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gtr1

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Posts posted by gtr1

  1. 7 hours ago, J Wakefield said:

    I was asked in Feb to join the Australian Team Staff for the Mixed TTT project and help out with the iTT for the event alongside the gentleman handling that. 

    As reference, the process, training, rider selection, data analysis, rider profile and meetings process over 6 odd months to get to the race day was really impressive. This is only for a Mixed TTT event. Yes, there were some limitations due to the even being the other side of the world but the protocols is how things should be within a federation, this is not about money as no money had been spent until the point of final team selection. 

    Yes sure money does then get into the picture as my flights, accommodation, day rate and prize money is paid for and being paid over from the results obtained but that is an add on from the pathway to there. 

    Being at the event and watching how this team of staff operate, was no different to being in UAE Team Emirates at any race. This also costs nothing to add structure and approach qualified and capable staff to execute their specific duties well. The costs then come after possibly as knowledge and skill does cost money. I understand this. 

    it can be done from CSA and there are staff around the world to fill these roles well but it will need to come from CSA and get them out their old way of doing things that I am sorry to say don't work. History has proven this. I am a South African in a Australian National team, when I asked why it was told simply I was the best person they felt for the job. Simple. So staff need to be qualified, not always a Nationality.

    To send an athlete just because is not right, Australia did not have a U23 male rider who could finish top 10 in the TT. They did not send them, they took some backlash as its the home country and there would be no major expense but they weren't there to just send someone who will fill a spot. I completely understood that. this is also how it should be done.

    When I saw the South Africans at the event, it does hit home, well for me it does and I did go over and say Hi whenever I could or add my small 2c in. It was great but to improve you have to be open to possible criticism and be open to and accept things are correct and make the changes. 

    Until that happens, nothing changes. 

    Sorry this landed up a long 2c. 



     

    John, its easy for CSA to just select riders and send them. They pay for everything themselves. So the only effort is putting a list of names on a piece of paper.

    I received an email a month ago to say well done, you have been selected as part of the SA team to compete at World Masters track champs. Never mind the champs were 1 month away in the USA. You would never get a visa in time. Never prepare in time unless you were already planning on going. 

    And the email is the end of it. No further correspondence about process, clothing, nothing. Up to the rider to contact them and arrange everything. International licenses, kit etc. And pay for everything.

    At least at Masters level no officials attend either 🙂 

  2. 21 hours ago, FootballingCyclist said:

    100%. 

    As of late (Past few months) he has been having a dig at CSA and how incompetent they are ( I think most agree anyway) and the selection panel and process used to select the team for World Champs. 

    In all honesty, After that video he posted after SA champs where he tried so hard to burn the medal but obviously never got it right, So chucked it in the bin (black bag) because of it's "poor quality" and because it had "SA Road and Para-cycling champs" on it, I'm not sure why he thinks CSA would select him fopr Worlds anyway. As far as I'm aware having been a sportsman my whole life and being snubbed of national team caps myself for reasons out of my control, At no stage is any sports board OBLIGED to select athletes. And you do yourself even more harm than good when you throw your toys like a little kid all over asocial media, then still expect those same people you just gaslit, to select you to represent them!! The oke has MAJOR issues.

    Totally agree. As a pro athlete he should set an example to the youngsters etc. And there is a decent way to handle situations. I think he was just pissed that a better rider klapped him on the day. With his actions as CSA I would never select him again. Never mind the question as to does he deserve to be there or not. It's more than just form. And anyhow, I think all the riders from SA at Worlds have more UCI points than him.

    Lost all respect for him the day he posted that Youtube video and stopped following him.

  3. 22 hours ago, FootballingCyclist said:

    Wonder when his court case against CSA starts and if he will also throw this medal in the bin/ ask the council workers to go dump it in the big Kimberley Hole(his words in an Insta rant because the medal had "SA road and para cycling champs" engraved on it) after trying to burn it 1st??

