Skubarra

What I mean is did CSA even get the money from Hectic? I assume its usually paid over after the event once the numbers are finalised & paid for,

Did CSA get that R50 per cyclist though?

Yes exactly - easiest way to get there on day 5 is to turn north at Blombos (onto the Riversdal road) - the 1st 10km after the turn-off have some nasty climbs though. Another option is to keep Day 5 as is, and then on Day 6 start-off on the river road, about 20km in there is a low water bridge crossing to Droevlakte and from there you can head east to Albertinia and then Gouritz. (I know that is not your first option but) the one benefit of that route is that you will have 2 coffee stops, one on the Stilbaai tar road crossing Droevlakte and another at Albertinia. On your first option there are only corrugations and speeding cars throwing dust on you

True - occasionally I have seen some massive snakes crossing the road or next to the road on a warm day. But on Tygerberg sometimes I encounter 3 or 4 in just 30min, no tx..

This is the reason I stick to road riding in summer and only renew my Tygerberg membership after the Argus... You won't catch me on the trails unless I'm part of a big group (gotta get the odds in my favour!)

Also let me know when you are coming through the area - maybe I can join you for part of the day 😀

Since you asked... Day 5 - you are missing out on the best cycling section section near Stilbaai - the river road northwest of Stilbaai has the best scenery in the area. But it will add some climbing (steep rolling hills) to an already long day Day 6 - Unless it changed recently or you arranged something with the owners you cannot go through the Gouriqua Nature reserve to Gouritz, the gate was always closed when I was there. You will have to stick to the main gravel road. Not my favourite road to cycle on as many cars use it as a shortcut between Gouritz and Stilbaai so its very rutted & relatively busy - also boring in my biased opinion. But unfortunately there are no real alternatives unless you head inlands to Albertinia and cut out Gouritz completely. Also just be mentally ready for far more wind you had on your previous trip, great on the days it works in your favour, hellish on the days its not.

Hectic Promotions also the peeps that brought back the Rapport Tour in 2021?.... Yeah that other organiser loves to include in his marketing blurbs how entries are capped at x riders despite never ever even getting half those entrants for any of the races he organise. My biggest gripe with these people is that there is always an element of dishonesty in their communications (even for the events that get of the ground), last minute changes to the route (due to permissions that weren't in place) sold as exciting improvements to the route etc. I would never pay myself to ride one of those events.

Not an expert on this but surely if you still want the option to still ride on trails then a gravel bike isn't an option? At least not an option that will actually be fun on trails?

Minimum sub-6, think the actual target will be decided on the day

I remember that little break-away on the climb 😀 At that point I was just hanging onto the bunch and had no delusions of potential sprint finishes

@DieselnDust yes we were in the yellow kit.

I think its a minimum requirement for anyone doing a road race to be able to & have the tools to fix a puncture - I don't stop & and I don't expect anyone else to stop for me. If for some reason you can't fix a puncture there is a spot in the sweeper van or maybe some backmarker will feel charitable and help you out. Occasionally I have donated a tube to a rider in need but I don't feel any obligation to do so. If its a crash or medical emergency I will stop and help if I can.

We had a lekker ride - our DC team started in C, worked well together along with a few others. Caught the B stragglers near Paarl and the rest of B near Hermon. Weather was great, not the usual head/crosswinds on the road back to Stellenbosch and we maintained a good pace till the finish. Of course on the last turn the usual funride thing happened - okes who hid away in the bunch and wheelsucked for 168km did their heroic sprint finish to podium C bunch 🤣 But I guess that will always happen. Hopefully this result would also sort my CTCT seeding 👍

Then you don't run the event with road closures? At least until you have the numbers to pay for road closures? What you don't do is market the event with closed roads and pray that enough people enter that you are able to pay the traffic department. Don't want to go into details but these guys have a history of marketing promises before they have permissions in place, then at the last minute there are panic & scrambles - not the least surprised that this happened, won't be the last time either.

Wouldn't be too quick to put all the blame on the city - the organisers (and some of their previous iterations) don't have the greatest of track records - not the first time stuff like this happens

Ok - so more like slow poison over the last 25km rather than actual big climbs. Guess I'll just try and stick to the bunch for as long as I can and not attempt anything fancy 😝

So for the capetonians coming through which ones are the 94.7 versions of Suikerbossie & Chapmans Peak?

Don't mean to bash you but I really don't get your big gripe - for the vast majority of the field the waterpoints would be enough (and PPA has always been more focused on the fun rider than the serious racers, that's not a recent thing or unique to the one tonner). Personally I don't think any support should be allowed (to make it fair on everybody) but if organisers are happy to look the other way then just organise someone to meet you with a bottle and get on with it?

Would it not be easier to organise support for yourself rather than shaming the PPA/commissaire into doubling as your support car?

I agree 100% about the afternoons - way better for the marriage to add a few miles to your afternoon commute than getting back home by car in the afternoon and then inform your tired wife surrounded by nagging children that you are now off again on a training ride while she is preparing dinner....

(I know its an old post) but curious what peeps on here thinks about commuting as training. I am kind of with your colleague that commuting is not great training, especially if you want to take your fitness to a next level. However at the times when commitment is wavering commuting really helps to just keep some base fitness levels going you can build on again later & I find it really helps to lose weight (more so than hard training when I tend to over-indulge afterwards because I'm super dehydrated & hungry!)

And if you are not in the first 3 or 4 groups that waterpoint at the bottom of Bothmaskloof is the perfect place to cause chaos & disharmony in your group by attacking when the rest stops for water 😝

I hear you, but I didn't grew up on a farm and some of those things are huge (and I swear sometimes they chase me...)

Time of the year I stay off the trails on the quiet times once the sun is out - its not as if you only run into just one of these things on a ride 😬