[Event] Tour De PPA

['Dale]

Touristvisa and TinyK, sorry I missed you guys! I'm like that - I zone out completely. I couldn't tell you any of the bikes or kits I was with or anything we passed (except the cows and horses - I always say "hello cows! hello horses!"). 'Dale, sorry I missed the Cobra warm-up., I only got your PM this year.

 

Sweet, man.

 

Or shall I say, "S W E A T, man" after yesterday's hot one.

Edited January 16, 2012 by ' Dale

['Dale]

Rock racing jersey on a red and white CIOCC....... I was the crazy dude to break with 8km to go...... after the guy on the silver Bianchi who we reeled in quite quickly.

 

This bike

 

@ Tiny K,

 

With your splendid breakaway effort yesterday, the bunch will now probably mark the red Ciocc.

So, be sure to surprize them next time.

 

*wink, wink*

Edited January 16, 2012 by ' Dale

[nuge]

ok, yesterday was my turn to lose something along the route - my cycle computer popped off the handlebar mount as we were going past the paardeberg prison. if anyone picked up a sigma 1606 please let me know.

 

and yes, i know it's a serious long shot. i drove back along the route afterwards to no avail. i've also already mailed the PPA.

 

cheers

[Tiny K]

you had a B number? well done man, you looked really strong going away there, pity they caught you!

reason I am asking is that I felt I also did a lot of work in the front, especially section from paarl to fruitselllers. And then at the end the group dropped me, mostly the people sitting wheel all day. But only my 4th road race so still learning the tactics and will get there. I also did a hard road ride saturday and I think it caught up with me at the end. Was a fun and well organised event, see you at the next race!

 

Yiip, that was me Yeah, up to Klipheuwel Road (R304) I was in the mix all around the group. Once we hit the R304, I needed to recover, so sat near the back. As soon as we neared the Silo's, I moved forward and all of a sudden found myself on the front of the group. Then it just felt like it was me and another rider switching the lead rider position.

 

My break was just out of frustration at the lack of pace and non-pace lining that we had going earlier on in the race. When I sat for so long off the front, I thought it might stick but alas, 6 other riders decided to chase.

 

Ultimately it was a good training ride for the future and as 'Dale said, non-team riding has a completely different dynamic. Maybe we should get a few strong guys together and see if we can ride as a team at future races....... say, ride with the bunch for the first 80Km and then break for the final 20 plus.....

 

I'm over the wheel sucking deal - just have to beat the guys with league tactics...... ride the climbs hard and fatigue the riders that don't have the legs and hopefully those that do have the legs even if it only because they are wheel sucking as part of their strategy.

[Tiny K]

ok, yesterday was my turn to lose something along the route - my cycle computer popped off the handlebar mount as we were going past the paardeberg prison. if anyone picked up a sigma 1606 please let me know.

 

and yes, i know it's a serious long shot. i drove back along the route afterwards to no avail. i've also already mailed the PPA.

 

cheers

 

Hope you find it dude...... otherwise, upgrade to a Garmin

[MTB_Roadie]

@MTB_Roadie,

 

If I was a 'Stars Rider', I would open a thread for this group.

Chat.

Strategise.

Work out a plan (pre-race)

Connect.

Chill.

 

 

There is a critical mass of this League Cat in the Hub Republic.

 

 

That was the plan...we start working together nicely, touristvista and his buddies and a few more, but then that is where it stops...If you look at the times, there is about 24 people that is actually serious, imagine just if all of them work together, but like I was told this weekend, when you race you race for position, not for time...taken note of it...so will be interesting to see what happens....

[Wannabe]

My break was just out of frustration at the lack of pace and non-pace lining that we had going earlier on in the race. When I sat for so long off the front, I thought it might stick but alas, 6 other riders decided to chase.

 

That is where you must learn some patience. Stick with the guys, even if the pace is a bit too slow for your liking. Remember, you are riding for a win, not time.

Time your attack to perfection. If you are a strong rider (like you are) that can solo away for a win, try it like in maybe the last kilometer (remember Dennis's "flyer"!?). If you can pull that one off, you should be able to stay out front till the end. Otherwise you should have your sprinting legs on (which you also have), and again time it well so you can outsprint them.

[MTB_Roadie]

That is where you must learn some patience. Stick with the guys, even if the pace is a bit too slow for your liking. Remember, you are riding for a win, not time.

Time your attack to perfection. If you are a strong rider (like you are) that can solo away for a win, try it like in maybe the last kilometer (remember Dennis's "flyer"!?). If you can pull that one off, you should be able to stay out front till the end. Otherwise you should have your sprinting legs on (which you also have), and again time it well so you can outsprint them.

