Events

Statement regarding cancellation of the 40th Cape Town Cycle Tour from David Bellairs

· By Press Office · 324 comments

It is with great regret that at 06h38 this morning, we were forced to make the difficult decision to stop the 40th edition of the Cape Town Cycle Tour.

https://www.facebook.com/cycletour/videos/vb.303181639755371/1416836988389825/?type=3&theater

This morning presented a number of challenges, not least of which were wind speeds considerably higher than predicted yesterday. This, combined with a large fire that broke out in Hout Bay in the early hours of this morning, and the added risk of protest action en route, were all contributing factors to the decision made in our Joint Operation Centre (JOC) by the VOC Commander to stop the event.

Our priority first and foremost will always be the safety of all our participants and the risk of injury and potential fatality at the start, at the finish and on Chapman’s Peak warranted this extremely difficult decision. Furthermore, we only made the decision after endeavouring to mitigate all risks to keep the event open.

The Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust wishes to extend its immense gratitude and thanks to the City of Cape Town and all those services involved at our JOC in Tygerberg. This includes Disaster Management Services, the Events Office of the City of Cape Town, Fire and Safety, Traffic Authorities and Metro Police as well as our medical services, Mediclinic, the Provincial EMS and South African Police Services. These relationships have been developed over many years and it is in times of crisis that the measure of these relationships are truly tested. I would particularly like to single out the Executive Director of Safety and Security, Mr Richard Bosman as well as the Executive Mayor’s office for the tremendous support under these trying circumstances.

To all our sponsors, who have backed our decision 100%, our eternal gratitude for your understanding and support. Lastly, to the participants who have invested time, effort and resources in getting to the start line, our heartfelt thanks – ultimately this decision was made in the interests of your safety. To the Rotary Clubs and volunteers who have been standing on the route in difficult conditions, we appreciate your tireless effort and sacrifice.

We are humbled by the outpouring of offers to assist and donate food, product and resources to those in need as a result of us stopping this Cycle Tour. We are in the process of co-ordinating efforts to ensure that goods reach those in need in the fire-affected areas in Hout Bay. We encourage the public wishing to donate to please contact Thula Thula in Hout Bay to donate non-perishable goods. They Mayor of Hout Bay has opened the Hout Bay Sports Centre in readiness to receive perishable goods for immediate distribution into the community.

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Comments

Slowbee

Mar 12, 2017, 9:40 AM

Mod Note:

 

Disagree or agree with decisions, but provide reasoning.

 

Random keyboard warrior comments simply to stir trouble will not be tolerated.

 

Apologies to the comments that were valid but edited in tidy up.

BigDL

Mar 12, 2017, 9:46 AM

Mod Note:

 

Disagree or agree with decisions, but provide reasoning.

 

Random keyboard warrior comments simply to stir trouble will not be tolerated.

 

Apologies to the comments that were valid but edited in tidy up.

Would have been fun to let it run a bit and see how he would have justified his statement

dev null

Mar 12, 2017, 9:46 AM

I understand the fact that no refunds will be given, but at least they could have provided some sort of redemption by giving all of this year's entrants first option on the entries for next year in their lottery process.

Mamil

Mar 12, 2017, 9:46 AM

Well done CTCT. See you all next year for the 41st tour. I also chose to ignore my 40th birthday

Sheffield

Mar 12, 2017, 9:50 AM

In light of cancellation of said event I decided to take a short ride through the suburbs and can 100% agree with the organisers decision given first hand account of the wind. I must however seriously question the timing of fires and protest action. Why today? Who perpetrated this and to what political end?

 

Sent from my HS-U961 using Tapatalk

dev null

Mar 12, 2017, 9:53 AM

Well done CTCT. See you all next year for the 41st tour. I also chose to ignore my 40th birthday

 

Is this then officially the 40th, and will I thus be credited with my 6th? Or is next year officially then the 40th?

Icycling

Mar 12, 2017, 9:55 AM

The 47km route always need t be an option on the day. Read my post on page 5 "Cape Town cycle tour 2017 cancelled."

 
Slowbee

Mar 12, 2017, 10:07 AM

 

The 47km route always need t be an option on the day. Read my post on page 5 "Cape Town cycle tour 2017 cancelled."

 

 

S0 the thinking is something is better than nothing

carbon29er

Mar 12, 2017, 10:07 AM

Mod Note:

 

Disagree or agree with decisions, but provide reasoning.

 

Random keyboard warrior comments simply to stir trouble will not be tolerated.

 

Apologies to the comments that were valid but edited in tidy up.

Not only did I waste months training for this event and pay for 3 entries so I could do a double lap with my daughter but then the mods decide that my time is no longer important and delete my well reasoned and documented post about the PR statement by Bellairs.

 

Do I rewrite it or do I just say that I think both actions are completely wrong. Deleting a whole thread AND ignoring the loss of life in a fire but using the cancellation of the CTCT as PR exercise for donations to that particular community.

 

Two observations is passing:

  • Letting protesters "win" by diverting then cancelling the race opens a MASSIVE opportunity nationwide to destroy these sorts of events.
  • Using a fire as a PR exercise when the fire was a day before the event but ignoring the hundreds of fires that occur annually with no support from the CTCT smacks of opportunism by the organisers.

Did any journalists ask why the race start remained in a high wind area that is the Civic Centre wind tunnel when the forecast 10 days ago forecast today's wind?

Slowbee

Mar 12, 2017, 10:13 AM

Not only did I waste months training for this event and pay for 3 entries so I could do a double lap with my daughter but then the mods decide that my time is no longer important and delete my well reasoned and documented post about the PR statement by Bellairs.

 

Do I rewrite it or do I just say that I think both actions are completely wrong. Deleting a whole thread AND ignoring the loss of life in a fire but using the cancellation of the CTCT as PR exercise for donations to that particular community.

