River Rat

Danie Hoffman has just updated he's at 1024 that's 50km in 3 hours I think he'll be our last rider to make the cut!

I don't think she'll be allowed to make a mistake with the Ambo 8&9 in attendance.

I think they're both in the Ambo tracking MK, hopefully she can crest the climb with enough in her legs to make up some time on the descent. DH is not updating so the jury is still out on whether he is still in the race or not.

TS's history definitely shows a higher speed and their current position is off course with the Ambo on the road.

I might have called Danie Hoffman too soon it seems he is still tracking but NL and TS are riding in Ambo 8.

I'm not sure TS and NL are still in the race I saw them being tracked at 100kph about an hour ago. It might be a tracker malfunction but they did close the 30km gap to MK very quickly. Also it looks like both Hoffman bros have scratched. This leaves MK as our last rider with 90km in 4 hours and as Taito says not the easiest part of the course.

I don't think they have any cut offs along the route, I see TS is moving as well. That gives us 5 riders behind the cut riding.

Nina Long is moving, 132kms in 6 hours!

Last night we had 6 riders behind the cut and they're still behind the cut. It looks like LR has stayed behind at WP9 while TS and NL are resting up for the last hour at WP10. The Hoffman brothers ad MK are battling on up the climb they need to average 18kph to make the finish before cut off, this is a huge ask.

Some tape around the stem of the valve before you push it through the rim could help.

Realistically I can't see anyone behind Nina Long making the cut to tomorrow, even NL has a huge challenge on her hands with only 3 hours rest to spare

We have our first lady in, well done Anri Parker.

TC and FP off course with less than 70km to go, let's hope they turn around. Edit: looks like they've turned.

All four of these riders and Nina Long have no leeway in terms of any rest they will have to ride non stop to the finish if the want to make the cut. It is a tough ask on the hardest part of the course.

I never thought that she would throw in the towel, I am sure there's more to it than we know.

I agree with you, it's interesting what both TR and KB said at the last water point and at the finish. They were both super chuffed at finishing in 56 hours, so they feel that they achieved their objective, I just don't get why we should be upset with them.

Good news he is back on track legally so.

I have no problem with guys being dissapointed with a particular outcome (I actually thought Benky won) but it does not deserve much more emotion than disappointment some guys are downright upset and getting nasty to boot. All this in a race where finishing is the primary achievement and finishing under a certain time secondary for the majority of the field.

I hate saying this but it looks like KB has bailed and is travelling in Ambo 9.

I'm trying to work out what has some people's knickers in a knot. Right up to the finish we had no idea who was leading, whether they were going at each other hammer and tongs or not. Those of us dot watching were absolutely glued to our various devices as we speculated on all three outcomes with a "draw" being the eventual outcome. We weren't robbed of anything. I see that ST and MB also have the same finishing time should we be upset with that too? If so why?

The 7 back markers behind the cut are now down to 6, still behind the cut and KB is now our last rider at Pampoenpoort. The stats for her are getting worse her pace dropped to 11.4kph which means she has 50 hours of riding left with 54 hours to do it in. I believe that unless you're at or passed Loxton you're not going to make it, coincidentally Nina Long was the last finisher in 2018 and she's been resting up at Loxton for 5 hours now.

Marco takes 3rd.

7 riders are behind the cut, 4 are walking and 1 has stopped, this is not looking good.

This is a fantastic performance for MB he was a mid packer last year which in itself was a great performance for a novice.

JN is off course fortunately he has turned back, but it has allowed the son of an old colleague of mine, Martin Bain Venn, to pass him for 6th.