DC and the white line

['Dale]

This team was trying to win the event, and break the course record, and they spent a lot of time and money on achieving this. You wouldn't expect the pros in $ to start the Argus at 10am and have them to ride around groups A through ZZ, slowing down when necessary to allow for oncoming traffic. This is the situation we have.

 

If they can't resolve the issues with the racing teams they should scrap the prizes and concede that what they have is a funride. They've already put a compulsory picnic in the middle of the event.

 

Excellent reasoning, Lucky Luke.

Sometimes I believe the organisers have never raced a bike above 30 km/h. Well, at least with the decisions they're making.

[Cheese]

I did my second DC the past weekend and apart from teams being disqualified was thinking very hard if I would do the race competitively again.

 

We had to pass teams sometimes in the right yellow lane never mind the right hand lane.

Saw how Nuwater almost crashed with a car at the 110 km Mark between Ashton and Montagu when they were trying to pass teams on the right with oncoming traffic.

At some stages we were passing cars that were passing cyclists.

 

At the speeds we were going it is just not safe enough was my conclusion.

[Cheese]

where do you guys get the photos

['Dale]

And then some scenes where the backup vehicles would be moving in the gravel on the opposite side of the road with oncoming traffic whizzing past, snaking between BUNCHES, not teams....

 

It's a matter of time before someone gets hurt.

[Red Zone]

And then some scenes where the backup vehicles would be moving in the gravel on the opposite side of the road with oncoming traffic whizzing past, snaking between BUNCHES, not teams....

 

It's a matter of time before someone gets hurt.

People WERE hurt, without a doubt one crash I saw was due to congestion on the road

[90 Inch]

The reverse seeding just does not work for a Team TT of this sise, almost every team starts behind teams that are slower than they are so there is guaranteed to be a lot of passing, especially in the section from 1/3 to 2/3 distance. This is exactly were the narrow road between Montague and Ashton needs to be negotiated, and where the Team Car's come into play. Unlike CSA events where most team cars are driven by licenced managers who are almost all ex cyclists, DC Team cars are driven by friends and wives, and I saw a number of close calls with team cars passing other team cars and teams where it was not safe to do so.

 

Start in seeded order, there will be almost no passing of other teams, the event will be a lot safer for all, each team will still be on the road for the same number of hours....

 

But PPA will then have to man the finish line for 3 or 4 hours longer, and that is the obstacle !

Edited November 25, 2013 by 90 Inch

[ccc2]

So you argue the fact the town is flooded with 3,000 cyclists + support crew + some family who basically book out all the hotels & guesthouses for a weekend, fill up all the restaurants & support the shops in the area is not worth a bit of congestion on a Saturday-morning.

 

S'dam's town fathers must be real idiots...

 

i think u read the post wrong - it's still in S'dam but has been in montagu and ceres in the past and various other venues closer to CTown.

[Skubarra]

i think u read the post wrong - it's still in S'dam but has been in montagu and ceres in the past and various other venues closer to CTown.

 

I don't profess to know the history of the DC and why venues changed in past years, but I would think the venues closer to Cape Town wouldn't get the financial benefit of cyclists making a weekend of it vs the hassle of the traffic. Which is maybe why the event is sticking at Swellendam?

[Skubarra]

Start in seeded order, there will be almost no passing of other teams, the event will be a lot safer for all, each team will still be on the road for the same number of hours....

 

But PPA will then have to man the finish line for 3 or 4 hours longer, and that is the obstacle !

 

I think this will solve some problems but then create a new set of problems other than PPA having to man the finish time for longer.

 

Maybe the current set-up is the lesser of two evils? If there was an easy solution to this dog's breakfast we probably would have seen it by now.

[LongDonkey]

Note to self:

Give this race a skip, seems to have more issues that the 94.7 MTB race......

[carbon29er]

We have received notification from the PPA (with possible disqualification pending) that they have evidence of our team crossing the white line possibly down the back of the Op de Tradouw pass whilst passing a slower team.

 

As a member of the team I do not deny this. We crossed the white line on a number of occasions as it was the only way to get around slower teams who would not move over.

 

BUT ... nearly every team that past us crossed the white line.

 

We have wonderful photo's of the event that show every top team (thanks Facebook and event photographers) riding across the white line on numerous occasions.

 

So I am sure that the rules will be applied equally and any photographic evidence of any team across the line will be used to disqualify them. The rules will of course be applied fairly and without discrimination.

As a PPA exco member I have checked with PPA. There has been no notification from the PPA sent to any team.

[stratus5]

As a PPA exco member I have checked with PPA. There has been no notification from the PPA sent to any team.

 

You can confirm that PPA has received a complaint though?

 

The point of this discussion is not to lambaste PPA but merely to point out that should any sanction be considerd re the complaint, then it must be applied in an equitable manner to all participants.

Edited November 25, 2013 by stratus5

[udxcob]

So this is a big hooha about nothing then

[stratus5]

So this is a big hooha about nothing then

No, there is a complainant. We were informed on Saturday night that the issue would be taken up with PPA and that our chairman would be receiving email correspondence on Monday.

 

Its possible that after coming to their senses, the party complaining has not taken it any further. That would be nice.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 25, 2013 by stratus5

[RaymondC]

Next year as mentioned start the fast teams first... simple

[Cellar]

No, there is a complaint.

 

I'm still trying to figure out what "winning team" you were part of. Or was the thread title designed to troll?

 

In case you missed it, that's my complaint. And seeing as PPA rep refutes your rant, what was your point again?

Edited November 25, 2013 by Cellar