Words by Tessa Chan, photos by NeilPryde Bikes
When the Tour of Friendship drew to an end in Thailand on May 4, throngs of relieved riders dragged their throbbing feet to a massage mat, and let Thai masseurs get to work with famously healing hands. Although anyone who has been on the Tour of Friendship will tell you how fitting the name is, the five-stage route turned out to be as much an endurance test as a race.
It started on April 30 with a 7km prologue, giving the riders their first taste of the exotic scenery and hot and humid climate. It was also a chance for them to gage fellow contenders.
“Are these guys a bunch of ex-pros with a heap of disposable income now reliving their race years,” asks blogger and racer Wade Wallace. “Or are they a heap of D-graders who just want to experience what a challenging stage race is like? Well, as it turns out, it’s a mixed bag and everything in between."
The first day went relatively smoothly, stretching across three lanes of closed roads, with David John Tonks (Champion System Racing) in Yellow, and rival Lewis Fellas (Racing Force) a mere half-second behind.
Mother Nature stole the spotlight with a tropical storm in Stage Two, which was dubbed “A Stage of Biblical Proportions” by blogger and racer Daniel Carruthers.
“NeilPryde should have brought some windsurf kits along, as the highway was flooded in seconds,” says racer Joris Birnie. “Like a hot water shower, it was as though all hell had broken loose.”
“The obvious problem with racing in such conditions is visibility,” adds racer Mike Pryde. “The lashing rain strikes the riders right in the face and riders are forced to look downwards and away from the close action of riders around them.”
Torrential rain and lightning jolts spurred the riders to pedal faster, and thunder was punctuated with exploding tires and the crash of bikes sliding across the tarmac into each other. “In the Open Category, many riders rode with carbon wheels, which offer very poor quality braking surface, meaning that whilst all the attacks increased the overall speed of the peloton, the level of danger increased dramatically,” says Pryde. “Riding through the storm felt like being in a washing machine, with rain water and surface water coming from all angles and riders strewn all over the road like rags.”
Despite wheel-high puddles, there were multiple attacks and the breakaway group’s pace reached 50-55km/h. The decision towards the end to finally neutralize the stage across all categories caused some controversy; a reminder that while the Tour of Friendship is a sociable race, it’s still fiercely competitive. Sean Smith (NeilPryde) was later awarded the stage one win.
For Stage Three (May 3), the weather swung − in classic tropical style − to a scorching, sunny day. While riders enjoyed the blue skies and tranquil green landscape, soaring temperatures mirrored the brutal 500km steep climb which soon separated the pack. A cumulative elevation gain of nearly 1400m over 140km gave Asian riders a chance to shine. “It was kamikaze time,” says Wallace. “These guys would attack as if there were 10km remaining for the next 130km. I gotta hand it to them – they’ve got balls the size of Thai elephants.”
Stefan Tueger, Support, describes Stage Three as the most beautiful part of the race. “There were a few hills, some smallish lakes and beautiful houses along the road.”
“The most spectacular stage was up through the Khao Yai National Park with thick forest and smooth roads throughout,” says Pryde, adding that while the landscape was stunning, the close and competitive racing also meant that riders had to stay focused on the action.
A near 40c temperature meant that avoiding dehydration was a challenge, and motorbikes zipped through the pack handing out water. “The ice-cold water was a godsend and riders were seen pouring copious amounts on their heads and bodies to bring their body ‘rev’ gauge back down just below red,” says Carruthers. The competitive spirit was not dampened, however, with Darren Benson (CS-Racing) leading the stage.
The next day, weary muscles and huge amounts of water – riders got through at least 12 bidons per stage – had taken their toll. The 150km Stage Four started off to a relaxed pace, but with the first climb leaders quickly emerged. One 7% climb for 7km, followed by a series of power climbs, and then the “brutal climb from hell”: 13 km of up to 18% into the jungle.
Riders report seeing monkeys “flying around” and dodging elephant dung on the track. Some zig-zagged their way up to make up for the steep gradient; many got off their bikes and pushed. Smith proved unbeatable, followed by Timothy Wikins (Cannasia).
When the riders finally returned to the five-star hotel in Kabinburi, they lolled by the pool, enjoying authentic Thai food and refreshments.
“Down time was different in each of the hotels,” reminisces Birnie. “Lying back getting some drinks, food or ice creams, swimming in the last hotel and enjoying the perfect massage Thailand is famous for. The second hotel was real countryside laidback houses, while the last was luxury!”
Wallace confesses to racking up some serious hours on the massage table. “Where else can you get a three-hour massage for US$10? I’m virtually on par with riding time versus massage time.”
Only around 80km long, relatively smooth except for a short climb at the end, the final stage of the Tour of Friendship is described by Birnie as “The Fast and the Furious”. Riders were keen to finish with a win, and Cannasia controlled the race for the first half before a break finally got away. With 1 min 55 sec on second-placed Timothy Wilkins, the NeilPryde team controlled the tempo of the race and let the other team do the pulling.
“Everybody was hammering and there were attacks from the beginning. The NeilPryde Team was getting the breakaways back to the group position all the time and we worked like an oiled machine, which helped Sean to get a good time difference at the finish,” says Birnie.
Final honours went to Smith, followed by Wikins and Chau Wai Man (CS Racing). “Sean Smith was racing extremely well, he is an ex-professional racer and was always in the front, no matter if rain or heat,” says Stefan Tueger.
“His crew of riders such as Simon Kessler and Wade Wallace was always there to protect and support the yellow jersey, keeping attacks at bay,” adds Pryde. “In terms of sheer guts and determination, Daniel Carruthers (NeilPryde), Simon Chau (Champion Systems) and Wong Tsz Chin were impressive with their bravado and aggressive riding, which made the race very competitive.”
Upon reaching the finish line, riders were rewarded with amazing scenery, arriving directly at a dam with a huge lake. Those with enough energy leapt in for a cooling swim.
Originally named the “Anti Drug Tour Thailand”, today the Tour of Friendship is Asia largest Amateur Sportive, famous for its unique, stunning environment, and relaxed, sociable atmosphere. The Thai hosts take a mai pen rai (“No problem!”) approach to organising, but nobody denies that overall they did an admirable job.
“With Stage One starting at a fast pace, the end of the whole tour also seemed to come quickly,” says Pryde. “And now its back to training for 2012.”
Final standings:
1. Sean Smith NeilPryde 12:56:15
2. Timothy James Wikins Cannasia - Cannondale 12:59:07
3. Chau Wai Man CS Racing 12:59:54
4. Nelson Mangahis Excellent Noodles 13:00:58
5. Fedrick Croneborg Specialized China 13:02:22
6. Cheung Fu Shi Racing Force 13:05:33
7. Darren Craig Benson CS Racing 13:07:16
8. Wong Tsz Chin Racing Force 13:07:20
9. David John Tonks CS Racing 13:14:09
10. Simon Kessler NeilPryde 13:19:22
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