Six a.m. on 19 August 2024 saw Lillian and I lined up for the start of the Negative Split Carbon Tour of Samoa. The tour, which celebrated its 10th anniversary with this edition, comprises of 7 race stages over 4 days. It’s a fantastic and inclusive way to enjoy the experience of being in a multi-day stage race.
This is my Strava heatmap from Samoa with some annotations to show where the stages started and finished. (It also includes a couple of roads that Lillian and I rode on before the tour started.)
We rolled as a bunch out of our hotel, the Tanoa Tusitala in Apia, the capital of Samoa, for an initial neutralised section of 26km. Any dogs that were awake at that early hour would have seen the unusual sight of 40 cyclists riding together, with the pre-dawn darkness broken by their white and red bike lights. The lack of barking, compared to what Lillian and I experienced when we had ridden along that section of road a couple of days previously, suggested that all the dogs were still asleep.
On the coast road after leaving Apia. (Thanks to ScottieTPhoto for this and other images in this post.)
There was however still a fair amount of traffic on the roads. We all made it safely to the start of Stage 1 in Falefa Village where we stopped for a short break and some refueling before the proper race began at 7.30am.
Getting ready for the start of Stage 1.
Stage 1 began with a climb up Le Mafa Pass and then over a steep ramp that followed a few kilometres later. It quickly became clear who the four strongest climbers were – unfortunately I was not one of them – and we split into small groups. I rode with Gordon for the rest of the stage and we finished together a good ten minutes behind Christoph, the winner of the stage, and a fellow member of Team Hamilton. He was followed by Andrew, last year’s winner, and not too far behind by Bena and John.
There had been a sketchy section of gravel just before the finish and knowing that Lillian and gravel mix like Superman and kryptonite I quickly flipped my bike round and rode back down the road to give her a warning. I barely had time to make it through the gravel when Lillian appeared having had a fantastic stage, coming 9th overall and as the first woman.
Lillian just before the gravel with Geoff, the only remaining member of the group she had been riding with.
We then spent a couple of hours relaxing in the shade in a fale, a beach hut on stilts, by Lalomanu Beach.
Two hours is a long time. Why sit when you can lie down?
The beach has been named as one of the world’s best beaches by Lonely Planet and I was surprised at how few tourists there were there until I realised it was still only 9am!
Christoph and Lillian were both awarded the leaders jerseys, which were yellow and pink respectively, which they would both be trying to retain for the remaining 6 stages of racing.
Lillian and Brent, the acting race director. (ScottieTPhoto)
Stage 2 started at 11am with the race having been split into two groups, A and B. I was in a faster Group A which was made up of the top 15 or so riders, with the exception of Lillian who chose to ride with the other female riders in Group B so they could all be together. We started 15 minutes after Group B.
Although the stage looked easy on paper, with just rolling hills, and we had a tailwind, it was really tough. I ended up spending the second half of it just hanging onto Gordon and Bena. Bena and John had both crashed when John snapped both his cleats on a steep climb. Bena got moving again quickly but was riding hard trying to catch Christoph and Andrew when he caught Gordon and I. Having cleats break like that is unusual even through John was a big powerful rider. It was to have further repercussions…
Christoph and Andrew in the process of putting Gordon and I to the sword (after John and Bena’s crash). (ScottieTPhoto)
Midway through the stage we crossed a narrow wooden bridge which we had been warned about in the pre-stage briefing, and as we dropped down to it I could see a knot of people sitting or lying in the left hand wheel track. I recognised Lillian’s pink leaders jersey and thought the worst. As I rode by I asked if she needed help but she told me she was fine and I should ride on. I wasn’t totally sure but she didn’t sound like she was injured so I hoped it was a problem with her bike or she was helping someone. It turned out someone from the group in front had crashed on the bridge and Lillian, as the first doctor on the scene, had stopped to help.
This is where one sees the impact of being on a remote Pacific island. Samoa is a beautiful country to visit but is much less developed than New Zealand for example. GDP per capita (based on purchasing power parity) in Samoa was US$6k in 2022, compared to $52k for New Zealand. One of the consequences of this is that the emergency services are not on the same level. For a while it looked like there may be no ambulance available and race crew would have to transport the injured cyclist to hospital, without the right equipment to properly immoblise his spine and neck, but luckily one turned up eventually. As a side note it would be sensible to have travel health insurance that would pay for medical repatriation if competing in an event of this nature.
