Lucky Luke.

Thanks, but I didn't appreciate what happened after that DC and paid no attention to any of the DQ's and bitch fighting. Even during the race there were a couple of unnecessary interactions between our team and other riders that I would prefer to forget.

Nope, we were 4th in 2011 - we started pretty late and the winners started after us. But yes, surely the only sensible format is to start the fast teams first. However, I can see that for the very slow teams, and for the organisers, this could cause a problem due to the very late finish times / extreme heat etc. In which case, one solution would be to limit the support vehicles to say 20 seeded racing teams across all cats - open, mixed, 12 man prize etc. Start those 20 seeded racing teams early, fastest team first, and thereafter proceed with your reverse order start times - slowest team first, fastest non-seeded team last, with no support vehicles for the remaining 300 odd teams. Support vehicles are usually a pro / elite team luxury, and this race should be no different, especially given the problems we see every year. My wife will be delighted to hear she doesn't have to do it ever again. The organisers could collect say three hampers per team to be placed at three designated team rest areas across the course. Say, top of Op da Tradouw, at Ashton or Montague, and another one at Bonnievale. These hampers would need to be dropped off the night before or super early on the morning of the event to get to their destination in time for the first teams coming through. Problem solved.

Driving your Range Rover / Fartuner to the trail is also a great justification for owning a moonlander-sized vehicle. You can safely explain the scuffs on your rear bumper by saying you hit a low-lying treestump, rather than admit there was an Atos at Pick n' Pay that fell below the line of sight.

This team was trying to win the event, and break the course record, and they spent a lot of time and money on achieving this. You wouldn't expect the pros in $ to start the Argus at 10am and have them to ride around groups A through ZZ, slowing down when necessary to allow for oncoming traffic. This is the situation we have. If they can't resolve the issues with the racing teams they should scrap the prizes and concede that what they have is a funride. They've already put a compulsory picnic in the middle of the event.

No, not even remotely the same.

I think the problem here is two conflicting goals - staying safe and breaking the course record. Thornman and his team did well to break it considering the many obstacles on the way.

Ja me too, except when I am out for a run with the pooch. What about that one they put at vic falls - cleared those messy bushes right up. I suppose they will tell us it is good for conservation, just like that wonderful yank pastime, canned hunting.

Wonderful game - my dog loves it. We are regulars at Clovelly. I don't play but she has almost got a hole in one a couple of times. She gets her arse perfectly positioned, but there's no-one to remove that stupid flag.

LA mythology enters the thread. **** just got real yo

The team with the best trackstand up Tradouw will take it!

Surely Golf is far better suited to corporate networking. You are tended to by lackeys who chauffeur you around and do everything but take your shot for you, in the middle of a colonised piece of natural environment, which has had all the character drained out of it in order to make it suitable for those who can afford it, to enjoy the fresh air whilst playing with their balls.

So if you want to win the DC, all you need to is get the worst seeding, stay left of the center line for the whole route, and film every other team as they come past. Hey presto - Gold medals all round!

I see the usual DC flurry of objections / handbag-slinging borefest has begun. The solution - as suggested - is surely to fix the start times. Send the fast guys first, or just much earlier. Around km 140, our DC turned into something similar to the Argus minus the road closure. A bazillion teams all bunched together, with traffic, including 18 wheelers, trying to get through in both directions, and support vehicles without a qualified stuntman at the wheel were lost miles down the road never to be seen again.

Which other shops did you visit, and did you also like them?

The debate rages on, 5,000,000 words and counting. Great to see such a thorough exploration of the pros and cons. Next time I ride I will definitely read the full thread before deciding whether to ride on the correct or incorrect side of the road. Lets make this a sticky?

right side - 2d or not 2d? That is the question.

No wonder the motorists hate us. Name and shame I say!

This could be down to the fact that the vast majority of cyclists are not riding on the wrong side of the road. If you do choose to ride there, I would definitely leave the kids at home, make sure your life insurance premiums are paid up, and prepare to have your username changed posthumously to 2dclaude.

David George are not even welcome to pump up my tyres in his new bike shop.

is this a really short IQ test?

I cycled round London for about six years. I had near misses more than once a week, sometimes more than one a day. Plenty more dangerous than here - mostly due to the huge volume of traffic on the road. I also had bikes stolen - locked up ones - roughly every 3-6 months. The last one was taken from the central reservation in Oxford Street, during Christmas shopping. I thought things had improved due to the increase in cyclists and congestion charging, but it seems not.

makes sense, delivery bike probably lighter than a dogma

An arse who trains and an arse who watches TV - I don't get the distinction? Lance's arse was treated fair and square by USADA, and if not, he had ample opportunity, legal council and funds (at the time) to challenge their judgement in court. He chose not to do this. Instead he whines about the injustice to Oprah Winfrey and anyone else who will listen. On the tv. Whilst the other arses are out training. http://www.cycling.tv/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=20300&ATCLID=209306942

Even WADA is now bored with LA. They're here at the conference in Jozi and the word is that LA is no longer a person of interest for them. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wada-lance-armstrong-would-need-a-miracle-to-compete-again

Great thread! Thanks to the OP for this public service announcement. Plebian hordes, your notice has been served. I feel certain the red carpet will be out for all of us part-time pros from now on.