Bub Marley

Also, what happened to the tail wind as per forecast😂. Jislaaik that Chappies descent was hard work.

I did 3:01 so just missed out as well. Gutted but still a big jump from my previous best of 3:25. Yeah & was freaking sketchy as hell. Luckily everyone seemed to stay upright. I rode well but I know where I need to be better and where I lost my sub 3. That descent after Smits just absolutely killed me. As a 58kg/1.65m ride I really struggled to hold onto the bunch. Seemed like raw power was just king there and I just burnt so many matches. Lots of things to learn but I think positioning is so important. I started midpack in the bunch and just found it so hard to move up towards the front. Lack of space and the main difference here compared to the seeded groups, is that everyone just fights for position. Further back people just allow you to pass whereas here you need to to force yourself through. Lots of stuff to work on for future tours but still super happy with my performance. Sucks to miss out by 1 min but it is what it is. Also…my freaking computer mount cracked which caused my whole computer to pop out by kommetjie. Road was terrible there and I think went straight into a pothole or something. If anyone picked up a Bryton computer, long shot I know, let me know. Pretty sure it’s smashed into pieces though.

#rybietjieslim

Giro aether selling for 3k. Retail is 7k. That’s the biggest bargain at the expo.

Yeah, nothing better than listening to Gerald de Kock for 5 hours.

I agree with this. Also, they have emailed every rider in those first groups warning them about the dangers and they have also warned everyone about the cones, about the cateyes etc. If you still ride like a knob and cause an accident then you are just a knob end of story.

It looks like it’s part of the action photo stickers. So i assume only put it on if you want photos.

I got niknaks in my bag.

It’s not gonna change much till Sunday so I would just prepare myself for that forecast. That’s pretty standard Cape weather as well. At least the second half will be lekker fast with that tailwind. Enjoy your race. Just some advice here in terms of danger spots. I would focus on 2 areas - Hospital bend right at the beginning is always a dangerous descent. It’s short but super fast. The descent after Smitswinkel. Especially with that forecast, the descent is always fast but will be even faster with that tailwind. You can easily hit speeds of over 80kmh on that stretch and it’s a pretty long stretch as well so just be careful there.

Can someone comment on the actual state of the trails? Hopefully they are rideable.

Out of interest, how was the numbers this year compared to last year. I enjoyed the weekend format and was considering doing it until they opted for a longer format once again which made it impossible for me.

So basically they introduced the shorter route because of dwindling numbers. Now the numbers are back up again and it’s screwed everything up.

So what’s changed then? Why are they cramming 400 people in when that wasn’t the case before? Have they changed the way the seeding process at all or still the same formula?

The group was bigger than 280 before the PPA race.

What irks me more is the fact that we have to put that stupid handlebar board on when we have tag already on our seat post. Why not just give us a sticker to put on that same mount. Honestly thought we were finally done with that thing this year.

You seem way too upset about this. If people were “gifted” a higher starting group then surely these same people will be dropped before Edinburgh anyway. Also, the entries for the Tour de PPA were way less than Winelands or 99er so its not like we are adding an additional 200 people. The group is was already large from the get go. We’re probably adding what 20-30 extra people. Out of interest, how big were the front groups back when he had around 30K entrants? Pretty sure it would have been this size back then anyway. It’s just the last 5 or so years where we had a rapid decline in numbers which meant smaller groups. To me it seems we are back or at at least close to pre-covid numbers. If that’s the case, then ofcourse groups are going to be larger. That 300-400 number per group seems standard all the way down. The only way to reduce this, is to create more groups which means even later start times for some people. You can’t please everyone unfortunately.

Are supersport broadcasting strade bianche?

I use the RC lites as well and im pretty satisfied with them.

It is now. just received confirmation of my start group and time.

I was in C as well but don’t recall any crashes in our bunch so I assume it’s because i was more towards the front. I think positioning in bunches is pretty important. Your awareness of riders around you is pretty important as well. Sometimes it’s just bad luck but I always find that if you are towards the front, you always seem to avoid crashes. It also allows you to accelerate when the bunch accelerates. I think a lot of accidents also happen because of that elastic effect. Riders lose a wheel and then either swerve all over the place trying to close a gap but they’re so fatigued or they don’t close the gap and the rider from behind needs to then come around which can also cause mayhem. I would say though that it’s pretty easy to watch fellow riders and get an immediate gauge of there fitness, skill level and just basic awareness. When I spot someone that i feel is riding terribly, I just avoid riding anywhere close that person. And then while we’re on the topic of bunch etiquette. My biggest gripe are slower rides on inclines not moving over to the left. It frustrates me to no end. If you know that you’re not the strongest up a hill, just move to the left and let the faster guys come through. You’ll probably still be in touch with the group when you hit the top. This is one of the main reasons why cyclists are forced to go onto oncoming traffic lanes.

You should be able to still ride in your seeded group even if you entered via Charity. Unless of course you want to ride with the charity group.

It says the start group on Racetec website.

Well after the PPA race, my seeding has now jumped to 11 and Im in the & group for the Argus.

I think conditions were pleasant today. There was definitely some wind but now where near the same as 99er. I don’t agree with how they seeded it though. It definitely was not as easy as what that coefficient says it was. The racing was full gas as well compared to 99er which I felt was more rustig.

Bumped down? Never heard of that ever happening.