I made it to the end of the stage with Gordon and Bena to put me 4th equal in the GC with Gordon. John ended up getting penalised for riding in Kurt the mechanic’s van while his cleats were being fixed. My understanding of it was that it was just an unlucky situation and not his or Kurt’s fault. Kurt wasn’t able to immediately undo the screws on one of the cleats and wanted to get the van moving again so that he could keep up with the other riders.
After the ride we had lunch in the Sinalei Reef Resort, which was soon to host King Charles who was coming to Samoa to attend the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting from 21 to 25 October. We were driven back to Apia over the road cutting directly north through the island. Worth noting, if you intend to ride it, that it climbs to nearly 800m! Perhaps one day it will be added to the route of the Tour.
Day 2 was to take place on Upolu, the island where Apia is located, and Savai’i, the other of the two larger islands in Samoa. Stage 3 began even earlier than Stage 1 with us rolling out of the Tanoa Hotel at 5.45am. Group A, now about 12 riders, rode an inland hilly route to the ferry terminal. Group B took the most direct route to the ferry, which was along the coast road past the airport.
Lillian and I had already ridden most of the inland route so I knew what was coming, a long but not particularly steep climb. Riding under the light of a full moon passing through the palm tree forests and fields of taro was magical.
The ‘Gang of Four’ (Christoph, Andrew, Bena and John) had dropped Gordon and I on the initial hill so the two of us rode together on the climb and subsequent rolling section. (ScottieTPhoto)
The next section of the stage was a straight but fast descent back to the coast road. We had been warned about the dangers of this more than once in our race briefings so I was planning to ride it with some caution.
Aside from the road between the airport and Apia, which is a lovely smooth ‘hot mix’ (a term I had not heard before) the rest are make of rough, New Zealand style chip-seal sprinkled with patches potholes that reminded us of roads in Surrey, back in the UK. Okay for riding on if you have good visibility but not good if you are in a bunch. Add into the mix the other more uniquely Samoan dangers of dogs, pigs, chickens, horses and people darting across the road – all of which Lillian, Christoph and I experienced – and you have a reasonable hazardous riding environment.
Aside from not wanting to get injured, as everyone had to be on the 8am ferry I didn’t want to be the person to pinch flat, crash or break something and derail the whole show. Gordon can descend very quickly so I wasn’t totally surprised when, after I mentioned we should take it easy on the descent, he started to pull away from me. Once he had a gap I think something in his mind clicked – he’s a natural born racer having been New Zealand Road Race champion 5 times with numerous other NZ wins – and he went full gas. By the time I reached the coast road he was out of sight. So I was now 5th with a deficit of a couple of minutes. Lillian, in Group B, has a good stage with no time gaps between the lead women.
Boarding the ferry to Savai’i.
Walking from the ferry pier to Lusia’s Lagoon Chalets for a second breakfast.
After our stop at Lusia’s we set off into the midday heat for Stage 4.
A 14km neutralised section took us to the Amoa Resort, where we would be staying a couple of days later. (ScottieTPhoto)
The racing started after a short break at the Amoa. The road was less undulating than Stage 2 but it felt equally hard.
Some initial attacks broke up the bunch and Gordon and I ended up speeding along the rough grippy roads powered by the Gang of Four and a substantial tailwind. (ScottieTPhoto)
I was able to hang for about three-quarters of the stage until we hit a climb and Christoph made an attack. Fortunately with some help from the wind it was a quick and relatively pain free ride to the finish losing less than two minutes. Bena, whose dad was also on the tour and is Samoan, won what sounded to be a sketchy sprint to the line. Lillian just lost out in the sprint to line to Glynis, her closest GC rival, but did not lose any time.
Accommodation on our first night in Savai’i was either in some beach huts, known as fales, or in more standard air conditioned chalets in one of the neighbouring resorts. We had opted for the air-conditioning and were in a resort called Stevensons at Manase.
The race HQ and dinner were at the fales (Tanu Beach Fales) however. Dinner was a spread of tasty local food.