 

Two observations is passing:

  • Letting protesters "win" by diverting then cancelling the race opens a MASSIVE opportunity nationwide to destroy these sorts of events.
  • Using a fire as a PR exercise when the fire was a day before the event but ignoring the hundreds of fires that occur annually with no support from the CTCT smacks of opportunism by the organisers.

Did any journalists ask why the race start remained in a high wind area that is the Civic Centre wind tunnel when the forecast 10 days ago forecast today's wind?

Umm, the mods did not delete any of your posts.

 

But if you can direct me to your post. I will gladly put it up. And most of your posts have reasoning anyway, so why would we edit them ?

City Cycling Athletic Club

Mar 12, 2017, 10:14 AM

i believe the event was called off because of the protest action.

'Dale

Mar 12, 2017, 10:17 AM

i believe the event was called off because of the protest action.

Some reasoning there, Andy Arnesan?

Don't just drop the Mic ???? like that ????

Icycling

Mar 12, 2017, 10:17 AM

S0 the thinking is something is better than nothing

Yes indeed - a lot of people come from all over the world - to do nothing? I think 47km as a last minute plan even can be change once race has started (that's if they offer a short route anyway like most funrides do) is better than nothing.

Malpiet

Mar 12, 2017, 10:33 AM

Yes indeed - a lot of people come from all over the world - to do nothing? I think 47km as a last minute plan even can be change once race has started (that's if they offer a short route anyway like most funrides do) is better than nothing.

Exactly, so many alternatives around!! We ended up doing a short ride in the wind anyway even so it was a bit tricky but not as bad as the civic centre start which was just treacherous.

 

I would strongly suggest they move the start line

 

Maybe somewhere on helen suzman turning left onto nelson mandela blvd

Slowbee

Mar 12, 2017, 10:33 AM

:thumbup: , Icycling.

 

Last year they made the call earlier to shift the route.

 

This time, they had no time. So would riders be prepared to do the 47km with no support on the way back ?

carbon29er

Mar 12, 2017, 10:41 AM

Umm, the mods did not delete any of your posts.

 

But if you can direct me to your post. I will gladly put it up. And most of your posts have reasoning anyway, so why would we edit them ?

As I'm as slow typing as I am on a bike I think it was caught in the purge you ran as I hit Post.

Rouxenator

Mar 12, 2017, 10:41 AM

As long as my double entry is carried over to next year, I'm happy. 

carbon29er

Mar 12, 2017, 10:45 AM

:thumbup: , Icycling.

 

Last year they made the call earlier to shift the route.

 

This time, they had no time. So would riders be prepared to do the 47km with no support on the way back ?

I think riders would then have been able to make a choice. Go home and get supported or ride and have fun.

 

As it turns out the decision was made for us without any consideration of our particular needs.

 

See, the thing is, Bellairs does what suits him. Not the cyclist. We are seen as an annoyance that have to be tolerated while he jets around the world attending WACE meetings and events.

Mamil

Mar 12, 2017, 10:51 AM

Anger is a close cousin of disappointment and sadness and much prefers the limelight too - the latter being the more vulnerable state.

 

Outrage and indignation in the face of loss is a very basic response - the animal that gets p155sed off when facing something that hurts, unconsciously reasons that it's ferocity will discourage the world from taking something else away. It's worked for millenia, that's why we do it.

 

The organisers made a difficult call in an almost impossible situation. Ad hoc arrangements with a crowd of 35 000 people would be risky and probably irresponsible. Personally I'm heartened to see that there are sometimes people in charge who make good and responsible decisions.

 

I'm taking my disappointment to Meerendal where the rest of the family is going walking while I take my new MTB shoes and saddle for a test ride up that ghastly member's corridor to Conties.

 

Mountain bikers laugh in the face of the wind gods while roadies quake and shake their fists!  :excl:

Patchelicious

Mar 12, 2017, 11:00 AM

I heard a cool quote the other day:

 

Careful of what you say and do while angry, your anger will pass but the things you said and did while angry will be remembered.

PhilipV

Mar 12, 2017, 11:19 AM

The 47km route always need t be an option on the day. Read my post on page 5 "Cape Town cycle tour 2017 cancelled."

For that matter maybe have a divert possible via Glencairn - Sun Valley - Ou Kaapse Weg and back up the M3.

 

 

ITO protest action: The Dakar went from strength to strength when it moved from Africa to S-America after civil war threatened participants safety.

It won't be the same, but we shouldn't be against a route change when it affects rider safety. The Glencairn divert planned this morning was a great move IMO.

I'm holding my breath that the 2oceans isn't also disrupted due to protest action.

carbon29er

Mar 12, 2017, 11:21 AM

I heard a cool quote the other day:

 

Careful of what you say and do while angry, your anger will pass but the things you said and did while angry will be remembered.

I'm always careful. Except when faced with the possibility of exiting double figures on a descent. I have no idea how the sprinters in the peloton hit the hundreds on the big mountain descents. Aerodynamically efficient?

Patchelicious

Mar 12, 2017, 11:24 AM

I'm always careful. Except when faced with the possibility of exiting double figures on a descent. I have no idea how the sprinters in the peloton hit the hundreds on the big mountain descents. Aerodynamically efficient?

Marginal SKY gains! And Spez Aero RnD... duh!! ????
dev null

Mar 12, 2017, 11:36 AM

I can't even take the family with MTBs on Helderberg this afternoon. With sweat, French and busted fingers plus 2 broken tyre levers I managed to get 4 slicks onto 4 MTB rims yesterday. I don't have the mental and emotional energy to put the knobblies back on this afternoon.

 

Oh, joy, the wind has dropped quite a bit here in Strand. I bet it is peach of a day at Jonkers.

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