flymango

52km and 30km sold out. Suggest you enter online. No late entries. That leaves the 78km and 15km. That's what makes this event special. Numbers are known ahead of time, and organisers plan accordingly.

Seriously impressive pic!!!

This thread is truly inspiring and a reminder of what cycling is all about. Makes me jealous, keeps me motivated and gives me bragging rights, all at the same time. Love it! "Because we can".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TGAI8g8UIo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1wq9H9M8KQ

Unfortunately, I wish your theory was correct, because at least it suggests that somebody is in control. But the reality is that nobody is in control, and unit trips and outages are now a function of luck and the laws of physics. Each passing day, week and month without load shedding for the next [<insert>] years, will be a miracle. We are in deeper trouble than even the politicians understand. And I'm not even asking whether Eskom financially remains a going concern!

Stage 3 on a Saturday!! I hope for better days, but fear for the worst. And will Eskom be a going concern in 2 week's time? 31 March is financial year-end. And NUMSA's strike against unbundling and IPP's in early May could get very ugly too.

RIP Bennie

https://simpleflying.com/air-france-a380-engine-failure/ How many engine incidents have there been with the A380 since entering into service? Does seem like a lot.

Flew on a BA flight operated by Global Aviation last week. An Airbus A320. Very pleasant experience with the Global Aviation crew. Didn't know BA's domestic arrangement extended beyond Comair.

Eskom's day zero of 31 March 2019 is fast approaching. That's Eskom's financial year-end. An independent auditor is going to have to put its hand on its heart and either declare Eskom a going concern, or not. Excessive primary energy and manpower costs aside, Eskom's financial problems are now mathematical, as interest during construction (IDC) compounds out of control due to the massive project overruns and delays. Then, let's not even mention the design flaws at Medupi or Kusile or the low availabilities of existing coal plant, which are not expected to recover anytime soon. And then the two elephants in the room - wet coal from rain, and compliance with Minimum Emission Standards (MES). Expect more regular load shedding and of longer duration, until new capacity is brought online - whenever and whatever that might be. It could last a decade from now! Whilst we all await the much anticipated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) update ...

Folks. Don't underestimate the severity of this problem! Eskom is technically broken and financially on the brink of insolvency. It's a double-edged sword which will cut the country up into pieces - either way.

RIP

And Patrick could pen it for us in one of his weekly write-ups to ensure correctness and coverage.

Honestly, I would have advocated the opposite, as I would have thought that the one who has the easiest option to resume cycling should give way, i.e. the person descending. Is this your opinion, or a rule on the trails?

Please enlighten me. On the new Contermans Meerendal corridor, who has right of way? Those ascending or descending?

Maybe over the very low demand period during the summer holidays, but once industry fires up in the New Year, it will become critical. And only then does the coal supply challenge come into play. Now we're dealing with failing plant, and it will become harder and harder to achieve the availability factors required to ensure security of supply. Expect load shedding to become more frequent and at higher levels into the early parts of the next decade. It is a very scary situation.

John Lee Special at the Spur

I would like to say thank you to the committee and secretariat who selflessly give their time in managing the affairs of TMTBC. Thank you to Patrick and his team of trail builders, who toil throughout the year in extreme weather conditions so that I can ride my bike on a network of connected trails so vast and varied, that I wouldn't be able to ride them all continuously in 24 hours. And the biggest thank you of all, goes to the landowners who open their gates and allow us access to their private land. Without them, I wouldn't have the privilege of cycling safely in some of the most beautiful settings I've had the pleasure of riding in. I will be renewing my membership fees for next year with a smile.

Enough of the Cheetahs already. Now we can focus on the Bokke!

As was predicted, the Cheetahs currently lack the depth and budget to field two competitive teams in two premier competitions at the same time. But given the proximity to successful junior teams and the wealth of coaching knowledge, I'm hoping there's an opportunity to retain young talent and just as importantly attract emerging talent. This was year one of the experiment. It will take another season or two to gain some momentum. The Union needs the revenues from both competitions if they want to retain and attract talent.

Good point. But if, for example, you come through the Grey (school), Shimlas (Varsity Cup) and Cheetahs (Currie Cup) sausage machine by age 23, chances are you will be bought by another province for Super Rugby and then possible Springbok selection. But if the sausage machine stops before Currie Cup, chances are the sausage machine will no longer be the feeder it used to be for SA rugby. I really do hope the Cheetahs win tonight - nothing against SWD Eagles.

Hangover from culling Cheetahs out of Super Rugby to accommodate a Japanese team. And the obsession of wanting to include Kings in Super Rugby too, at the time. So they both had to go as a compromise. Irony is that both EP and FS have excellent schoolboy rugby feeder systems, only for the stronger unions and now even foreign clubs to poach the talent. A change of the guard, and yes, farcical.

First I have to worry about my poor Cheetahs playing their Currie Cup promotion/relegation match on Tues at 18h00 versus SWD Eagles.

Visually versus the TMO's rule book, I don't understand the forward pass. Hand position, front of hand, etc. What I do know, is that a forward pass was one of my biggest ever emotional turn-arounds in sport in one second, eclipsed only by the Klusner Donald run out. I'm taking about Helgard Muller's forward pass to Jan Harm van Wyk in the 1997 Currie Cup Final between WP and Cheetahs at Newlands. See below at 11.25. What a classic final - some legends of the game in both teams.