Rider Diary: Sally Bigham
Interview with Sally Bigham
The Exceptional Realist - November 2009
Sally Bigham: Minding The Gap - January 2011
Racing for just four years but already ranked number two in the world for marathon, Sally Bigham has had an extraordinary rise to fight against the World elite. From balancing a full time job and racing, to taking on her first season as a professional mountain bike rider, every step of the way will be documented. To find out all about Sally read parts one and two of her feature-length interviews, and get the latest from her epic adventures right here.
April 8 2011
Race Images: Sportograf.com
The ABSA Cape Epic
Winning the Cape Epic has been something I dreamed of for a while now; in fact ever since last years race it has been a big ambition and to now say I won, alongside my brilliant team-mate Karien van Jaarsveld, has been a dream come true and the best way to start my season as a full-time bike rider.
From the moment I realised that the Cape Epic win was assured - around 5km from the finish of the final stage - I haven't been able to wipe the smile from my face! In those final moments of the eight-day race the rush of emotion was indescribable - I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. We whooped and cheered all the way to the line. All week long it was a battle against the brutal conditions only a race like the Epic can serve up; including searing 40-degree heat and hundreds of kilometres of wild mountain biking.
From stage one we endured crashes and mechanical problems in a race where even the best kit is tested beyond its maximum, but thankfully the casualties - which included lots of scrapes, bruises, latex sealant, a brake, a rear wheel and endless piles of Torq energy - were a minor price to pay for the reward.
After two days of racing we were in second place behind Eva Lechner and Nathalie Schneitter - both have won rounds of the UCI World Cup, so were serious competitors - but nobody could have predicted what came the next day.
Following stage two, a protest was launched, claiming that Eva and Nathalie had been handed bottles outside of the official feed zone. In the Cape Epic, every rider has to be self-sufficient, using only the neutral feed stations and technical zones. The protest was upheld, and with it a 60-minute time penalty applied to Eva and Nathalie. This meant that we took the lead by default; not a situation I was overly happy with, but a fact of racing nonetheless.
The following day however, we were able to take our first stage win - and in my mind, legitimise the leaders' jersey. All week this would occupy our thoughts, but after the final stage and 37 hours and 44 minutes, 707km and 14,550 metres of vertical ascent we couldn't finish happier; even considering Nathalie and Eva's time penalty, we would still have had a lead of 35 minutes; in other words, we did it regardless of their time penalty meaning that we truly were the fastest ladies team.
After the last year of struggles and the huge decision I took to go full time, it is really rewarding to get such a result and the season is only just beginning.
Of course, I couldn't have done it all on my own so a massive thanks goes to Karien, she was really strong and we made a great team. It's so cool to share such an amazing experience with someone and to be so focused on the same goal. Karien is relatively new to mountain biking but despite her inexperience she was really professional and stayed calm the whole time. I expect her to be proudly and successfully flying the South African flag on the international race scene this year and in years to come. Well done Karien - you're an absolute star!
A HUGE thank you to Dave and Jake (Karien's partner) for supporting us so well day and night, we couldn't have done it without you both. Big thanks also to Corrie Moolman from Magura, Ian Williamson from Sram, and ‘Dangerous Doug' from DT Swiss for their tech support. I'd like to thank USN, Banana Moon and West Logistics for sponsoring our Cape Epic team. I'd also like to thank my amazing team, Topeak-Ergon Racing, for allowing me to race as a guest for team USN. More thanks go to: Canyon for my new hardtail which was awesome and super comfortable; Continental for our tyres which were 100% reliable despite the challenging terrain; Torq nutrition which kept me fuelled for the entire race and to Compressport for providing us with fast legs everyday. Finally, but by no means least, I would like to say a massive thank you to Martyn Salt and XCracer.com for their support and for helping to make my Cape Epic experience possible.
Hooray! I can't stop smiling :D
Sal
