Coronation Double Century - 26 November

[SeaBee]

Was my first, thoroughly enjoyed it, even if our team's plans went out the window in about 200m in the klofie between Montagu and Ashton.

 

Two gripes on my side. Support vehicles all over the show! Some forced you to pass on the right, then the next one was so far to the right, you had to accelerate and duck left, then repeat. I was personally twice nearly taken out by support vehicles just drifting into the yellow lane without warning - or usage of their mirrors!

 

Feeding... CYCLISTS: Park off the road and remain there until safe! FFS, don't just stroll into the road without as much as looking up!

 

Good things! Awesome race, great atmosphere and organisation was good. Lots of good humor along the way. Teams did not mind if I joined them (solo'd the last bit... ) for a bit - thanks guys!

 

And a special mention must go to the EMC support team! We arrived and waited for some guys, by accident stopping next to their support vehicle. One of our guys was low on water and asked whether they just have a bit - and they promptly proceeded to fill all our water bottles with ice cold water - and ice! Brilliant, guys, that's what I thought is the spirit of this race! And again, thanks a lot...

 

What a great event - can't wait for my next one!

[Eugene Oppelt]

Hi Dale

I just did my 1st DC - problem was that i was only asked +-40 hours before the race to join. It went well; it is a great race!! We finished with all 12 starters - for the last 80km we had to push the one guy and a 2nd guy started cramping 20km before the finish; 3rd guy started cramping at the finish, but we got them all to the finish!!

The team is key - so when you do it, rather go with a smart and steady social team then with "Team GoGoGo" because it will get ugly and they can turn into "Team Standstill".

I ate low GI up to km: 175.

And (quoting RodneyD): ". . . it's all in the mind . . . until you start to cramp . . . and then it is all in the legs. . ."

Dale - do it soon but make sure you have fun! It is a very special event!

Thanx for the dedicated note, man.

The last time I saw you was on a Burger course ride in 2010.

 

Sounds like magic to me.

[Domestiquehated]

Anyone know where I can find race pics (apart from ActionPhoto and Facebook)? Previous years some people posted on Flickr, etc... Would so love to have a picture of our team (90)...

[TNT1]

ElRidge is 5.30am SATURDAY

 

Dammit.

[American Flyers]

I loved this race and the only problem is that we have to wait for the whole year for the the next one...

[Domestiquehated]

And yes Niner, there is a big difference between the top teams and the more social riders. As a fun rider I think of it as an honour to be able to ride alongside many of the country's top riders - and yes they do have bike handling abilities I do not posess. I for one don't want the event split into 2 races just so that a couple of rule obsessed individuals can have everything perfectly neat and tidy in their limited world views. Whatever... As others have said: ride more, whinge less.

 

Moving on to more important issues: Congrats to everyone involved in the organisation for improving the formula re the seeding. My only suggestion is that there should be a clear process to follow to resolve disputes rapidly so that the top teams can be given their moment of glory on the podium. The main congestion seems to me on the Montague to Ashton strech and I imagine that some additional tweaking of the seeding order could help to offset this somewhat.

 

Probably my favourite event on the calendar.

[stratus5]

that a couple of rule obsessed individuals can have everything perfectly neat and tidy in their limited world views. Whatever... As others have said: ride more, whinge less.

 

 

I think you would have to agree that where teams break rules that jeapordise the future running of this event they should be censured?

 

Why have any rules if you can cherry pick them? I might choose a differnt rule to break, like getting towed by the team car.

 

Ah, cherry picking the rules, reminds me of another thread LOL.

[splat]

That was my 7th DC and probably one of my most enjoyable.

Apart from one puncture, we had no incidents.

 

I know of at least 2 other teams that had crashes and last year we had 8 punctures.

And we were VERY lucky with the weather! That wind came through soon after we finished and that rain just poured and poured for hours!

 

The organisation at the start and finish was great and marshalling around the course was good too.

There were several 'Think Bikes' patrolling the course keeping the riders and motorist under control - a difficult job!

 

I think the behaviour of most of the support vehicles was better this year. There is always the odd idiot here and there who ignores the rules and everyone else around them.

The feedbag story has one drawback and that is littering on the course. I am interested to know if anyone went back to pick up the bags and discarded bottles, and tin foil etc.

 

Looking forward to next year!

[small h]

 

snip

 

Two gripes on my side. Support vehicles all over the show! Some forced you to pass on the right, then the next one was so far to the right, you had to accelerate and duck left, then repeat. I was personally twice nearly taken out by support vehicles just drifting into the yellow lane without warning - or usage of their mirrors!

 

Feeding... CYCLISTS: Park off the road and remain there until safe! FFS, don't just stroll into the road without as much as looking up!

 

snip

 

 

I was part of a support team this year - 2nd year attending DC as spectator, 1st as support. I quite enjoyed they day, but......

 

The general behaviour of the support vehicles was atrocious! But I do believe that feedback from some cyclists proved that it was better than the year before! There was a "uit-k@k" session (due to last year's behaviour) as briefing of the support vehicles where many people apparently got up and walked out....... I guess one could take a guess and say it's those people that misbehaved on the road?