    Maybe he will win his appeal after the champs are finished 🙂

    Doesn't deserve to be at worlds with his attitude. Just my humble opinion.

  4. Just be careful. My niece was selling a laptop. All the same scamming that goes on here.

    But 1 guy actually sent a driver with cash. Arrived at night. 

    Gave a wad of cash. Top note real, the rest fake.

    Luckily they checked first. Unfortunately they didnt keep the real R100 note.

  5. I remember a story about an official arriving hours late for a training session. He was sightseeing. And he had the mechanic with him. So rider had to sit and wait, maybe even miss the session. Cant remember all the details.

    But usually the officials think its a holiday and treat it as such to the detriment of the athletes.

  6. 1 hour ago, Frosty said:

    The main VF/VG bunch got to Kyalami at 1h15 while the main ladies got there at 1h14. The ladies started 5 minutes behind them. So with a 4 minute gap, less the minute and bit Emma had, she would have been 2 mins behind the main VF/VG group that turned left onto the track; I can tell from friends in that group.

     

    Correct. And she exited with the group.

    Maybe the solution is, add the time gain of over 2 minutes to her finishing time, and see where she finishes the race then ????

    And ban the 'lead' car driver and occupents from ever fulfilling that role again.

    And send all the officials on social skills management and conflict resolution training ????

  7. 3 minutes ago, BikeisLife said:

    They left out the part where she went up next to the car and bike after this and asked if she was on the right route and they ensured her that everything was fine. 

    As well as the fact that once they all realised they had gone wrong, they just continued with the race and never said anything to anyone and made like it never happened !!!!!!!!!!!

    Everyone is making Emma out as the victim in this scenario, including herself, but she also played her part in the deception.

    And the part that everyone seems to miss is that her gap increased by 2 minutes due to the 'error'. This does not make her a winner, also considering in the end she was less than a minute ahead of Ash.

    Unfortunate situation......most definately. And many things could have been done better, and she could have been treated better, but I wonder how Emma would really feel if she stood on the winners podium knowing she had gained an unfair advantage due to the error.

    She had a 1 minute lead going into Kyalami. Over 3 minutes coming out. And won by 40 seconds. Do the maths.

    Would she have just taken the R200k and run ???? If that is the case, I hope that sits well with her amongst all the other mud slinging about who wronged her and treated her badly etc.

    The main culprit in all this is the lead car driver and occupents.

  8. 15 minutes ago, FondTF2 said:

    My last little rant on the Emma Pallant saga.

    As an elite rider you would think that she would of done a recon of the course etc. Yes the track may of not been available for recon but you would think that you would still familiarize yourself with the logistics of entry and exit.

    Case in point with the lead vehicle driver. As with the riders, they of all people you would think would be familiar with the course.

    What I do find strange is that there appears to be no other riders (racing vets) anywhere near to her when she enters the track? this could of possibly alleviated any confusion.

    A lesson for the organizers next year - put a barrier fence there so as to ensure no directional confusion/mishaps

     

    The VF/VG group entered before Emma. She probably couldnt see the group. Strange there were no stragglers between the bunch and her.The group caught her when she had climbed over the barrier and the Porsche had just done a uturn and they had just joined the correct route to exit Kyalami.

  9. 21 minutes ago, Spinnekop said:

    If more organisers would think like this.............Get CSA to run CSA race and the rest (us) fall under "Sportive" events with permanent race numbers that gets activated upon payment.

    Man one person at the gate and if a number passes the entry gate and it was not "paid" for the race all the bells and alarms must go off with an intercom shouting "thief thief thief"
    Or something like that.
     

    Make sure it's linked to your credit card. If scanned and shows not paid, they automatically bill you an entry with a penalty.

  10. 3 hours ago, Popit said:

    Sid , I hear what you are saying , however , Emma passed us ( Vets55 - 59 ) in the suburbs just befor Braam Fisher drive  , The next ladies only passed me ( I was dropped) at the very top of Jan Smuts .... No way they were catching her in the last 15km . 

