simon davenall

The race organizers do these events to make money and for the love of the sport. The issue with mass participation races is you need large numbers to get in large money and the costs are so exorbitant as you need to provide so many things to get approval from the local offices of government to local office of CSA. With certain traffic departments making a killing with their fees and your entry platform and timing and race official fee’s race organizers cannot put on a race for small numbers. You now need to relook at every expense and sit down with providers and get the best value for money but not at the expense of safety. Race organizers need to think out the box and rethink their tradition way of doing races and from local government, to CSA need to work with us. We literally need to pick up what is left and move forward and in doing so get the backing and understanding of everyone in the event. From service providers to government and traffic police included. Then everyone will know what a mission it is to put a race on and that some of us put an event on for the love of the sport. Watch this space. 30th and 31st October www.germistonclassic.co.za. A new era of racing. From cyclists for cyclists. Hope to see you there roadies.

What a race. Mass confusion at the start regarding the batches and running late did not help. must be my fastest race start section ever. Glad it never went thru Vervoedpark, and Alberton with that size A bunch. Don't know why the bunch was so large and I think there were so riders that would of been in the later bunches at other races thrown into the A bunch. I'm glad the guys spent 13hrs the day before marking the route and filling the potholes otherwise. I might need new wheels at least this week had I hit a pothole at those speeds. Way too much yoyo in the bunch. I felt sorry for the guys that tried to make a break but did not succeed but they got it right coming onto the highway and putting the gutter into the cones. It's racing and I knew it was going to happen but way too dangerous having an open highway and bunch racing with mass participation race where you are passing riders on the highway. That was the scariest 12km of my life tying to dodge the cones. I touched 3 cones and flattened one at full tilt. Glad Road Ranges were there looking after us. The finish was great but too many participants never received times. Maybe it was an issue with the mats, position of them. I hope they correct it. I really wanted to do that race and I have done it. Will I be back, no thanks its just too dangerous. I hope the people that crashed have a speedy recovery. Enjoy the ride, even if its just for coffee.