night.

Project 365 Photo a day: 365/39

Today was a tough 111km. I am very proud of all the riders. Rolling hills can brake ones spirit very easily.

We left Club Mykonos at approximately 8:45 to our next destination at Hopefield. The road was very narrow and the surface of the road was not helping either.

We had one incident on our way to Morreesburg when one of the riders crashed into one of the other riders. Luckily there was no fatal injuries only a few scratches from the fall.

We left Morreesburg with full tummies for Pikketberg. Up hill, downhill the men and ladies did not have it easy.

The road was long I started hanging out of the combie’s window to get some action shots. But more about today in another blog. I took nearly 800 photo’s today. Next week I have allot to work through.