As well as some chicken and belly pork, the standard staples of rice and taro, we had a fish dish (in the cup) called oka which was raw fish mixed with coconut milk and lime juice.
Unfortunately like most of the food options in Samoa it was not good for vegetarians. Christoph and his wife Céline were struggling to find food to eat but managed to get by over the course of the tour with dishes like macaroni cheese and pizza.
We were then treated to a fiafia put on by Tanu and his extended family. I guess you could call it a Samoan song and dance night. All the performers seemed to be having fun. The audience participated by responding to the chant of “hey hey” with a loud “ho” and walking up to the female dancers to slip local bank notes under the shoulders of their dresses or sticking them to their arms. Not knowing the local traditions we were surprised when we first saw it but it was just a donation that is shared around everyone. The men and boys’ dances move too fast to enable any tipping of that nature.
The fiafai culminated in a fire dance with twirling flaming batons which was impressive to watch. (ScottieTPhoto)
Lillian at Stevensons with one of the hotel (probably stray) cats.
Day 3 was time trial day. Twenty nine kilometres with the finish being at an altitude of 240m. First the positives. The initial 10km was flat along the coast with a tailwind. Second, as there is only one road around Savai’i it was going to be almost impossible to take a wrong turn. On the other hand it was already hot – around 30 degrees at 10am when the first rider started – and the middle section, culminating in a steeper ramp, was going to be scorching.
Christoph as the GC leader started last, with me 5 minutes in front of him and Lillian 8 minutes in front of me. We wondered who would pass Lillian first, him or me. In the event it was Christoph. He flew by on the climb before the steep ramp. I never caught Lillian though I was just 20 metres behind her when she crossed the finish line. Both Lillian and Christoph won the stage putting them in a strong but not unassailable position in their GC competitions.
Lillian in our pre-time trial briefing. (ScottieTPhoto)
Lillian at the start of the time trial. (ScottieTPhoto)
Lillian and Kalupu, one of the local boys who was taking part in the race, in the time trial as the road started to go uphill. (ScottieTPhoto)
The remainder of the day was for resting in the next resort, Vaimoana in Asau. It was quite common during our time in Samoa to have multiple rain showers a day. Generally these were light and refreshing if they hit us while we were cycling. However as we were finishing our lunch we were stranded in the restaurant by a torrential downpour. Shortly after that we were shown our allocated accommodation for the night. This was a fales and not even one with a beach view either. The roof had leaked in the rainstorm and the floor and the bed were wet. Inside it was so humid we started sweating almost immediately. It appeared that the only saving grace were that it was conveniently located opposite the toilet, though note the use of the singular noun… there was only one toilet for men and one for ladies all the fales.
In the end it wasn’t at all bad as there was a ceiling fan that turned languidly and a mosquito net to keep the bugs at bay. By bed time it had cooled down somewhat. The resort was beautifully situated beside a turquoise lagoon with the fales and chalets scattered amongst coconut palms. In fact the following morning Lillian was almost hit by a falling coconut!
Our fale.
At the evening’s race briefing, which was as much of a debriefing of the day’s events as details of the upcoming stage.
We both slept reasonably well and only woken by the fact we knew we’d have to get up early to be ready for Stage 6. This was a hilly 53km followed by a 35km Stage 7. By the time we finished that we would have circumnavigated the whole island. Although Stage 6 was one of the tougher ones with over 700m of ascent and took 1 hour 50 minutes, it was the most relaxed one for me so far. The four of us ranked 5th to 8th in GC let the Gang of Four race up the first hill to duke it out – Christoph ended up winning the stage – and rode it at a fast club pace.
Gordon being chased on a downhill by Chris, Jason and I. (ScottieTPhoto)
Jason and Chris.
It was less restful for Lillian however. Group B had started half an hour earlier and she adopted the ‘attack is the best form of defence’ strategy.
Lillian going hard up the first hill. (ScottieTPhoto)
She formed a breakaway group with 5 other riders including her Samoan shadow, Kelapu, and another strong female rider Ella. Kelapu won with Ella taking second, but Lillian put a several more minutes into her lead over Glynis.
