A 202-kilometer team time trial is only as strong as its final rider
A circular 202 km team time trial looping out of Swellendam into the Overberg and Klein Karoo: the N2 to Suurbraak, up the R324 through Tradouw Pass, along the R62 through Op de Tradouw past Barrydale, through Montagu, over Cogmanskloof Pass into Ashton, out the R60 toward Robertson and Bonnievale, back through Rooibrug and Drew, and home to Swellendam via three closing climbs the organizer officially names the 'Three Stooges' (also called the 'Three Witches' by some riders, including in a first-person race recap). The organizer's published figure is roughly 2,100 m of climbing; the embedded Strava route reports 204.5 km and 2,192 m. The Three Stooges — the closing climbing trio inside the final kilometers, arriving after Tradouw Pass and Cogmanskloof Pass have already emptied the legs and after hours of team-paced racing have used up whatever margin a rider had left.
For the experienced rider training seven to eleven hours a week, this twelve-week plan balances team pacing, rotation discipline, climbing durability, communication, and keeping the group intact with deliberate recovery so fitness rises without carrying avoidable fatigue into Old Mutual Wealth Double Century.
INSIDE THE MASTERS 50+ PLAN — 7–11 HR/WK
Includes zone-tailored structured rides for your devices, built-in strength with video walkthroughs, heat protocols for when your race calls for them, peloton skills workouts, nutrition and hydration guidance, and recovery-first Masters 50+ structuring.
The Complete Old Mutual Wealth Double Century Guide — the training, the tactics, the gear and race day, explained simply and clearly: what to do, when to do it, and why it works.
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Hey, I'm Matti. I spent 11 years at TrainingPeaks, where they trusted me to teach coaches how to coach at TrainingPeaks University. I raced Amateur Elite with Rio Grande Cycling Team and podiumed my age group at Unbound 200 in 2026. I have a degree in biology and exercise physiology from St. Olaf. I'm also a middle-aged dad of three, so I know training doesn't happen in a vacuum. I help gravel riders get stupidly fast without becoming the person who brings a food scale to a party