 

That is something I must learn, valid point

[SeanMort]

Since riding a tandem in races the past few months we've got used to people wheel sucking off us, particularly on most flat sections where we are a bit faster. We really don't mind, as most riders thank us for the help, and it would be a wasted wheel other wise. On downhills we mostly ride wheel-suckers off our wheel as we can easily get to up 85kmh. Yesterday we started in a group of 4 tandems, inc Moolman Welgemoed & John o'Connor who left us in the dust from the start of Hel's. From Hel's until the finish we rode mostly on our own, occasionally catching small ABC/league bunches and helping them to bridge to other small groups. We had Tredoux Odendaal from RSA Web for company on our wheel for a lot of the way as he too let the small groups go and was just using the race as a training opportunity. Just before the turn onto the R304 we went past Welgemoed and o'Connor who had a flat (turns out they had a total of 3 flats). The last stretch to the finish into the wind we decided to conserve our energy and wait for a bigger bunch to sit in with, but none came past. So we finished comfortably on 3:10.

Edited January 16, 2012 by SeanMort

[stratus5]

Yes true, the people who just sit in the back...luckily in my normal PPA we got rid of the wheel suckers, people actually worked well...STARS we must get there, I dont wana cycle at 30km/h...where a average of 36km/h is so much better...so I push the pace, luckily a lot of wheel suckers drop then....but I am sure more people will work with time.

 

I rode CAT3 last year and that is essentially what the STARS group is this year. Swore never again.

 

Most of the riders (Cedar very guilty) have the mindset that they are either sprinters or climbers and that is all they will do. So you have a bunch of essentially very strong riders that will do no work for the entire race, saving themselves for the sprint (witness the first two on Sunday sprinting for the line) or the nutters who climb each hill at an insane pace and then drift straight to the back to recover.

 

The handfull of bigger stronger riders do all the work on front, but it only takes a race or two before they get pissed with the whole silly game and ease off on the pace. The group then slows way down.

 

There is the difference between league racing, with team stategy and position being the main aim vs the rest of us who are racing for time. STARS has a mix of these goals so never really works well. Thought they were going to can the idea after the disaster that was CAT3 last year?

 

I started F/G (Outrider, red Cervelo) and was surprised at how quickly we blew through the STARS and how few of them (2) would do any work up front. When we caught D/E they were crawling and again only one or two would do any work.

 

I suggest that some of the Hub members in the STARS get together as a team (at least eight of you). Wear some sort of kit that identifies you and then organise yourselves into a unit that works together, similar to what the Outriders are doing. You will work harder overall, but can control the pace up the hills. The wheel suckers will benefit, but it can be very rewarding and much less frustrating. Your times will improve

 

If you continue to race in STARS with the current chaos, its unlikely that you will get times good enough to qualify for the real league in spring.

 

One off the funniest side effects of a well organised through and off at the front, is every now and again a wheel sucker gets caught up in the rotation and cant find a gap to duck off before they reach the front. The increasingly frantic attempts at trying to get out of the line always brings a smile to my face. Like a rabbit in the headlights :>)

[MTB_Roadie]

I rode CAT3 last year and that is essentially what the STARS group is this year. Swore never again.

 

Most of the riders (Cedar very guilty) have the mindset that they are either sprinters or climbers and that is all they will do. So you have a bunch of essentially very strong riders that will do no work for the entire race, saving themselves for the sprint (witness the first two on Sunday sprinting for the line) or the nutters who climb each hill at an insane pace and then drift straight to the back to recover.

 

The handfull of bigger stronger riders do all the work on front, but it only takes a race or two before they get pissed with the whole silly game and ease off on the pace. The group then slows way down.

 

There is the difference between league racing, with team stategy and position being the main aim vs the rest of us who are racing for time. STARS has a mix of these goals so never really works well. Thought they were going to can the idea after the disaster that was CAT3 last year?

 

I started F/G (Outrider, red Cervelo) and was surprised at how quickly we blew through the STARS and how few of them (2) would do any work up front. When we caught D/E they were crawling and again only one or two would do any work.

 

I suggest that some of the Hub members in the STARS get together as a team (at least eight of you). Wear some sort of kit that identifies you and then organise yourselves into a unit that works together, similar to what the Outriders are doing. You will work harder overall, but can control the pace up the hills. The wheel suckers will benefit, but it can be very rewarding and much less frustrating. Your times will improve

 

If you continue to race in STARS with the current chaos, its unlikely that you will get times good enough to qualify for the real league in spring.

