Newcastle doctor conquers gruelling ultra-mountain bike race

Newcastle doctor, Bianca Cooper, took top honours in the gruelling Munga 2022 ultra-endurance mountain bike race from Bloemfontein to Wellington in the Western Cape.

The 1130km single-stage race is self-navigated and semi-supported, which means you must be self-sufficient for stretches of more than 100km between water points and race villages.

According to Cooper, the Munga, which got underway on November 30, is billed as the ‘toughest race on earth’ and racing through the Karoo in midsummer is enough to test the most enduring competitors.

There is a five-day cut-off to qualify for an official finish, and sleep/rest stops are entirely at the rider’s own discretion.

The water points are manned by local farmers, who are often in the middle of nowhere and are free to put out whatever food and drink they want.

Cooper says that she is still “in disbelief about my victory.”

“The Munga is the Comrades Marathon of this type of racing in South Africa, and we (she and partner, AC) trained for it for a year, so doing well is even more rewarding, especially since it was our first race of this length.

“For the majority of the race, I was in second place behind last year’s winner and ultra-endurance riding legend, Martie Joubert.

“I unexpectedly caught up with her with less than 100km to go, resulting in a nail-biting sprint finish. She was a fierce competitor until the end, and I was constantly peeking over my shoulder, almost veering off the cliff at Bains Kloof, expecting her to reel me in again. I was so relieved to cross the finish line. ButI think I was more excited about finishing safely before the fourth night and seeing my partner, AC, and family there than I was about winning,” Cooper recalls.

Her race time was three days, six hours, and 25 minutes. “I slept for about six hours total, of which only four were proper sleep. AC finished 8th overall with a coveted “sub-3” (2 days, 23 hours, and 43 minutes), which is impressive for a first timer as well.

“There are some people who have been attempting to break the three day barrier for several Mungas and have yet to succeed. AC would have finished higher, but due to his sleep deprivation, he had to double back to the last race village because he forgot to sign himself out, a mandatory requirement, so he added an extra 6km to the 1130km.”

Coopers completing the race has left her feeling very grateful that she and AC have the ability and desire to undertake such challenges.

“This was my prevailing thought as I rode in the dark towards the Tankwa Karoo, where it is pitch black except for your light, dead silent except for your breathing and the groaning of your bike, and where the stars seemed draped just overhead, close enough to pluck from the sky, like glittery grapes.”

The most difficult challenges according to Cooper were the harsh conditions. The roads were mostly in poor condition, with seemingly endless corrugations, sand, or rocks.

“It’s difficult to get into a rhythm in some places because you have to climb on and off every few kilometres to open and close the farm gates. We had it all in terms of weather, with temperatures ranging from near zero on night three to nearly 50 degrees in the Karoo, thunderstorms, rain, and a nearly constant headwind.

“AC fell in the early stages of the race due to a wire on a cattle grid, and my lights died much earlier than expected, necessitating an extra-long stop to charge my lights at a water point. My shock lockout also failed early in the race, forcing me to pull over and try to sleep before becoming exhausted while it was repaired by race village mechanics. However, over 1000km is a long way to have everything goes your way, and these inconveniences were thankfully minor.”

Prepping for the Munga:

According to Cooper, she and her partner were generally in good shape and prepared for long rides, averaging over 10,000 kilometers per year on their bikes.

“We increased the distance for The Munga although we did less distance and fewer ultra-long training rides than many people who race this event.”

She continued: “We had to train smarter rather than longer because of my work schedule, which includes weekends and 12-hour shifts. There was a lot of equipment preparation because you need to be able to carry a minimum of 2.5l of water, spares, extra warm clothing, medical kit, and food on the bike. You’ll also need enough lights to last five days, a GPS with backup navigation, and a way to keep these things charged.”

As rookies, researching the route prior to the ride was vital. “We read blogs and attended online briefings to get a sense of what to expect as rookies.”

They also discussed the best way to stay fueled on the bike as during the Munga, (as riders rely on what the farmers put out at the water tables and whatever supplements are provided), as well as the best sleep and rest strategy.

“You can only plan so much, and experienced multi-day endurance riders will tell you that you need various plans – A, B, C, and D,” she said.

Cooper stated that they had done approximately 11500km of riding prior to the race as well as cross training through jogging and gym work.

They would ride five to six days a week, including two interval sessions on the indoor power trainer, with Cooper waking up as early as 4am to train on the days that she had a 12-hour work shift ahead of her.

“It is critical to practice with the equipment you will be using at this type of event, so practice with your bags and water bottles fully loaded, as well as with your GPS device. You must also train for the expected conditions, which includes riding in the heat and wind, as well as seeking out the bad corrugated roads rather than avoiding them as most cyclists do.”

Dietary requirements prior to a race:

Cooper stated that she followed a diet plan prescribed by a sports dietitian. It is a well-balanced diet that contains a moderate amount of healthy carbs and is low in fat.

“I try not to change it before a race, though it can be difficult to stick to a specific plan when traveling long distances in a car. It is preferable to stick to what you know and train successfully rather than changing things right before the race.”

The Munga is a little different in that it begins late, around midday, and can last up to five days, so Cooper recommend eating a normal breakfast and then having an early lunch/snack around 11am to ensure you are fueled from the start.

However, she explains that once you’ve begun the Munga, you’re at the mercy of the farmers and Race Village hosts in terms of food options.

“During the race, you fuel up with whatever you can stomach while avoiding anything that could cause gastro-intestinal distress. The only things we do differently right before the race is drink more zero-kilojoule electrolytes.”

Staying motivated:

“You must be self-motivated and do this for yourself – I believe that if your motivation is extrinsic or you want to race for kudos or prizes, you will not do as well. My mind wanders from being intensely focused on the act of cycling, analyzing how I feel and how the bike feels, to completely wandering off and I have no idea where it goes,” she explained.

She continued: “On a race of this length, dips and feeling demotivated are unavoidable; part of your training is figuring out how to dig yourself out of these holes. I try to focus on the next immediate challenge while visualising the end goal – yes, your legs are sore, the wind is bad, and you can’t sit for the pain – how about you just get to the next water point, Cooper, and then imagine how great it will feel to see your family at the finish line?

“There are times when you feel amazing, strong, and new, and it is important to reflect on these as much as possible at the time and remember them later. ‘How do you eat an elephant?’ is a wise proverb as you must be comfortable in your own company – I estimate that I was completely alone for about 3/4 of the race, with no other cyclist in sight.”

Coopers advice to other aspiring cyclists:

Coopers advice to aspiring cyclists is to simply get started with what you have.

“You don’t need the most expensive bicycle and equipment to enjoy cycling, though a good second hand bicycle with regular maintenance will get you much further than a cheap ‘supermarket’ bicycle.”

She recalled the days she struggled to complete 20km rides, but said everyone needed to start somewhere.

Her opinion was that one’s points of contact with the bicycle such as the saddle, bibs/shorts, shoes and grips is where one should spend the most money at first.

“Wear a helmet at all times. A mountain bike is slower than a road bike but more versatile, and it is safer to ride on dirt roads. Begin slowly and gradually increase your distance; it’s better to ride short distances frequently than to try to do a long ride on the weekend and then be unable to sit for a month. Having said that, I do know at least one person in this town who chose and completed The Munga as their first race,” she concluded.

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