The Good.... 1. The upgrades at Jolivet - amazing!! 2. Beautiful route and participants 3 The guy at the Amped stand who helped to charge my phone when all other power points were turned off at 6am 4. The staff and gogo at Jolivet who helped me find a point to plug in my hairdryer (yes I took one. 3 hours to naturally dry a woman's long hair results in illlness in that night cold otherwise). The staff sing off at Jolivet at the start of day 3. 5. The amazing women that I met in the bathroom banter whom I still bump into in Jhb. The Bad and the Ugly... 1. I didn't get kit as I was a fill in rider, but I can say that it was "uuuuuuugggggly". Saw the women's kit going from Barbie bubble bath pink from previous years to some colour of a faded sun tinted doillie. It all looked generally like it came from China Mall. 2. Kids begging for chocolates. 3. This is not a cheap event to enter, regardless of what we as riders get out of it. An upfront payment literally a month after completeing the race has a tendency to leave a bitter taste in some of our mouths, and seems to follow a general SA trend for the majority of races now...money - bleed the riders dry, they will pay for their love of the sport. A non-refundable deposit upfront and full payment 3 months later would actually be nicer in order for us to recover from the initial cost outlay of getting there, getting geared up, servicing bikes etc. Afterall, surely the costs from Sponsors should allow for the upfront planning and logistics for the event for the next year? 4. No eggs for breakfast on day 3. 5. Coffee voucher.
