Serengeti Classic Road Race 2014

[TryHard]

I was in AL and part of the crash at 12 km. There were a touch of wheels and the first guy went down in front of me. I had to do avoiding action and my back wheel slid under me and that was my race over. Ass is now lekker sore and bike is stuffed. Off to the bike shop tomorrow. See you guys at the Dischem race.

[GaryvdM]

I achieved my goal of staying with the A bunch till 50km (I got drop on the climb at 56km.) Finished in 2:46.

 

One thing that was happening in the A bunch that really don't get; the riders at the front move over to the right, until they are on the white line. The result is 10 riders back where the bunch becomes 3 or 4 abreast, riders start riding on the wrong side of the white line. Why do they do this?

[Agteros]

I achieved my goal of staying with the A bunch till 50km (I got drop on the climb at 56km.) Finished in 2:46.

 

One thing that was happening in the A bunch that really don't get; the riders at the front move over to the right, until they are on the white line. The result is 10 riders back where the bunch becomes 3 or 4 abreast, riders start riding on the wrong side of the white line. Why do they do this?

Wind direction at those place was most probably from the left, pushing people across the road.

Guttering is part of the game, but yes, making people choose beyween life and riding with the bunch does seem unnecessary.

[TALUS]

Guttering.

[NotSoBigBen]

Is it not a legitimate race 'tactic' and only you can make that choice whether to cross the line or not?

[GaryvdM]

Wind direction at those place was most probably from the left, pushing people across the road.

Guttering is part of the game, but yes, making people choose beyween life and riding with the bunch does seem unnecessary.

Guttering.

 

I was watching the wind, and this was happening in head wind. Maybe they where miss reading it, or maybe I was miss reading it.

 

 

Is it not a legitimate race 'tactic' and only you can make that choice whether to cross the line or not?

 

I was staying on the left of the bunch when this was happening. I just get nervous when I see other people on the wrong side of the line.

 

I would understand if it actually caused a split. That would make it a tactic. But it did not do anything to the size of the bunch.

[Agteros]

The wind was not strong enough and the hills not steep / long enough for splits to happen. Only real tactic would have been speed (accelerations mostly)

[Agteros]

 

 

I was watching the wind, and this was happening in head wind. Maybe they where miss reading it, or maybe I was miss reading it.

 

 

 

 

I was staying on the left of the bunch when this was happening. I just get nervous when I see other people on the wrong side of the line.

 

I would understand if it actually caused a split. That would make it a tactic. But it did not do anything to the size of the bunch.

yup. Mostly head / tail wind for the day

[Li Mu Bai]

I achieved my goal of staying with the A bunch till 50km (I got drop on the climb at 56km.) Finished in 2:46.

 

One thing that was happening in the A bunch that really don't get; the riders at the front move over to the right, until they are on the white line. The result is 10 riders back where the bunch becomes 3 or 4 abreast, riders start riding on the wrong side of the white line. Why do they do this?

to force those that arnt bothering to help with the work to catch some air. guttering.

[Li Mu Bai]

Didnt see the AL crash, must have been ahead of it, sorry to hear, hope those involved are ok?

nice hard event, set up great for the finish sprint but double thigh cramps with 1 km to go put an end to my aspirations.

R4S to follow.

[Cellar]

Why do they do this?

 

Cause they watched the Tour de France...

 

Funriders. What ya gonna do? It is a valid racing tactic if you are strong enough and the wind is vicious enough to split the group.

[Kallie.]

Like Agteros said, I dont think there was enough wind yesterday for guttering to be effective.

 

It seems there were quite a few hubbers in AL (and BL), well ridden to all!! Well done to the winner of AL, he did a lot of work up front and still managed to take the sprint.

[TALUS]

Yeah I felt a bit guilty - decided to just use it for training. I did wheelsucking most of the day. Thus no complaints about "guttering" etc. I also didnt do any sprinting at the end since I didnt do much work. The front guys were strong and I thought they were playing for most of the time. It is always justice when the guys that did the work get the sprint.

[Underachiever]

Yeah I felt a bit guilty - decided to just use it for training. I did wheelsucking most of the day. Thus no complaints about "guttering" etc. I also didnt do any sprinting at the end since I didnt do much work. The front guys were strong and I thought they were playing for most of the time. It is always justice when the guys that did the work get the sprint.

 

I really got the sense that the 3 guys sponsored by Randfontein Private Hospital (black/blue kit), we some much stronger than the rest of us. Especially the ghuys on the Ridley. Not sure why they didn't go for a break and cleaned up. The racing was kind of negative. Not that I could make it any harder :-)

[Spinnekop]

Had fun in the VA bunch.

Motorbike marshal left us at around 40km never to be seen again. Bit dangerous coming home.

 

No medal to give to the bambino but the 32gi drink thingy made her day so all good.

 

Route was a bit boring with no serious climbs and racing was negative with everyone watching one or two dudes.....eventually a soft move off the front got away and stayed away. Well done. Sneaky yet effective! You guys deserved the win! Finished 2:33

 

R4S up next and I guess back to the drawing board to go see how one can improved.......

[Prozac]

Could stick with VA till 61 km . . . Just didn't have anything in the tank after a good kuier weekend . . . I guess the extra beers , springbokkies did not help. Finished all alone in 2:47 after really battling the last 40 km . . .

 

That last stretch was quite dangerous with the traffic . . .