 

One off the funniest side effects of a well organised through and off at the front, is every now and again a wheel sucker gets caught up in the rotation and cant find a gap to duck off before they reach the front. The increasingly frantic attempts at trying to get out of the line always brings a smile to my face. Like a rabbit in the headlights :>)

 

I was the guy working in the front with you guys, and they guy who was robbed at the sprint as the CEDAR guys came past me....you have a sweet bike btw...you guys caught me when i was on a break away up the R44, I honestly think if they didnt hatch onto you guys I couldve mantained my lead, but you guys pulled them back....and thanks for working with me in the front...I will find a few hubbers and discuss strategy with them

Edited January 16, 2012 by MTB_Roadie

[Tiny K]

 

I started F/G (Outrider, red Cervelo) and was surprised at how quickly we blew through the STARS and how few of them (2) would do any work up front. When we caught D/E they were crawling and again only one or two would do any work.

 

I suggest that some of the Hub members in the STARS get together as a team (at least eight of you). Wear some sort of kit that identifies you and then organise yourselves into a unit that works together, similar to what the Outriders are doing. You will work harder overall, but can control the pace up the hills. The wheel suckers will benefit, but it can be very rewarding and much less frustrating. Your times will improve

 

If you continue to race in STARS with the current chaos, its unlikely that you will get times good enough to qualify for the real league in spring.

 

One off the funniest side effects of a well organised through and off at the front, is every now and again a wheel sucker gets caught up in the rotation and cant find a gap to duck off before they reach the front. The increasingly frantic attempts at trying to get out of the line always brings a smile to my face. Like a rabbit in the headlights :>)

 

Agree 100% - well I would have loved to ride Stars just for the 'training' of league but as you and Jaco_Fiets have said, at this point it's a waste of time. Well that, and the fact that I am seeded waaay to high to even be considered.

 

That last paragraph is funny though - I saw a few of these yesterday while we were pace lining lekker..... It was funny - there were a few of us working well together and then all of a sudden there isn't a wheel rolling through. There goes that idea (again). Happened quite a few times.

['Dale]

As I heard, one of the requirements for the 'Rising Stars' league is to be a member of a team of no less than 3-4 individuals.

 

This makes it a very innovative way for those interested in possibly pursuing Elites / SV / Vets in the future, to gain some experience.

 

For example, MTB_Roadie is on his own in this Cat and riding as an Individual - therefore vulnerable to those that are in teams. Correct?

 

I laaik it!!

Good for the development of amateur cycling. A cool developmental step towards other League CATS.

Edited January 16, 2012 by ' Dale

[raptor]

As I heard, one of the requirements for the 'Rising Stars' league is to be a member of a team of no less than 3-4 individuals.

 

This makes it a very innovative way for those interested in possibly pursuing Elites / SV / Vets in the future, to gain some experience.

 

For example, MTB_Roadie is on his own in this Cat and riding as an Individual - therefore vulnerable to those that are in teams. Correct?

 

I laaik it!!

Good for the development of amateur cycling. A cool developmental step towards other League CATS.

 

i agree good place to start out in

[ROCKITRIDEIT]

As I heard, one of the requirements for the 'Rising Stars' league is to be a member of a team of no less than 3-4 individuals.

 

This makes it a very innovative way for those interested in possibly pursuing Elites / SV / Vets in the future, to gain some experience.

 

For example, MTB_Roadie is on his own in this Cat and riding as an Individual - therefore vulnerable to those that are in teams. Correct?

 

I laaik it!!

Good for the development of amateur cycling. A cool developmental step towards other League CATS.

 

There is no official team competition so in effect we are all racing for individual points, but yes you are 100% correct that there are clubs/teams in the Cat with a number of riders, notably Cedar and Mohammediyah who seem to be well represented in numbers terms.

 

Me and my buddies are a wolfpack of 3 who wear the same kit cos we rode the DC together, but that's as far as it goes in terms of team tactics as we've never "raced" before, so this is all a learning curve

['Dale]

There is no official team competition so in effect we are all racing for individual points, but yes you are 100% correct that there are clubs/teams in the Cat with a number of riders, notably Cedar and Mohammediyah who seem to be well represented in numbers terms.

 

Me and my buddies are a wolfpack of 3 who wear the same kit cos we rode the DC together, but that's as far as it goes in terms of team tactics as we've never "raced" before, so this is all a learning curve

 

That's exactly the value there, touristvisa.

 

"wolfpack" - intimidating. Nice!