[Event] 99er Cycle Tour

[Micky Mouse]

Crashes happen in all races.

It's just part of racing.

The technical section was always gonna test riders' skills. No surprize there.

 

More importantly, hope everyone that got hurt is okay and will recover fully.

Maybe bear a small scar or few to show off at future rides. :-)

Thanx to that technical section, I learned quite a few new bike handling skills today. Why always play it safe when you can push your boundaries and gain so much more. Come rain, wind, gravel or poor marshalling - every experience just makes you stronger!

[GingaNinja28]

Horrific crash in B on the R44 by Nelson's Creek. I really hope the guys are Ok. Thank you to the lady who hit me but who managed to stay upright. Could have been a horrible day... But all all that happened was a puncture. (and thanks to the friendly fellow at the Voorpaardeberg water stop who helped me!)

 

most of us got up. one guy didn't move till the medics took him to hospital, 3 badly broken bikes and lots of skin left on the tar.

going down at 50km/h is not fun

[Sworks20]

Cure your illness.

 

I cant help not eating cookies

[DJR]

Agree that I won't do this again if gravel is included

 

Just to let you know that many many thousands of riders negotiated the gravel section without incident and some even found it fun, reminding us of some classic European races with gravel or cobbles. It made it interesting. The big bunches flying in there without taking caution, paid for it in skin and broken bits. That's the penalty. Those that did it carefully, soon overtook them on the next climb. The skilled riders had no problem finding the harder parts of the road. I would welcome them including it again next year. If you struggled with the gravel today, perhaps use it as an excuse to buy a cyclocross bike for next year , or, horror of horrors, justify riding that 29er with knobblies, you always wanted to, didn't you?

[Johny Bravo]

I cant help not eating cookies

Dagga cookies. Seriously dude. How can you endorse people littering. In the beautifull Boland countryside.

[Flowspeed]

 

 

Just to let you know that many many thousands of riders negotiated the gravel section without incident and some even found it fun, reminding us of some classic European races with gravel or cobbles. It made it interesting. The big bunches flying in there without taking caution, paid for it in skin and broken bits. That's the penalty. Those that did it carefully, soon overtook them on the next climb. The skilled riders had no problem finding the harder parts of the road. I would welcome them including it again next year. If you struggled with the gravel today, perhaps use it as an excuse to buy a cyclocross bike for next year , or, horror of horrors, justify riding that 29er with knobblies, you always wanted to, didn't you?

 

Well said ..

[jkoorts]

Hi all,

 

Lost my chip in a crash in the dirt road. My finish time was about 2:52 (group %). I finished with a coloured guy (about 85kg) with a black suite with a small black backpack. He was also in %.

 

Does somebody know this guy since I'd like to get his time, and see if the race organizers can help me out.

 

PS. I know I finished in front of %306 by nearly a minute.

 

Cheers

jk

[Sportsworld.co.za]

A few more pics

Edited February 8, 2014 by Sportsworld.co.za

[Bub Marley]

The gravel section was weird. On the ascent it was fine. Perfect actually. On the descent, it was like beach sand. As someone who has never ridden on gravel, I found it extremely difficult to control the bike. Initially I was going way too fast and a slight tap of the brake just caused complete havoc. I decided afterwards just to stick a leg out to try and get more balance. I have to say though it was a magnificent race. I really enjoyed it and those last 3 hills absolutely killed me but that was some good practice for the argus.

['Dale]

Hi all,

 

Lost my chip in a crash in the dirt road. My finish time was about 2:52 (group %). I finished with a coloured guy (about 85kg) with a black suite with a small black backpack. He was also in %.

 

Does somebody know this guy since I'd like to get his time, and see if the race organizers can help me out.

 

PS. I know I finished in front of %306 by nearly a minute.

 

Cheers

jk

 

Your GPS should also help here.

Did you have a Garmin or something?

That data can be submitted.

 

[Sportsworld.co.za]

and a few more

['Dale]

 

Thanx to that technical section, I learned quite a few new bike handling skills today. Why always play it safe when you can push your boundaries and gain so much more. Come rain, wind, gravel or poor marshalling - every experience just makes you stronger!

 

You're hardcore, Mickey Mouse.

 

[Skubarra]

Just to let you know that many many thousands of riders negotiated the gravel section without incident and some even found it fun, reminding us of some classic European races with gravel or cobbles. It made it interesting. The big bunches flying in there without taking caution, paid for it in skin and broken bits. That's the penalty. Those that did it carefully, soon overtook them on the next climb.

 

I kind of agree but also disagree (How's that for a meaningless statement). The first few bunches were still quite large going through that section, and it really only takes one slip or wobble to cause a crash as everybody were so close to each other and you cannot really evade on slippery gravel. I punctured halfway through the section, which turned out to be blessing in disguise because as I slowed down the big crash in % happened right in front of me, only barely managed to avoid it even though I was riding slowly. The later bunches were much more fragmented so it would have been easier to avoid trouble.

 

I don't think slowing down would have avoided my puncture and I think its unlikely that you gonna caught the fast riders from $ and % on the climbs if you cruise slowly through the gravel section, (might be true for the lower alphabet soup groups). For me that gravel section was a bit like a lucky draw and I had one of the unlucky tickets.

 

Only positive for me from the race was that I was able to stick with the bunch for the first 80kms for the first time in a race since last October... So naturally I was cursing about my mishap as I was still feeling strong at that stage. (If you gave me that lecture about skilled riders then I know what my reaction would have been...)

[la.ct]

I was in % which was quite a large group. A group caught % and it became even larger. The roads were too narrow and often riders rode on the wrong side of the road at times very close calls.

 

The gravel was by no means compact the sand was very soft. A lot of riders came off. Marshals were great and start was great but leave the gravel for mountain bike races ! And wider roads or smaller groups.

[Skubarra]

Yeah i really enjoyed that ride!

 

Went out quite hard in A and between about 5/6 of us we managed to pull back the % bunch in 35kms...after that i just tried to stay out of trouble in the bunch.

 

Also a little confused by the seeding process, I saw many guys that clearly didn't belong in the % group and many very strong guys in the A group, it was a bit sketchy when our groups joined, lots of nervous riders being indecisive about movements almost caused a few pile-ups.

 

 

Terrible seeding process that really mixes up racing / riding capabilities.

 

I don't think the seeding was done any different than usual. Its just that groups are large so you will get riders of various ability in the same groups - just like at the Argus.

 

Wasn't really surprised that A caught us, for some reason % really wasn't going particularly fast, some tactical racing by the racing ladies up front maybe?

[ThaStig]

how ironic - I was also in the A and % combined bunch and there was so much space on the left hand side!

True; I found the same. Every one seemed intent on drifting right.