Modern Cyclist Magazine Issue 3, November 2014 | Page 31

“We only made about 20 kilometres on the first training ride,
but after a couple of weeks, we were doing 60 to 70 kilometre
training rides,” he explained.

“I couldn’t have finished Mission: Vin
Possible without my cycling buddies,” said
Vin Deysel.

94.7

MC

For Vin Deysel, the training paid off and he finished the race
in a shade over four hours, together with his training partners
and in spite of stopping no less than three times for media
interviews and once for a bottle refill.
“It actually went pretty well,” explained Vin Deysel, “I
expected a lot worse but actually it wasn’t that bad.”
Unlike many other cyclists competing in the Momentum 947
Cycle Challenge, Vin Deysel actually found the N14 wasn’t too
bad either.

“It all started …”

“Before I found out the route had changed,” he said, “I said I
wanted to do a three and a half hour race.”
But this might prove difficult as the route has changed and,
according to Vin Deysel, it is now very difficult to compare.
“It’s now a whole new ball game,” Vin Deysel explained, “and
this makes it exciting because I don’t know the route but I have
been told that the gradients of the uphills in the last 10 kilometres
are hell.”
In his own words, Vin Deysel explained that his training “could be
better”.
“I’ve had a rough few months and put on a bit of weight thanks
to a lot of corporate functions. It’s been really busy because I
am a disc jockey and I also work for a record label, so it does get
hectic and I didn’t get a chance to exercise. But I have bought
an indoor trainer and now spin in the evenings. I’m getting there,
slowly but surely and I have found it is a lot easier because of
muscle memory. So I just know I’ll be ready,” he explained.
But riders shouldn’t forget to have fun, according to Vin Deysel.

“The part that did kill me was Heartbreak Hill,” he mused, “it is a
constant gradient uphill in the last five kilometres of the race.”
But Vin Deysel found the motivation to keep going from the
crowds along the way.
“The cool thing that really spurs you on was the motivation from
the side of the road. I never thought that would make such a big
difference,” he smiled, “the supporters sit on the side of the road
on race day for five or six hours, just cheering you on.”

“The Momentum 947 Cycle Challenge is actually about having
fun. So I will say that people need to get out there, on their bikes
and ride it,” he said, “I am now enjoying cycling more and more
since getting into cycling and others can enjoy it too, but they
h