Thor Buttox

Totally agree... as much as he is a cheat, theiving bastard, and should be sent down, he is still a remarkable athlete...

It would be a lot better to compare him to Bernie Madoff... they both did hard work running a business, made vast ill gotten gains, both did a lot of philanthropic work for charities, and bothe ended up in pris... oh... not alike at all then...

Lot of guys in our group deserved a damn good helmeting on that principal!!

Apparently the Operation Puerto Spanish doctor had plenty of blood packs of tennis players, etc, and nothing came of it... so not just triathlon.

There was a marshall pointing everyone to go straight ahead at about 5km but there were two (yellow and blue) arrows pointing right with the white 12km route arrow pointing straight ahead. I asked why he was sending the people straight and he said white was straight ahead. I pointed out my board was blue and seemed like he couldn't see it cos it was very pale. The arrows were on a pole on the left but weren't obvious to see at speed.

I had the same situation on the 30km - I was the first person to take the right route... quite a rush being in the lead of a race, even if only for 10km or so!

I really wouldn't put too much faith in the results cos the top 50km guys only came past me after 15km of my 30km ride, and quite a few just skipped the single track cos the slower 50km were all riding slowly in single file... apparently next year they will start further apart and there will be a different route... Still my favourite race though!

Actually, as much as I believe the bugger is guilty as sin, from a a purely legal stand point, you probably do have a valid points. Then again OJ Simpson was taken down in civil court, not criminal. However, I totally disagree about the sensationalism issue. His defenders go to great lengths to highlight those who "bore a grudge", etc, etc... But there was no need for any of his old Team (even if you exclude Landis, etc) to give any evidence other than their own threat of perjury. Look at Marion Jones... that's how she got done. Precedent, and jail time, is a remarkable thing. And civil court is based on a prEPOnderence of evidence, not "guity until proven"...

This is how religions start...

Nice one Having read the books, in hamilton's and Millar's words, even it's high unlikely, it may just be possible, that the "men of the valley floor" would have been least likely to dope... so you may be able to keep your admiration for the old man JV

Having read both The Secret Race and David Millar's book in the last while, I just want to know why noone has bothered to look at circumstantial EPO evidence in the period? Apparently the biggest effect by far is in a 3 week Tour and it's impossible for the human body to naturally sustain a hemacrit level over that period. Even if on day 1 of the Tour (e.g.) it was at 50, as allowed in the rules, anyone tested in week 3 who was still there is clearly doping? But I can't seem to find if any of these bodies actually bothered to think "Doh... it's the same as it was at the start of the bloody Tour"... and since LA would have been tested a lot in the last week when he won stages, it should be bleeding obvious...

Well, that's irritating... I'm not on the results and I would be seventh... I pushed the couch for bugger all...

Thanks, dude!

Anyone know where the site is that the results are updated live when they use the tags??

I was having a lovely ride in the 38km, near the front and in the last single track the winner of the 57km came past me like I was carrying a couch up a staircase... that had been greased... gees... and then I fell in a ditch... Good fun nevertheless!! seemed to be tougher than previous years...

Le Turbo is right... go see them, and rather get a better second hand bike. The difference between a R4000 new bike and getting a second hand bike that would normally be R8000 is quite a lot. And some of the "wholesale" bikes are actually quite dangerous... I've heard of more than one that has disintegrated after some rough treatment... If you can get a second had Merida MATTS or something like that, you will not be unhappy... And get the right size!!

I vaguely remember there was a chat about the climbing on our Garmins after last year's race... there's not as much climbing as the profile on the site. The 38km is under 900m.

Not sure if the organisers will read this, but I did the 60km and also didn't particularly enjoy it... I did the Ideafruit ride two weeks ago and it was also really muddy, so it's not a complaint about toughness cos that had 400m more climbing, but I also felt the newly cut/very muddy/rough trail wasn't really that much fun, specially the second time on the way back... And the sand was also really hectic on that last bit. I may just be gormless in my beach riding skills, though. Maybe I'm just feeling cranky today, and low on 22% gradient legs, or something... (although I'm more worried about my baby's crank grinding merrily ) On the positive side - it was really well marked, and the marshalls/water point people were great. It's also a great venue, and the hosts were very hospitable! So I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and hope they do as some other races have done where there have been issues with sand, etc, and look at making those adjustments in future years!!

Try take a few Rennies with you on the ride... I know it sounds strange, but when I had terrible cramp issues a few years ago (admittedly, when I wasn't training enough!! ) someone told me to try it, and it really is an amazing thing. None of the Cramp-ease type stuff worked.

Yeah, kudo's to the organisers for a very well-marked enjoyable route! (and the well-behaved 15/35km riders who mostly kept left and let us through!) Free bike wash also much appreciated (by me and my bike...) (Now to get my gears sorted out from the mud... )

The 45km was an awesome route! Helluva muddy but great fun! The single track that was on the route - how do you access it at other times? Is that Welvanpas? I don't know the area that well, thanks

I didn't think "kneeples" showed adequate respect for the quality of the dual suspension!! Just standing up for the poor lady!!!

I always thought knoobies were people who were new to this site...? Boy, was I wrong!!!

That's no help at all!! Well done!!

Bugger, bugger... that's probably a good indication that it's not 10 min! Curse you, Suikerbossie!!