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Don't they do their own mechanical work? Possibly no thread locker used and the bold came out?

Nino will know tomorrow's trails like the back of his hand as he rides them a lot, so I would guess they will do a big push for a stage win.

I do not even want to stand outside to clean my pool. Fat chance I will go for a ride on Helderberg for fun today.

BTW, the bad news for the rear of the field is that there is heavier rain predicted for later this afternoon. The North Wester is still pumping here and I can see some heavier clouds rolling over the Helderberg mountain.

Don't get me started on the fees I have to lay down just for the privilege to ride the Lourensford trails, and I am like 5 mins away in Strand. Clearly their fees are catered for their neighbours. But screw them. There is more than enough other trails around to keep me entertained.

Tomorrow will be the day where the mechanics decide who will win and who will lose chunks of time. The decent on Groenlandberg will be very interesting with all the mud and they will probably need a new set of brake pads at the bottom. Hope all the normal blokes rides with a spare set of pads in their tool poaches.

That wind was really damn odd. My son started around 7h20 and he said he had no wind. I started an hour later and we had bad wind from Muizenberg right through Simons Town. By the time we hit Smits it started dropping again. So I guess the people starting around 9h00 and after also had no wind. That darn wind cost me my sub 5. Took me a 1h50 to get to the water point at Simons Town. When I rode my PB of 4h12 a few years ago it took me 1h10 to get there.

And I miss the dude at the start chutes like in the old days on his long legs. To me he was the face of The Argus / CTCT. The way he said Hoopla was the best. Also hate the new rolling start. Kills the anticipation and banter in the start group.

I think the bank balance is a bit low. There were also not the usual music and fanfare on the top of Edinburgh Drive and Suikerbossie. And no CTCT magazine with all the tit bits, advice and info.

I think they had more roasties than 1B and 1C.

That should be sorted out once the results from all the scan points are reconciled. From past experienced it usually is sorted on the Monday as the IT people work through the data.

@capediver I see EWN has an article. Not much details though. https://ewn.co.za/2023/03/12/single-fatality-during-cape-town-cycle-tour

Most of the issues I saw were caused by the massive differential in speed up the climbs. Most riders in a seeded group will cycle up a climb at the same speed on normal bikes. These people on e-bikes zipping up the right and yelling to keep left are the people causing panic line changing by riders already zoned out from suffering.

They should not allow e-bikes in the early bunches. Maybe from 5 they can seed them with the others. Most of the e-bikes in the bunches I rode in behaved. I started from 5D. Only few idiots I saw. Most of the issues I saw were bad cycle etiquette, but that is to be expected in the late bunches. The road from Smits is get more sketchy as the years roll by.

I am back in the mix. Rode in the October race in 2021 but did not finish. I had COVID 3 weeks prior and sort of convinced myself that I was fine. I was not. Stopped at the halfway mark with bad heart issues and nausea. In 2022 both me and the wife sat out because we still did not feel great. So started this year way down in the bunches as my seeding took a hit. I forgot how painful it is to ride from the later bunches. No groups at all on the Blue Route and we got bad wind from Muizenberg right up to Simons town. Finished just a minute or 2 over 5 hours. I wanted to push for sub 5 but my calf muscle was having none of it. Started cramping at Llandudno. Also saw a man that passed away laying in the road just as you leave Misty Cliffs. Can't see that it was an accident as speed is low there. Must have been a medical emergency. At that point I counted my blessings and just enjoyed my ride even if my 56 year old unfit body was bitching and moaning.

Not to worry. I have my own challenges. My heart is still screwed after either the J&J vaccine or COVID or both. Never tested positive for COVID but my last CoCT (2021) I had to abandon halfway because of heart issues. I am still not back to where I was in 2020. I have been stuck on 8 tours done now for almost 3 years. Did not enter for 2022, as I was nowhere near ready.

They are trying to give you a subtle message, but you do not seem to appreciate it.

I know for a fact I will not make it, no matter how hard I train and prepare, if I get a hot day in the mountains like they had on stage 1. My body just simply fall to pieces in the mountains when the temperature goes over 32 degrees C.

I agree. I think there are a few that just wants to be seen on the Prologue start line.

I never ever service a bike just before a big race. I always do it a month before and then do at least 2 decent rides before the big race. New bikes? My cousin did Epic many years ago. He and his mate bought their new bikes for the Epic months before and did all their Epic training on them to get used to them and iron out all the bad parts. On a different note: I wonder how many bikes were stolen in Stellies this week from unsuspecting Epic riders? I saw a very dodgy character with 2 Cannondales last night in Stellies.

They are probably instructed to mention 'ABSA Cape Epic' every 30 seconds. Also it leaves a very sour aftertaste that SCR were not properly interviewed. I can bet you if a factory team won it they would have had a stand-up and sit down interview.

Let me make a bold guess and say that SCR will have at least 2 big sponsors for next year's event by tonight. That is if they will come back next year. A real pity that the ladies field was not even close to being competitive. To me it seemed a mere procession after day 1. Watching the live feeds gave me motivation to enter MTB races again this year after the past 4 years of mayhem. First I had multiple injuries (shoulder and hand overuse injuries), and then COVID hit. Let us hope there are still race organisers left after them being decimated this past 2 years.

So after the Epic, they are just going to let it grow over again? Because I cannot think that any club owns it. I was hoping it was part of the new Cape Winelands Trail Network, of which I have a permit / board for.

That ST they rode from Jonkers to Coetzenburg; I was not aware of that one. I need to go check that one out. Do any of you know if that trail is new?

I get tired just watching the Epic. Nevermind even thinking of riding it. These Cape Mountains and the heat are a bastard when they come together for a party. I still get fever chills and nightmares when I stand in my backyard looking at Gantow Pass and it is like 35 degrees, memories from my disastrous first day few years go on W2W in that heat coming back to me. I respect each of you that rode the Epic, now and in the past.