bolt67

think nearly everybody was riding 2.4s which were perfect for 7 and 1/3 days especially in Hermanus area with lots of loose sand , but as you say nightmare when the rain started on day 6. With hindsight would have changed but bike shops/service guys we used wouldn't have had any that narrow anyway ..... Guys also pushed there bikes in the muddy uphill sections instead of picking up and carrying them on their backs, problem solved.

Good to hear ! My mates weren’t happy with it and gave it a skip. Got food outside race village.

Maybe another factor ( not withstanding a bacterial stomach bug that was doing the rounds according the pharmacist and a doctor I visited in Somerset West), was that the finish line food quality was shocking to say the least. No more Woolies. Cost cutting ? Not sure what the dinners for the campers was like but if same caterers it couldn't have been good. I was lucky enough to be hosted by ABSA ,which was world class, and stay in hotels'. Huge respect for anybody that camped in the mud and ate that food, and still finished.

What the photo doesn’t show is a 2 meter high 45 degree wooden ramp to get up to the single track which was covered in mud Totally unrideable. And there was a great atmosphere in the queue , everybody in great spirit after the mudfest slugfest the day before. Will be a long time before Lourensford trails are rideable again. Absolutely destroyed.

So lets look at past MTB pros who dominated the early days of MTB stage racing like Sani in SA : George, Evans, Stewart, Knox, Wilson, Croeser, all tested positive and banned/sanctioned. A lot of podium positions would have been very different. And that's only the "pros"s that got caught. That's a significant amount of positives for such a small sample of pro mtb riders. And how many wannabee vets and masters racers were doping during that time who were never tested ......

"Thirdly, at 50, look at her results compared to the men, not the women, and tell me what your gut tells you about her performance." This is the sentence that needs to be unpacked i.e. are her performance levels and times unnatural for a 50 year old ?

https://www.arrivealive.co.za/news.aspx?s=1&i=61321&page=cyclist-critical-following-collision-with-car-m4-sibaya 26 year old driver allegedly arrested at flats near Sibaya Circle after hit and run One of the guys is critical , underwent brain surgery and the other is ok happened on climb up to Sibaya Circle from Umhlanga lagoon, double lane, driver left scene of accident

Now the case goes back to Swiss Sports Integrity. In compliance with the Stakeholder Notice, the national anti-doping agency can, if necessary, re-evaluate the A sample of June 5, 2022 as an abnormal or atypical analysis result. Swiss Sports Integrity cannot legally contest the decision of the Disciplinary Chamber. The organization is still of the opinion that, due to the extensive investigations, there was an abnormal analysis result and the provisional ban was therefore absolutely necessary. According to your information, Swiss Sport Integrity will review the decision and take the next steps based on it.

interesting about the night sweats, something almost every Freedom (RASA) rider experiences this from about 7 to 10 days in , I woke up most nights in a swimming pool of sweat !

https://thulestore.co.za/racks-carriers/bike-racks/bike-rack-accessories/thule-carbon-frame-adapter-984000?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIotDS84em-wIVYIBQBh2PdgBJEAQYAiABEgI30vD_BwE simple solution

I see SA Ironman Triathlete Annah Watkinson has psoted that she received an AAF for metalbolite - methyltesterone. Pleading innocence and fighting it with her legal team. See her Instagram account ANNAHb247 for the update.

If they were my kids i know what would have happened to them ........

Simple solution take any meds that are not on the banned list. No excuses

And now Quintana ! https://ewn.co.za/2022/08/18/quintana-denies-use-of-banned-drug-after-tour-de-france-disqualification

And remember both Enjoy and Ciovita have different models and fit from racing snake to relaxed, so no one size fits all !

Spez shops normally have loan units to put on your bike until yours is returned.

Lezyne

Lot of corporate / celeb entries - if you don't pay out your own hard earned cash do you take it as seriously ..... ?

We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of a race participant at the Cape Epic. During Stage 1, a rider required critical care, was attended to by the medical team and airlifted to a nearby hospital where they received further treatment. Despite best medical efforts, the athlete passed today. We share our greatest sympathies with the family and friends of the rider and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. We thank the medical personnel who provided the rider with continuous medical support and care.

think she is banned from Sani and W2W as well..., stand to be corrected

Ladies race is non event , no competition for Candice and Mariska. Need some youngsters to be sponsored and nurtured .

Ladies race is a non event , other than Mariska/Candice and Robyn, Amy our ladies are not quite up to scratch. Half an hour win on Day 2 , that’s a country mile ….. ! No young talent coming through or is it just a lack of sponsorship for the youngsters , stage racing is bloody expensive for sponsors !

Evoc

Two stories last year on Freedom where riders had to resort to similar solutions : must be hell. Luckily did not have shermers as an issue on Freedom (did take the batteries out religiously but only because that's what previous riders had advised) but as you said had plenty other issues/ things to worry about as well ...... saddle sores being one of them