Words + Photos By: Darryl MacDonald
In 2006, Lake Araparkis competed in his first multiday mountain bike race, the Cape Epic, an eight-day, 800km race through the Western Cape in South Africa. He loved the experience so much he decided to do it again the following year and again the year after that.
His love of endurance races continued with the TransRockies, another race of epic proportions through the Canadian Rockies covering 350km and nearly 12,000m of elevation gain. In the years since then, Lake has competed in 12 races covering three continents, completing all of his training right here in Oman. In 2011, while training for the Cape Epic, he thought it might be interesting to invite other riders to participate in his training. He put together a website for the event and invited the local cycling club. He expected only to get a small group of locals to train with and explore some of the surrounding areas, so he was a little surprised when a large group of cyclists from the UAE also showed up eager to ride. He welcomed them along, appreciating their enthusiasm, and so began the TransHajar. There were 23 participants in 2011 and when he did it again in 2012, it more than doubled in size with 53 participants. Lake works with a very small group of volunteer organisers and a nearly nonexistent budget to organise the race every year. But somehow, he still manages to put on a world-class event. The course this year was a total of 310km covered over four-days passing through some stunning examples of the beautiful Omani landscape.
Currently in its third year and still in its infancy, the race has a very “grassroots” feel to it making it a much more intimate experience than some of the larger races I’ve had the privilege to attend. The group is small enough that all of the faces become recognisable quickly, and the racers have room to spread out on the course, avoiding some of the congestion you might see in other events. This year, the race boasted a total of 81 riders, representing 15 countries. Among them were some big names on the scene such as former world triathlon champion and winner of the Cape Epic, Hannele Steyn. Also, ex-Olympian Rob Barel, whose list of victories are so long they wouldn’t fit in this article and also has numerous triathlon medals in the international and European circuits. The rider list included members of the local cycling club, with three Omanis, as well as riders from Italy, Spain, UK and Canada, just to name a few and making for an eclectic mix. The female category had a very strong presence this year with a total of seven women. Among them were race director for the Cape Epic, Kati Csak, and one of the top riders from the UK National series, Julie Elder.
One of the things I enjoyed the most about helping out with this event is seeing such a broad range of participants. The professional athletes at the front are always amazing to watch in action, they work hard but somehow make it look easy. Hannele Steyn had a big grin on her face every time she passed me, even when she was tackling some of the biggest hills on the course. On the last three stages, Rob Barel and Thomas Kammermann came across the finish line nose to nose, for an exciting photo finish. However, one of the big highlights for me is the riders at the back of the pack – the weekend warriors. That is where the true inspiration lies. These folks ride up to four times longer than the leaders, coming in with cuts, scrapes, bruises and blisters in the worst places. These are the ones coming in with broken bikes and battered egos, but giving every last ounce of reserve just to cross the finish line. One rider I spoke with on day three, the longest day at 129km, told me, “I’m done, I can’t do any more. I won’t ride tomorrow.” Several of the other riders and I tried to coax and encourage him to come back, but it seemed he had made his resolve. The following morning, I was both surprised and happy to see him show up for the final day, but it was the look of pain that crossed his face when he got on his bike that was inspirational.
Everyone I spoke with throughout the race seemed to be enjoying their time, and the entire event from top to bottom was very well-organised. I spoke with Lake after the race to find out what kind of changes participants can look forward to for next year, and it sounds like there are some big plans in the works. The race will go from a three-day to a five-day event with the amount of single-track increasing substantially, making the course more technical than previous years. The organisers are currently looking at changing the venue as well to explore other areas of the Hajar Mountains. Registration for 2014 will start shortly, so for those of you looking for your next big challenge, get out there and start training!
