Tag Archives | cycling

Louis Meintjes. Tour de France 2017, cycling, white jersey

Louis Meintjes: South Africa’s mountain climbing hero

The race for the white jersey was also going to be one of the most intriguing subplots of the Tour de France 2017. Especially since one of the favourites was South Africa’s very own Louis Meintjes. At 25-years old, it was his last chance to contest for this honour. After his strong showing at the Critérium du Dauphiné in June 2017, he sent a clear message that the white jersey was very much within his reach. […]

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Alexander technique, tips, running, postural muscles, phasic muscles

Train intelligently with The Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique (AT) has been used for over a century to facilitate kinaesthetic awareness and strip away unnecessary physical tension. With no equipment or a machine, which is unusual in our techno age, AT guides us into identifying where our imbalance lies. Frederick Alexander, the founder of this technique, is famous for coining the term psycho-physical unity and revolutionised the way we view the mind versus body relationship. He was an Australian actor who […]

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IMSA, IRONMAN, IRONMAN South Africa, Port Elizabeth, triathlon, triathletes

Sub-8 hour barrier broken at IRONMAN South Africa 2017

The IRONMAN African Championship took place in Nelson Mandela Bay yesterday, 2 April. There are few words that could describe the atmosphere in Port Elizabeth as over 15,000 people took to the streets to display their support. PRO competitor Susie Cheetham (UK) summed up the vibe perfectly when she mentioned finding the continuous ‘braai’ aroma for course of the event very distracting!

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Richard Murray, triathlete, triathlon, cycling, Cape Town

Richard Murray talks Super League and triathlon

The last three months have seen Richard Murray win the Cape Town leg of the Triathlon World Cup, take his second title at the South African XTERRA Championship, and become the first-ever champion of the Super League Triathlon in Australia. Discover more about his Super League experience and his ‘secret’ recipe for his recent success.

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endurance sport, Table Mountain, South Africa, cycling, mountain biking

Endurance sport can change SA

The power of endurance sports is often overlooked in a nation obsessed with soccer, rugby and cricket. Many sport fanatics can repeat Nelson Mandela’s quote about the power of sport with their eyes closed:

Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand.

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The Haywire Haeart, overtraining, heart problems, endurance athletes

The Haywire Heart: how too much exercise can kill you

This article is an excerpt from The Haywire Heart, the first book to explore heart conditions in athletes.

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climbing tips, Cape Cycle Tour, Clint Hendricks, cycling

Survive the six toughest Cape Cycle Tour climbs

You may experience tummy flutters at the thought of taking on the Cape Cycle Tour climbs, and likely to have heard horror stories depicting how steep they are. Whatever your experience of the event, these key climbing tips from 2016 Cape Cycle Tour winner Clint Hendricks are sure to set you up for a more successful (and faster) Cycle Tour. Rather than listen to whispers of doom and gloom in the spinning class, it’s all about prioritising the […]

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Belgian cycling inspiration

In 2013 I undertook a short cycling trip to Belgium which refreshed memories from 30 years back when I was a young, ambitious rider. Cycling in SA in the early 1980s was a relatively isolated affair compared to today’s global village (TV, cellphone, wi-fi, Skype) and the improved opportunities the new generation of young cyclists have. Growing up in the apartheid days, we were prevented from free movement abroad and could not compete internationally. Die […]

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Nic Bourne and Carocap: a rare African double

Few can claim to have crossed Africa, the world’s second-largest continent, using only muscle power. But Briton Nicholas Bourne has done it twice, bottom to top, and top to bottom, using different methods of locomotion. His latest attempt was raising funds for World Bicycle Relief UK, with a Guinness World Record attempt called Carocap. The brave attempt commenced on 9 October 2015, with Bourne and four other cyclists departing from Cairo under the shadow of […]

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do I need a coach whistle

Do you need a coach?

Is getting a coach for you? How will a coach help? The Myth Only the pros need coaching The Reality You do not need to be a pro athlete to have a coach. In fact, there is probably more need for the non-pro to have a coach, than the pro! The Dilemma Over-training, under-training, peaking and injuries – bumps that become hurdles that become walls in any athlete’s running career Let’s look at a runner’s […]

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