     

    I think you have the wrong riders. The situation with Emma happened in Kyalami with the lead 55-59 bunch. We entered Kyalami ahead of her. That cone was in the same place, yet we all went left. No confusion. As we were about to exit the race track, she had just turned around in front of us and was getting going again. We were all surprised where she had come from, as she had never passed us, but was now racing next to, behind, in front of us. 

    She entered Kyalami with 1 minute 7 second gap. Exited with over 3 minute gap. Unfair advantage.

     

    Her fault ?? Possibly not. But unfair on the final race result, definately.

     

    When she went over the barrier, her, her team management, lead car etc, all knew they had gone wrong. Yet not 1 of them admitted the mistake, allowed the race to continue, and even accepted the win.  So is that right ?????  They hoped they had got away with it.

  11. On 7/7/2021 at 9:14 AM, Two Wheels Trading said:

    Hi Guys, just an update on these - we are expecting our first shipment around 9 September. We have opened up pre-orders on our website and your local dealer can also pre-book for you.

    the link to the rims on our website is here https://twowheelstrading.co.za/product-category/stans-mk4-rim-range/

    Maybe one day I can get an answer about upgrading my 'cracked around the nipples' rims ??????

    Especially seeing as they are the 3rd or 4th set !!!!

  12. Cois, just a comment my dad made many years ago. He had Chrones disease when nobody knew what it was, and dr's were experimenting all the time.

    At 1 point he was told to go on a diet as the only solution. The diet was to boil everything. Even meat. He asked how much longer would that make him live. The answer was....No idea.

    He said bugger that. he would rather die happy than eat boiled food for the next 20 years. He lived to just over 80. And probably longer than 20 years from when they wanted him to change diet.

    So sometimes common sense must prevail, and you still have to enjoy life. Otherwise what's the point ???

  13. Boycotted this event when they did away with age specific racing categories. So have a age group vets license and they then want you to ride in open seeded bunches. Logistics always made it an issue, and that change put the final nail in the coffin. And did they care ????? No.

    So they probably don't care now either. Speak with your wallet.

  14. Really, how much Kool-Aid did you drink?

     

    Lance (and his team) took the banned substance EPO and got away with it because the test for it didn't exist.

    Then his sources said a test had been developed and he moved onto bloodbags. Also illegal, but a test didn't exist.

     

    It wasnt that a test didnt exist. They just manipulated the system. The haematocrit level was 50, so they tested themselves to make sure they stayed just under the limit. And if necessary, squeezed a saline drip into their system just before a test to dilute the numbers.

  15. post-8018-0-98311600-1620722307_thumb.jpg

     

     

    I also still have my Livestrong band on my arm. I wear it as a reminder of all the cancer patients out there and the friends and family I've lost to cancer. 

     

    From the 1st time I put it over my wrist up until today, it has never ever been taken off. When I was still playing cricket and football I had to put tape over it to cover it up as it bulged when trying to put it under my glove straps, mainly for football though as it wasn't allowed as no accessories are. It's extremely thin now and stretched, everytime my 5yr old daughter pulls on it i get scared it's going to snap but hasn't as yet.(If anyone has a yellow Livestrong band laying about, Please let me know)

     

     

  16. So you have never been tested,.Then you are no different to anyone.

     

    Not sure what that has to do with anything, or what your point is ??

     

    Yes I have never been tested. Not a good thing in my opinion. Especially as I have won national titles, and won some major races, as well as competed in tours etc back in the day for the national team. Been to world champs.  So sad state of affairs for doping that I have never been tested. But at the same time, I am still cautious as to any meds I ever take. Because i know my luck. The 1 day I take something without checking, will be the day I have my 1st dope test.

     

    But I have also been witness to doping taking place and being swept under the carpet for well known athletes. Probably not to damage the image of the sport. So I have also been on the receiving end of competing against people that have doped.

     

    So my point is, if I can be cautious, then no excuse for any elite athlete, or any athlete, especially as the tools to check are simple and available.

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