ROCKITRIDEIT

Racetec has him finishing 4th ahead of you? So did he even have the audacity to pass you when you dropped your chain?!?!

A break of 4 including mtb_roadie got away on oukaapse, we never saw them again. I'll leave it to mtb_roadie to give an account of their race. I was in the chase group which also got a lead over the main stars bunch on oukaapse, about 9 or so riders. We worked well enough over black hill and to simonstown, was very surprised that we never even got a sighter of the break 4 and that also a small group of the stars bunch had managed to bridge to us. Even tho there were still riders up the road there was a complete lack of enthusiasm for any of the new-joiners to do any work on the front!?! So we put the hammer down again on smits and broke things up a second time, and then pushed the pace thru scarboro, misty cliffs and down into kommetjie. On oukaapse a group of 3 managed to pull out a lead and blew it all apart, stars riders were falling by the wayside. I managed to keep pushing, flew down oukaapse and powered the 3 risers, finished 9th. It was a tough race, I felt a bit hacked off afterwards as I invested a lot into the race but got little reward, although the race commissaire did want to award me 2nd place as per the official results posted after the race

New PB and you still didn't win Luke? Tut tut, must try harder Good to meet you dude! And congrats on your result!

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thanks guys, 500m on a false flat is significant to know

Sitting in vida at constantia village reading this thread with interest and a big smile on my face. No tuna, no rice crackers, just a double macchiato and a muffin. Dale, glad you got down to the scene of the crime *ahem* and cleared all that up, can we expect to see a 1 hour special tomorrow at 7pm?

So we've established where the start is, but more importantly where is the finish? As you come past Peddlars up the rise and to the robots, do they take us left at the robot to the finish? Approximately how far from the robot to the finish line, anyone know? I got caught out last week by not knowing the finish and leading out downhill with 250 to go and got swamped on the line. Trying to avoid a repeat tomorrow. Thanks

WTF were we doing on that side of the track anyway?!!? The slow guy was perfectly within his rights to be riding where he was on the right-hand side.

glad to hear nothing serious, looked nasty from where i was sitting (which was near the back of the bunch swallowing blood)

E group 06:39 for me The loose saddle fiasco at Die Burger has cost me a couple of start groups

I'm guessing Killarney is a go this evening? My first of 2012, looks like 23C with a 30kph Southerly

1st place with 250 to go... Ended up 15th or so I reckon Got swamped!

We were always gonna be caught on Sunday after we had to sit up and neutralise racing after the marshall sent some of the bunch the wrong way at Ocean View

Cheers Spat, see you on Sunday dude! I think I may be a lot less vocal on Sunday and just opt straight for the headbutt Thanks for the racing advice guys, have an enjoyable 126km!!

It is against the rules for the bunch to hook a tow from any other PPA group or racing group that comes past *sigh*

I only have Mavic Cosmic Carbones, best I take the extra bottle

After running out of water the last 10kms of the Tour de PPA, I'm thinking of carrying an extra bottle in my back pocket for Sunday's race. Are any of you guys planning the same, or happy to stop at a water table and risk losing your bunch?

there will be 2 Think Bike marshalls accompanying the Stars group in Sunday's race well done PPA for taking affirmative action in this regard

I hear you Soggy, I really do. But the trouble, the vibe, the twitchyness...call it whatever you want...started on Boyes and permeated through the bunch...it set the scene for type of race we were in for. Flip half the Stars bunch didnt even know the route today and were happy to be directed by a numpty marshall the wrong way at Ocean View, I mean seriously guys get your sh*t together

From the ProClassic Series website http://www.proclassi...mmer%202012.pdf NEW! Stars in Training All male or female PPA members who want to improve and develop their racing skills as well as PPA seeding. These cyclists must have a PPA Seeding D – I. This group will start after the PPA (A – E) groups has started but before the official PPA F start group. The group will not have a Commissaire but only a Think Bike Marshal to keep an eye on the group.

Some blatantly disregard the rule. Others obey the rule because they appreciate the consequences of what may happen if they don't...and I don't mean disqualification from a funride

No marshall, no vehicle, nothing PPA / event organisers / ACA Joe League organisers have some answering to do, to leave a "rising stars" bunch with young inexperienced riders with no marshall or official present and then this happens

This was happening way too much in the Stars bunch today. where was our PPA Think Bike Marhsall?!?!? isn't that one of the "perks" of paying the league entry fee is that the racing bunch is controlled/monitored by the presence of a Bike Marshall? That is not to say that we shouldn't police ourselves, and a few of us did just that with some of the guys pulling ridiculous manouevres on the wrong side of the median white line, normally on descents, and then pulling left into the bunch at the first sign of oncoming traffic. Rider 855 from Mohammedeyah Club I told in no uncertain terms what I'd do to him if he pulled that move straight in front of me again. But how many times can you shout at okes?!? It gets tiring when all you want to do is concentrate on the racing....and then this accident happens. I was ahead of the accident in the Stars bunch so didn't see it, if the rider swerved across the median to avoid a crash then that is seriously bad luck and I hope he mends well....but too many times there were guys on the wrong side of the road, open roads, taking unnecessary risks so they could do what? shave a few seconds off their race time? improve their PPA seeding? What good is that when you're in hospital, or worse still..... *rant over*

THIS x 1000!!! as I rode up this morning I thought that intial steep section could cause some problems, and i envisaged the crunching of gears as okes panicked to change down. it then flattens out briefly around the left bend, before it ramps up in the middle section....horribly

I did a part-recce of the route this morning, rode from constantia to the start at Reddam, then over Boyes, Military Hill, Black Hill and Ou Kaapse in that order. Confirmed what I already feared, the Military climb is rather unpleasant.