99'er post race de-brief

[Tiny K]

So, as I would imagine, with the weather as it was, some guys have to have a few stories to tell. Some interesting, some bummer, some ecstatic.

 

My race started at 6am in elites. Pace was going well, some said it started too fast for them. Wet roads and idiots riding two abreast in the oncoming lane made for some interesting action when having to pass oncoming delivery trucks.

 

My race was going well until I went past the silo's and onto Klipheuwel Road. I suspect that there was some diesel on the corner because as I went around my front wheel disappeared. Hit the deck hard at around 32Km/h.

 

Got up, picked the bike and my sunglasses up, saw not much damage to me or the bike and got on and tried to chase the bunch down. Passed a few guys that had fallen off the back in my attempt to catch the main bunch. As hard as I was riding, I was not getting close to catching them. The next few Km were a tough choice - a crash 26Km's into a 123Km race - do I quit while I am ahead or do I push on.

 

Well, I chatted to a guy who I passed and sat my wheel for a while, he suggested I carry on riding, so I did.

 

A few of the guys I had passed earlier caught up and we made a nice 20 odd man bunch. We rode well together sharing the pulling but there were one or two who just wheel sucked....

 

Coming down old malmesbury road, a guy from Team Aurecon came flying past - what I suspect was the lead man for the Vets racing bunch (%). I broke away from the group and rode with him for a while - until the beginning of Vissershok - my legs couldn't go anymore.

 

Swallowed a Gu and hoped for the best. The rest of the Racing Vets and Ladies passed me at the base of Vissershok as well..... oh and guess who I spot - one of the guys we dropped along the way. He just latched on the back of the Vets bunch and wheel sucked all the way to Vissershok. That irritated me.

 

Anyway, Vissershok didn't get any flatter overnight and was a b1tch of note. Started feeling the onset of cramps towards the top but thankfully never happened. The downhill was a solo attempt so had no wheel to sit to recover a bit.

 

Odendal was a cow and a half. Twitching in the quads when standing forced me to sit and ride the climb out.

All in all a good race - 3:27 with the winner taking it in 3:06.

 

Well done to the organisers - great job

 

Think bike marshals - even more support is needed. Flipping well done! I never thought that the Elite bunch (the guys the youth look up to) would be such an unruly bunch.

Edited February 12, 2012 by Tiny K

[Breezer]

The B and C bunch had excellent bike marshals, They did a superb job and constantly warn guys if they go over the white line.

I do think that they should disqualify guys going over the line.

[Wannabe]

One year at the Ride for Sight (many years back) the marshall stopped the whole of the VB bunch and DQ'd them for going over the white line / taking over the whole road. Was quite a consternation when us VC's got there. VB's were standing all over the road and we struggled to get past. In the confusion some of thought we were also DQ'd (I was one of them) and sat up and took a leisurely ride to the finish.

[Dicky DQ]

Snip

Coming down a guy from Team Aurecon came flying past - what I suspect was the lead man for the Vets racing bunch (%). I broke away from the group and rode with him for a while - until the beginning of Vissershok - my legs couldn't go anymore.

 

Swallowed a Gu and hoped for the best. The rest of the Racing Vets and Ladies passed me at the base of Vissershok as well..... oh and guess who I spot - one of the guys we dropped along the way. He just latched on the back of the Vets bunch and wheel sucked all the way to Vissershok. That irritated me.

Snip

 

what is the difference?

[MTB_Roadie]

Kris, bummer to hear about the crash, as long as u and bike is fine its all good

[ThaStig]

The B and C bunch had excellent bike marshals, They did a superb job and constantly warn guys if they go over the white line.

I do think that they should disqualify guys going over the line.

One poor guy got dq'd in the A-B bunch when some one pushed him over the white line, the marshals were policing the rule quite toughly in our bunch. One thing p1$$ed me off was the dude who constantly crossed the white line behind the marshall and got away with it.

[Tiny K]

Snip

Coming down a guy from Team Aurecon came flying past - what I suspect was the lead man for the Vets racing bunch (%). I broke away from the group and rode with him for a while - until the beginning of Vissershok - my legs couldn't go anymore.

 

Swallowed a Gu and hoped for the best. The rest of the Racing Vets and Ladies passed me at the base of Vissershok as well..... oh and guess who I spot - one of the guys we dropped along the way. He just latched on the back of the Vets bunch and wheel sucked all the way to Vissershok. That irritated me.

Snip

 

what is the difference?

 

He got to the finish on fresher legs as he wheel sucked a bunch that left after his start bunch did. He was dropped at the 50K mark because he couldn't keep up with the pace and then latched onto the back of a bunch that was moving faster than him.

 

In the local Aca Joe League Series, you can get disqualified for doing that. It makes your time faster than what it would have been if there had only been one start group and you got dropped at the same place.

[Zac.A]

At least you finished!

I was seriously considering dropping out after 25km when I got dropped, and I didn't even crash.

 

Big ups to determination!

 

I'm also happy I carried on, beat my dad my 8mins, a racing master who's son is in my lift club by 6mins, and my old sportsmaster by 11!

[Jaco-fiets]

He got to the finish on fresher legs as he wheel sucked a bunch that left after his start bunch did. He was dropped at the 50K mark because he couldn't keep up with the pace and then latched onto the back of a bunch that was moving faster than him.

