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Now I know why I do not actively engage on these forums anymore. Everybody gets personally attacked left right and centre. Cheers.

Just maybe soft drizzle. Not enough to make mud. In Strand and most parts of Somerset West it is still bone dry.

Having ridden at Rheebokskloof I know how flippen hard it is. And I ride Helderberg regularly and have done one Piket Bo-Berg. It is a step above Bo-Berg.

Well, we will soon know the truth. Doctors talk to each other, and my wife's boss is riding, and he is a physician working at Vergelegen Medi-Clinic in Somerset West.

I see Speed Company is not so speedy anymore. And Beers & partner is bleeding time. I think his Epic podium has long took flight. Really impressed by the SA youngsters. All those Spur school races of years back starting to realise results. Pity it went tits up.

Few years ago I was planning to do the Duzi. Before you can do the Duzi you have to complete the Fish (B grade race I think), and before you can do the Fish you have to complete a few C grade races, and before you can do that you have to pass a competency test, both theoretical and practical. Surely for such high stakes events they can implement the same. It is time that the UCI step in and demand the same or else the Epic lose their UCI status.

Any decent investigative journalist will be able to fish out the truth. We know what our mates riding the Epic reported back, and we have no reason not to believe them.

I would like to add that this armchair meteorologist and part time cyclist with no claims of ever being able to become an Amabubesi, have just being MTBing in the Western Cape for long enough to "know" that shyte was about to hit the fan.

I think they are already stuffed as they cannot control info coming from riders and that it is already well known that they did not prepare well for today given the weather predictions. Running out of water is not excusable for such a high profile event, and they can expect a case against them at least from the family of the rider that passed away, if not more. Just asking people to sign waivers aint going to cut it when they could have implemented mitigation against casualties.

Not that I am aware of. Only stage shortening or extension of cut-off times.

It is piss poorly organised. Anybody who looked at the weather forecast 2 days ago and knew just a little bit about mountain biking in the Western Cape knew it was going to be bad. Especially Paarlberg which is extremely exposed to the sun on the western slopes and northern slopes. Just refer to some of the earlier comments here on this forum from a few days ago.

Loved the one I did. Will check it out. One of the best MTB events I ever took part in.

Corporate beancounters. They do not care for the canon fodder so long as all the entries is sold out within minutes. Then it is all about just doing the basics at the lowest cost.

Just walked outside into the gardens of the Capitec office here in Technopark. There is a wind that came up from the ocean's side to cool things off a wee bit. But it might be too late for many already dehidrated riders. EDIT: This wind hopefully makes it to Paarl.

Still going to be a really hard day on the 2-wheeled office. Reckon Paarl Mediclinic will overflow this evening and some of those will have to go to Stellenbosch Mediclinic.

Hou moed boet! The better part of the Epic starts tomorrow morning. Just survive today.

Probably still have tire tracks on his back...

Probably the best strategy for today will be to gooi mielies to finish early so as to get out of the sun before the serious heat for the day sets in. They will need as much moisture in their bodies as possible for tomorrow. You do not want to be out there on the road too long in the afternoon heat of today.

So the "King of Gravel" had a reality check and is nowhere near "King of South African Gravel". We might find his bike on the bottom of the dam at the top of Paarlberg by the end of the day tomorrow.

Welvergenoegd seemed aptly named for yesterday's ride. I am sure some of the riders had a private smile amongst the pain, sweat and dust on their mugs.

Wednesday's attrition rate will be very high unless they shorten the day. I suspect the Mediclinic in Paarl will get quite a lot of new patients by the end of the evening. Riding those hills west of Paarl in 40 degrees will be brutal as there is not much shade to hide away in from the blazing sun.

Wednesday will be the killer. I stayed in Paarl for 4 years. Paarl 40 degrees is different to Strand 40 degrees. Went for a trap on a hot day on Jan Phillips many years ago before I could do proper MTBing and I emptied my stomach on Hoof straat.

BTW, I see some rain predicted for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

I just checked the route. Guess going for a ride at Helderberg Farm is out for Sunday then. Most of the route at the later end of the week is around our town. Might even poach some time from my office at Technopark to go check some racing at G-Spot.

To show off their company sponsored kit.