SeanMort

It's positively insane as to how the organiser's come to a decision to seed only the top 30 tandems into # group ?? I really don't understand the rationale as to how this happens. Why not put the top 60/70 - 100 tandems into this one group, like practically every other race in SA, and then the rest into a social tandems group further down the starting order as they used to ? They will pretty quickly self-seed from the start, and it will be safer for all concerned with no fuss. It's pretty hair raising on a tandem in the 1's and 2's groups among the single bikes, which they don't seem to understand at all. We petitioned to be granted a spot into # as per last year, but they blah blahed about the top 30 seeding ad-naseum, and then yesterday didn't we just catch and pass 2 # tandems who didn't look anything like # form (or shape). Even my blind stoker could spot this a mile away. Ugottawonder !!

I am aware of the organisers efforts, and do sincerely hope that said communities embrace the efforts they are making, but this is flip-flop politics at play. So far all I have seen from their original grievances are just words. Here's hoping the situation is addressed and appeased.

Possible protests are my only concern. The protesters had a light-bulb moment last year and the light-bulb is still burning ......

The road surface has settled and, to me, is perfectly good for racing on, but there is that damn pothole in the road just coming into Hout Bay. It's been there for months and nobody 'official' seems keen to sort it out. Choice of wheels will probably come down to wind conditions in my opinion.

Unless you are competing in a licenced group, nobody cares what brakes you have. Perfectly good to go from A - Z.

We didn't have many issues with others drafting off our team, and for the most part we rode them off. There were the usual sections where we got stuck in the shoal, but it wasn't for km's on end. Our team also had some frequent unscheduled stops, due to a recurring mechanical (pilot/stoker chain on one of tandems came off about 30 times), which cost us at least 20min, but we finished as a complete tandem team in 6H32. There was one slightly hairy moment when some of us were blasting down the hill shortly after Op De Tradouw, and split some of the Pure Savages at the back, and then a car came up the hill while we were all a 'little' over the white line !! This caused much excitement with a pedestrian walking on the side of the road. Too much fun we had :-)

It's Friday and everyone is still kicking the Sagan/Cavendish ball to death .. this ball (topic) is more deserving of some Friday kicks to see what the status quo is. What news has anyone on where matters lay ?

CSA have recently made a new appointment in the form of a Coaching Commission Chair, who's first aim is to ".... identify untapped talent (as there are many more World and Olympic champions in our midst)." Now, I'm not sure if the appointment is a salaried position, and I won't detract from the new incumbents' aspirations and abilities, but surely in light of CSA's recent communication on selected riders having to pay their own way, this appointment is a little insincere to them ??

As they should, CSA is simply following the current ruling status from UCI as regards this matter. This issue should have been dealt with promptly a long time ago when the road bike disc brake issue first appeared, and then suddenly local bike shops had them displayed front and center for maximum sales effect. Too late unfortunately for those aspirant racers who dropped a lot of dough on the bike shop counter for the latest technology, and then got booted out of licenced races, such as Tour of Good Hope, for not making themselves informed about the fuzziness of the rules. I put the blame squarely at the door of the CSA for their tardiness in not informing all their members timeously of this matter. Yet, there are still disc brake road bikes in the shop windows ... As regards applying the rule to specifically league road races; for Western Province Cycling leagues (I would imagine other regions would be similar), no matter the licence category, the prevailing UCI rule for disc-brake road bikes will be applied. Depending on the racing category different licence grades are applicable - CAT1 & 2 require a full racing licence, CAT3 only requires CSA membership. More info is on this link - http://www.wpcycling.com/uncategorized/autumn-and-winter-league-2016-criteria/

If I recall correctly CSA is still looking for an appointed treasurer some 2 years or so later. Mike Bradley is currently caretaking this role in an acting capacity. Surely there are more than enough capable candidates willing and able to fill this most important position ?? Someone to manage and oversee the financial dashboard of the organisation .... ??

Point 8 of last years CSA AGM minutes seemingly starts to highlight some of the financial problems - https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53f5fb7ce4b0cab4a7fe8561/t/58416dc620099e0b6012f12c/1480682953426/20161119_Minutes+AGM+November+2016+Final.pdf

WP Cycling's Exco is comprised of individuals who volunteer their time and efforts to develop cycling in the region. In my opinion, the fact that CSA has an association here, is of no great significance .. just another "just-because" rubber stamp to give WP Cycling an official mandate.

As per last year, it's likely that entries will only open at the end of August, but the event date has been confirmed for the 25th November 2017. So therefore, more than enough time to train for the event .. assuming you actually get an entry :-)

In light of the culmination of "obstacles" the organisers faced I think they made the right choice to cancel the event. The overall safety of all participants for the entire duration of the event is obviously not negotiable. Sure the wind was insanely crazy, perhaps more so than 2009 (which I also participated in), and although some of us in the racing tandem bunch managed to get to the end of the Blue Route, I pause to think of what may lay ahead of us with protest action or even further extreme weather conditions. We're used to riding in the windy Cape conditions but most of the CTCT field are likely not, and this poses additional risks. Even so, we found it challenging to get going. In light of yesterdays events, not matter the cause, I'm of the opinion that CTCT organisers need to have a Plan B route. Perhaps an out-and-back route on the M3, like 2 years ago, for most of the fun rider bunches, with an extended distance for the rest that qualify (over De Waal, through the CBD, over High Level Road to Camps Bay and back via the old finish route ?? .. or something along those lines). This way everyone gets a scenic ride, a finish time and of course a medal :-) My take on the protest action is that it was most certainly planned, but that the protesters had not anticipated on a consequential route change that robbed them of their opportunity of media coverage. Perhaps this angered them and they resorted to co-ordinating another action in Hout Bay (or elsewhere) ?? I fear that this is the start of things to come for big events such as CTCT, OMTOM, Cape Epic and perhaps even other events further afield such as the Comrades Marathon and so on. Consider the following screenshot posted by somebody on FB this morning, see where it ultimately stems from, and make of it what you will ...

Not sure how this this impacts the long route option, but saw this note in our latest club ride information; "Road works and Dangerous conditions. One of our favourite routes is off the books for the next few weeks. The Tiekie draai route has become un-ride able as a result of the road works just before St Johns Road and into Durbanville. We will not be able to take club rides on this route for the foreseeable future. If you do ride the route on your own or with a small group be very careful as the road has been narrowed to such an extent that it is not possible for a motorist to pass a cyclist at all in several places." Perhaps someone with more accurate info could care to comment ?