 

In the local Aca Joe League Series, you can get disqualified for doing that. It makes your time faster than what it would have been if there had only been one start group and you got dropped at the same place.

 

I think he meant the following: You latched onto a wheel (or wheels) of % guy (or guys) that came past and got dropped at Vissersok. The guy you are complaining about did the same

[Tiny K]

I think he meant the following: You latched onto a wheel (or wheels) of % guy (or guys) that came past and got dropped at Vissersok. The guy you are complaining about did the same

 

Yeah, but he did it for a longer period of time and I helped out where I could between me and the % guy (one guy) The rest of my group had sat up and I gave chase. It was there past the MX track on the Old Malmesbury Rd just before the N7.

 

Edit: but I get what you are saying.

Edited February 12, 2012 by Tiny K

[Ceres]

One poor guy got dq'd in the A-B bunch when some one pushed him over the white line, the marshals were policing the rule quite toughly in our bunch. One thing p1$$ed me off was the dude who constantly crossed the white line behind the marshall and got away with it.

 

The problem also was the whole A+B group was so big it was impossible to go help pull because you couldnt get to the front. I wanted to go pull in the front but nobody lets you through on the right, eventually saw a big long road with a dotted line no cars from the front was busy overtaking the group a down hill just over the centre line, I was cruising to the front when the marshal blocked me off and gave me a yellow card so I said F.. this just sat in the middle and wheeled sucked the rest of the race.

 

Had a big fall in the first 14km in %, went over the handle bars and landed with all my weight on my thigh got back on on the bike felt ok for the rest of the ride.(but I'm suffering now struggling to walk) Waited for A group who I think were on a training ride because B caught them in the first 10km. Came in at 3h38 about 15 to 20min slower than I was hoping.

Edited February 12, 2012 by Ceres

[Tjommie]

At least you finished!

I was seriously considering dropping out after 25km when I got dropped, and I didn't even crash.

 

Big ups to determination!

 

I'm also happy I carried on, beat my dad my 8mins, a racing master who's son is in my lift club by 6mins, and my old sportsmaster by 11!

 

 

Well done Zac, great that you could stay with the leading tandems till Visserhoek.

 

My nightmare race

 

Started in $, got dropped at 26km. Managed to see Zac, two of us worked together on the R304 for about 6kms. Along the way we picked up another 1-2 guys. On the R312 about 4km before the R44 turnoff the leading tandems caught us.

 

We latched on and rode with them till the Van Schoorsdrift turnoff. 2 km after that I just bonked and it was a solo ride to the finish. I could not even latch onto a single group or person. that passed me.

Legs were knackered going up Vissershoek and oodendal, 6-7km p/h.

 

Finished in a disasterous time of 3:44. Its amazing the amount of time you lose once you bonk and ride alone, even though it was for 28kms or so.

 

One of my hardest races

[Oltremo]

I had a good race with A Group. We passed a % group crash quite early on, some of the ladies were quiet badly hurt. From the results I see some of them did not finish. I wish them a speedy recovery leading up to Stellenbosch.

B Group caught us early on, making the bunch quite big. There were probably about 4 crashes in our group which made things very nervous. Organisers should increase time between start groups in future. Riding in the rain was testing, but I think better than riding in the heat.

 

I sat at the back of the group most of the way and was satisfied that I managed to hang on to the pace till the 3h00 mark. Unfortunately a puncture caused by hitting a pothole put an end to my bunch ride.

 

I managed a 3h42 race time (excl puncture repair time).

[Ceres]

Just downloaded my garmin saw that I went from 54km/h to 0km/h in about 2 seconds ouch. Every hour I find a new bruise, also going to have to get a new helment tomorrow as the whole back is smashed in on my old one. Most amazing thing is execpt for my one pedal and my seat there is not a scratch on my bike.

[milky4130]

 

 

 

Well done Zac, great that you could stay with the leading tandems till Visserhoek.

 

My nightmare race

 

Started in $, got dropped at 26km. Managed to see Zac, two of us worked together on the R304 for about 6kms. Along the way we picked up another 1-2 guys. On the R312 about 4km before the R44 turnoff the leading tandems caught us.

 

We latched on and rode with them till the Van Schoorsdrift turnoff. 2 km after that I just bonked and it was a solo ride to the finish. I could not even latch onto a single group or person. that passed me.

Legs were knackered going up Vissershoek and oodendal, 6-7km p/h.

 

Finished in a disasterous time of 3:44. Its amazing the amount of time you lose once you bonk and ride alone, even though it was for 28kms or so.

 

One of my hardest races

trust me that was not bonk, when you decide to dismount from your bike & maybe have a lie/sit down under a tree & you actually pass out for a couple of minutes & wakeup to someone performing cpr on you & a crowd has gathered round now that is bonk, lekker feeling though.

[milky4130]

Just downloaded my garmin saw that I went from 54km/h to 0km/h in about 2 seconds ouch. Every hour I find a new bruise, also going to have to get a new helment tomorrow as the whole back is smashed in on my old one. Most amazing thing is execpt for my one pedal and my seat there is not a scratch on my bike.

Did u crash in % group?