 

It was quite scary seeing how some of the vehicles were racing as if it was their personal race. And like you say, some so far over the white line. We were trying our best to behave and give the best possible passing space to the cyclists, but as soon as we would move to the left to let a group past, the vehicles behind us would swoop in next to us making it ridiculously dangerous for cyclists to go past into oncoming traffic! (of which there was THANKFULLY very few cars oncoming!) or leaving the cyclists to pick a path weaving through the vehicles....

 

What further pissed us off was that support vehicles would, like you say, not pull off the road. So we would give way, and the next moment have to stop dead because there's some special person with their vehicle in the yellow lane (and cyclists climbing back onto their bikes all over the place) and then we can't move back into the road because of cyclists / other support vehicles being right next to us

 

And not to mention the idiots feeding on the descents..... or driving 2 abreast with their vehicles...... and then don't even get me started on some teams having idiots hanging halfway out the vehicle, driving halfway over the white line, just to take photos of their team - ignoring the marshals telling them to move over Surely the marshals should have done more to these types of guys?

 

And I can give you team names and shame them here, but that's not the point. If everybody would just abide by the rules (which I'm sure are there for safety reasons and not because somebody thought it would be fun) more cyclists would enjoy the race

[Thornman]

That was my 7th DC and probably one of my most enjoyable.

Apart from one puncture, we had no incidents.

 

I know of at least 2 other teams that had crashes and last year we had 8 punctures.

And we were VERY lucky with the weather! That wind came through soon after we finished and that rain just poured and poured for hours!

 

The organisation at the start and finish was great and marshalling around the course was good too.

There were several 'Think Bikes' patrolling the course keeping the riders and motorist under control - a difficult job!

 

I think the behaviour of most of the support vehicles was better this year. There is always the odd idiot here and there who ignores the rules and everyone else around them.

The feedbag story has one drawback and that is littering on the course. I am interested to know if anyone went back to pick up the bags and discarded bottles, and tin foil etc.

 

Looking forward to next year!

 

By ons het almal hulle lee bottels ens. terug in die feeding bag gesit en almal dit op dieselfde plek gedrop, die back-up het gestop sakke opgetel en weer gebruik vir die volgende feeding point.

[ndupisani]

Does anyone know how many teams did the DC on mountain bikes?

[small h]

Does anyone know how many teams did the DC on mountain bikes?

 

 

I definitely saw 2 teams - can't recall the names now, but one was a red and white jersey team and another a blue jersey team

[majestic]

I definitely saw 2 teams - can't recall the names now, but one was a red and white jersey team and another a blue jersey team

I saw team 7 reeds.

[Hearts*]

It was my teams 1st DC for all our riders...we started the day with 8 riders which was always going to be a tough day...

The 8th rider was a Swellendam local who contacted the team captain the Friday since the vibe in the town has urged him to take on the challenger again, he has completed 2 DC's before...he however didn't train and I don't think aimed to finish the route...

Our problems started in the starting blocks when our first rider had a flat, 1km later a 2nd flat...you then know its going to be a long day in the saddle...

After Tradouw pass out 1st weak link fell off, he was suppose to be a work horse for the 1st 100km and then he could of retired...it was not to be

Our supposed strongest rider was in poor form on the day and struggled with knee problems at 63km...at this stage we were 6 riding together with the Swellendam local attacking the route and we never saw him again...We started to get worried since we were only 6 left and tried phoning him with no luck, but continued nursing our injured rider...After Ashton our rider became worse and we phoned the local again and he answered which was good news, but it turned out he phoned his wife to pick him up along the route...now we were only 6 on the road with 1 seriously injured rider, but we continued...

After the traffic circle in Robertson turning left into the wind he pulled a calf and nursed it to get back on the bike and continued until 180km when medics told him both his ITB's are messed and he had to withdraw...All this nursing and stopping caused us to cut it fine on cut-off and we decided to call it quits after 185km on the bike for over 9:30hrs...

All in all still a very fun day and I would definately do it next year with a full team of 12...It seems the bicycling 12week program worked well for me, as I had no cramps and pulled the team 80% of the way...

[ndupisani]

I definitely saw 2 teams - can't recall the names now, but one was a red and white jersey team and another a blue jersey team

I was in the Reeds MTB team (Team 7), but I was wondering how many other crazy Mountain bikers are out there. It was a most enjoyable day on the bike, but a long day on a mountain bike. Will do it again!

[SeaBee]

Blue jersey team was Jaffe's - great bunch of guys and met and chatted several times along the way!

 

small h: yeah, I have a couple of vehicles that I noticed to be "repeat offenders" - I don't feel like pointing fingers after what was all in all an enjoyable day. Several vehicles with whom I rode next to and could share a quick comment and joke around. (Still... nobody wanted to give me a beer or coffee on the way up Op de Tradouw - shame on them all! )