Skubarra

Think the main issue with the previous system is that it was expensive to set up and use. Racetec was much more expensive than other timing companies and losing out on a lot of business. Also the database software behind the system was very outdated and again would have been expensive to rebuild, hence the decision to go with finishtime rather than rebuilding the whole racetec business. But yes, agree 100% Can't say I have seen any improvement other than that initial results are available quicker.

New seedings should be done by early next week at the latest (in time for the 99er seeding) Unless the system is now broken...

https://results.finishtime.co.za/results.aspx?CId=35&RId=4364 Screenshot (before I get accused of drawing conclusions on anecdotes 🔥🔥)

The results are updated with the starting group info. I see Group C had a lekker coffee ride, slower than the winners of D, F & G.... 😘

Agree - not a fan of the new route. But I guess the fact that its easier makes it more attractive to the more social riders.

Anecdotal, eish. Going to have to agree to disagree on this before we bore hubbers to death. If the bad weather trend turns around I am happy to change my mind on entering early.

Around the Pot is in the middle of the rain season and has a been affected by rain multiple times in the past, I don't quite get why stating there there is a risk of a mud fest is so controversial for you? Yes I am ignoring the covid years because I cannot comment on the weather of events that never happened. 2018 I was there, muddy & wet conditions initially but got better later as the sun came out. I might lose out on an entry or have to pay extra if I leave entering very late, no problem with that.

100% what I am planning to do 👍

Yeah thanks for the stats lesson 👍, this is what I based my opinion on 2023 - Cancelled because of storms 2022 - Mudfest 2021 - COVID so ignore 2020 - COVID so ignore 2019 - Mud 2018 - OKish - some mud after heavy rains during the week 2017 - Decent weather afaik

I am keen to do this event again, although I don't think I am far from wrong if I say in the last few years just every single RTP edition was a mud fest due to rain during the week or on the day (ignoring the cancelled one that caused this thread). Purely based on that I am quite happy to wait it out until I have a good idea of what the weather predictions are and then do a last minute substitution or late entry. Think a few people will do that, which is just the risk the organisers will have to live with when using that timeslot.

Respect your decision to boycott the event but this is harsh. A forecast is just that, a prediction, the organisers & you will only know the actual weather on the day of the event. And even then you don't know exactly how it will unfold on the day. What would happen if the organiser cancel few days before the event and weather turns out fine? Also costs are not incurred just on the day of the event, whether the organiser cancels a week before or on the day will make very little difference re costs. As @Danger Dassie pointed out the reality is that we as participants take on some of the risk that events can get cancelled, that is true for all events not just RTP. Only way to completely avoid it is to stop entering events.

David Bellairs, from cycle tour?

Just for context - what was promised last year? Edit - Ok I see you answered that The organisers would have had a lot of upfront expenses to cover last year even though the event didn't happen, so I don't think free entries to 2023 entrants would have been affordable to them But also don't have a feel for what a fair discount would be (to both parties)?

No easy fix to that, sure some interval training should help? And getting older doesn't help (speaking for myself) Worth saying is 9 times out of 10 the pace slows down once you hit the open roads so its worth holding on while bleeding through your ears for the 1st few kilometers because the suffering should be over soon & as mentioned on the thread the Wellington race bunch start is dodgier than most, no shame in choosing life over racing position.

Race tactics 😛 After that slowdown the first riders of D went over Botmas just a minute slower than the A main bunch and faster than most in B (if you can believe Strava)

Those youngsters in F were crazy fast, we were Zone 2'ing in D when they caught us just before Bothmas. Few of us crested with them and we ended up passing most of C and even catching a bunch of B riders just before the finish.

Great idea!

Just my wording - there is not an official gravel season, but Im not aware of any major gravel events in the WC between Jan and April

At some point they will update Racetec and you will be able to see the starting groups also (but wont be able to filter them). A a step backwards, hope its something they can fix before the CTCT

Bad communication from WP Cycling but the gravel events that could potentially be WP league races only start end of April / early May so no need to panic just yet? Will hopefully be announced after the CTCT/Epic before gravel season starts

Almost 53K on my Giant XTC hardtail, big chunks of it were trails, but nowadays mostly easy commuting miles. And then almost 44K on my cheapie silverback roadbike, now just a backup bike but hanging on to it to convert to an indoor trainer at a later stage.

Surely way nicer the other way around...

Just to clarify my own point, yes there are some gravel roads around Durbanville, Stellenbosch, Melkbos - but in my biased opinion they are pretty mundane, boring and broken up by long also boring tar stretches. If I was travelling from overseas specifically to do gravel the towns just outside Cape Town would not be my first choice, I would go further out

On the morning of the race the predicted max weather for Oudtshoorn was 43 degrees, Attakwaskloof would typically be a few degrees hotter. Make sense that the 50s we saw on our Garmins could have been overstated, but definitely the heat in the kloof was at least in the mid-40s. There was virtually no wind on the coastal side of the kloof so even that would have been in the lower 40s

You might have missed this part of the marketing blurb + the fact that it is now an established Epic prep race, I don't see organisers moving the date unless entry numbers take a series dip