The Totalsports Terra Firma Challenge features four disciplines, a 50km road bike (from Gordon's Bay to Kleinmond), 13km road run, 25km mountain bike and 9km beach run. Participants can enter individually or in two or four member teams.
According to Lambert, he has competed at the event five times already. "I have competed in the Totalsports Challenge twice as part of a team and in the Totalsports Terra Firma Challenge three times as part of a team. Contego sponsors both mountain bikers and trail runners so this is the ideal opportunity for us to compete together and to get to know each other better. My strength at the Totalsports Terra Firma Challenge would be the beach run and the fact that there are two runs, a beach run and a road run. I am not as fast as I use to be in my younger days so now I focus on the middle distance trail running," laughs Lambert.
"With this being the first time that Jurgens and I will compete together, it is difficult to predict what our team strength will be," continues Lambert. "We will have to make sure we get our logistics and transitions right. Jurgens is a very talented young rider, but I don't think he knows the route which might be a small disadvantage. There are also so many new talented youngsters popping up that I'm sure it will be a highly competitive race. Contego has come first in the men's team category of the Totalsports Terra Firma Challenge for two years running and we will definitely like to make it a hat-trick win. Both the Totalsports Challenge and Totalsports Terra Firma Challenge combine individual sporting disciplines, merging athletes together as a team. This builds camaraderie and new friendships. I have quite a few funny stories that involve my partner and me both making mistakes arriving at the wrong transition or arriving at the transition late. Crossing the finish line knowing that I gave 100% is always the most rewarding for me".
"Both Eddie and I are specialists in what we do," says Jurgens. "My strength is technical riding and long drag climbs, while Eddie is super fast and focused. My event highlight will definitely be the mountain bike course and to win the race. I believe people should enter the Totalsports Challenge and/or Totalsports Terra Firma Challenge as it is a good indication of where your fitness level is so early in the year. It's also a fun day out".
Starting in Gordon's Bay on Saturday, 11 January 2014 participants can choose between the 7-disclipline Totalsports Challenge or the 4-discipline Totalsports Terra Firma Challenge. If taking on more than one discipline seems too daunting at this stage, there is an option to enter a team instead.
Date: Saturday, 11 January 2014
Venue: Start - Gordon's Bay (Beach Front), End - Kleinmond (Beach Front)
Totalsports Challenge - 12km surfski, 1.5km swim, 50km road bike (from Gordon's Bay to Kleinmond), 13km road run, 13km K1 canoe, 25km mountain bike and finally a 9km beach run
Format: Athletes can enter individually or in two, three or seven member teams
Totalsports Terra Firma Challenge - 50km road bike (from Gordon's Bay to Kleinmond), 13km road run, 25km mountain bike and 9km beach run.
Format: Athletes can enter individually or in two or four member teams