Lillian and Ella after Stage 6. (ScottieTPhoto)
Resting in the village of Taga before Stage 7.
Christoph’s wife Céline and their daughter who petted a dog for the first time. (ScottieTPhoto)
And who wouldn’t want to pet such a cute puppy. (ScottieTPhoto)
Although Stage 7 was flat, it was into a strong headwind – for the week we were in Samoa the wind consistently came from the east – so it was going to require an effort.
We were all starting together so I decided to ride with Lillian in case she had a puncture or mechanical. (ScottieTPhoto)
A fast start saw us in the second group on the road. It was tough hour or so for both Lillian and I. The other members of our group of five were Geoff, Gerry and Kelapu. Kelapu resolutely stayed in second wheel. It seemed fitting that he was with us as, in addition to Stage 6, he had been with Lillian at the top of the Le Mafu climb on Stage 1 where she had taught him and another Samoan how to ride in a paceline. On Stage 5 (the time trial) he caught Lillian at kilometre 3 and stayed on her wheel for the next 23km! He did initially move to come through but she told him he couldn’t do that as working together in an individual time trial was not allowed. By Stages 6 and 7 he seemed to have concluded that he should just sit behind, which is of course an effective race tactic. We didn’t contest the sprint, which he won, but all credit to him. He was on an old bike with flat pedals and clearly has a lot of talent.
Lillian gained a few more minutes in the GC competition as did Christoph over his closest rival Andrew, though he was beaten in the sprint by Gordon. And in spite of losing about 10 minutes to the lead group I managed to retain my 6th place overall. With the final stage concluded, we rolled into Salolologa for a coffee and then a spin back to the Amoa Resort.
The race was a fantastic way to see Samoa and experience a bit of the local culture. Seti, the race director, was in hospital at the start of the tour, so his team had to step up and run the whole show. They (in particular Brent aka ‘Tomasi’ and Tim) did a good job and kept things moving with only a few hiccups. Every stage started when scheduled which was in itself an impressive achievement.
However we still had a couple more days left before the tour officially ended. The following day, Friday, was for resting and recovery at the Amoa Resort. The more energetic had the opportunity to join a bike ride. Several people had to complete ‘redemption rides’ to make up for kilometres ridden in the support van. There was also the opportunity to attempt the Savai’i 180 which is riding around the whole island in one push. Only two people set out to do it. Tomasi decided at 2.30am to give it a go. Just him, his bike, moonlight and the local dogs. Maybe he needed to do it for stress relief! The other was Wes, one of the competitors. He left at 5am with a support vehicle, and returned at 1.30pm. I did not envy him!
The following day we rolled to the ferry terminal, crossed back to Upolu and rode to Apia together. There was lots of stopping and posing for photos, like in the final stage of the Tour de France though sadly without the glasses of champagne.
Team Hamilton.
Lillian and Christoph on the road into Apia. (ScottieTPhoto)
Tour photo outside the Samoan Government Building. The two bikes were Chris and Gordon’s, both sporting Negative Split carbon wheels. (ScottieTPhoto)
Finally we had a big prize giving ceremony in the evening back in the Tanoa Resort. So much had happened that it didn’t feel like a mere 6 days since we had started the Tour. Seti has been working really hard to raise the profile of cycling in Samoa so the dinner and ceremony was a celebration of the event and all the participants, with awards and speeches, including ones from Lillian and Christoph as well as Chris, whose company Negative Split Carbon sponsored the event.
Mike, another one of the organisers, presented the total of the week’s fines, over 4,000 tala. Over the course of the week we would be fined for various transgressions, both real and fabricated, all in aid of a local charity. I was fined for making the climb in the time trial look too easy, which I have to say I was quite proud of.
The thing I most enjoyed in the prizegiving was the singing of the young Samoan riders and their routine when they wanted to give someone a really big cheer. Most of the boys who started the Tour completed it, with Kelapu being the best positioned of them, which is very impressive considering some had only been riding for a few months on old second hand bikes.
We all had fun competing against riders who were at a similar level and racing together is always a good way to get to know people. The relatively small number of riders meant that we were able to have a conversation with just about everyone over the course of the week. It was a great way to see the countryside of Samoa and make some new friends. Hopefully we will meet many of them again in other events.
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