Bestmed Jacaranda Satellite Classic 2012: 20.10.2012

[HairyLegs]

Hi Falco, Thanks for your feedback and observations. There were motorbike marshals on duty at the event and they were tasked as per the ops plan with the organisers. Think Bike Marshals were requested at late notice on Wednesday of last week to cover the event and we had 15 marshals on duty for the event.

 

The accident scene sucked in a handful of marshals for traffic and accident scene control duties as per our standing orders which places the participants and other road users safety as a priority over and above the event itself.

 

We would have liked to have more on duty for the race as the route, start and finish areas and the group numbers would have welcomed a higher coverage.

 

Ride safe!

Don't get me wrong, my comments are not intended as a negative reflection on bike marshals in general, those guys do a great job (when the organisers have enough of them there).

I personally did not see a marshal at the start of AM, nor did I see one on the route. Maybe they were there, but I didn't see them, hence my comment. It seems that most of the L groups had bike marshals, and that's great for them.

With regard to the accident, if I'm not mistaken that was a backmarker group, and the accident happened around 11am? By then most of the front groups had finished, so drawing marshals off the race to handle the accident would obviously be perfectly understandable. My group, AM, started at 7.30 and most were finished by 10.30, so we weren't affected by the accident.

I'm not knocking the race in general, overall it was ok, but there are definitely areas that can be improved, as per my original post.

What I'm saying is we all pay the entry fee, so we should all be made to feel as safe as possible, and we should all get equal treatment. That didn't happen on Saturday (in my opinion)

 

I also appreciate the Think Bike guys, but what I observed, starting from the TM (tandems) was with the U16 guys that started 1 minute behind us, they had a pace car (from the Jacaranda Cycling club), two bike marshalls, and a support vehicle, and there were only 4 guys in the group, while we did not have one marshall.

[crasher]

Hi Guys

 

Sorry to report the rider that fell sustained very serious injuries-broken ribs, broken collar bone, facial fracture, head trauma.

He is still in a coma and the doctors cannot say at this stage what the prognosis is.

 

If I get more news I will post it. In the mean time we can only pray for his full recovery.

 

Thanks President please keep us updated if you get any more news

[Cheese]

I was in VA and made a rookie mistake - 2 minutes before the start I realised Ive left my bottles in the car.

I had two choices - go and get them and sacrifice my time or see how far I could get without any fluid. I opted for the second. At about +/- 40km another rider must have realised I am without my bottles and offered me a sip of his (by this time I really needed it) Just before we went up Hekpoort he gave me one of his bottles with about 1/4 left in it!

We got split up on Hekpoort but I would love to know who he is and thank him - he saved my life!! I still have a pretty expensive bottle of his aswell.

I managed a 3:04 with very little to drink. Im happy.

This riders number was VA155 - any help??

So I was not the only one, Did the 94 km though and left bottles at home, Did Ok without the juices though and came in at 2:40.A bunch really did not want to race untill we got to Hekpoort. I the event is mopved to a safer start and finish place will do 114 next time.

 

I was sprinting for 5th place on the 94km when i had to stop at around 500 m to go due to traffic, gave the small bunch 10 seconds behind me time to catch up at which point I decided not to ven try any more and came in 10 seconds behind the bunch.

[Cheese]

All lower group starters. They most probably decided to cut the route short (beer stop at VG with MTB buddies and then the 40km route perhaps?) Went over the finish line to get their medal and glass of free blue fizz... I'd take the 2:38 as the fastest time for the 94 (91.5km) route

Yip You are correct, I was in AM and the winning time 2:38 . no one from any other group caught or passed us, although I was thinking our race time was slow as no one wanted to race before we got to hekpoort.

 

I can say that OFM is much better organised.

There is a decent small expo, safe roads, wide roads, road closure for most of the way, about the same amount of climbing although nothing like Hekpoort.

 

Do not know if i will do a race starting at that venue again.

[Andymann]

My fiance did the 40km (she was doing the BSG on Sunday), and reckons she saw a bunch of green number riders on the return leg of the 40km route - so there were definitely some people who cut their 90km ride short.....

[Jeri]

 

 

Okay so when is the next seeding event??!

94.7

[Nettie R]

My fiance did the 40km (she was doing the BSG on Sunday), and reckons she saw a bunch of green number riders on the return leg of the 40km route - so there were definitely some people who cut their 90km ride short.....

Then There must've been a third event in the area 'cause the 90 km riders had Blue numbers. ;-)

[President]

The rider that crashed is doing much better-the swelling on his brain has gone down significantly.

[crasher]

The rider that crashed is doing much better-the swelling on his brain has gone down significantly.

 

Thats great news

[W@nna-BE]

The rider that crashed is doing much better-the swelling on his brain has gone down significantly.

 

GREAT NEWS!!

please send our good wishes!

 

in my prayers!!