[Event] Medallion Tour De Stellenbosch

['Dale]

You guys are all machines. Us novices at the back (W) only got away at 7h15 - and keeping in mind that Novice = Blerrie stadig - we were DYING back there. We stopped at every water stop and bought coke at the now famous Perdeberg Mall! It saved our lives!! Sadly we got to 80km and they told us the race (I use this word lightly) was over. People were dropping like flies. We pushed on till 90 (the final water point) where we had to accept defeat. By then we had been at it for over 4 hours and the one guys thermometer was registering 44!

 

My worst tho was that once we had finally arranged a lift out and were heading home they had pulled the marshals off and there was a guy who had missed the turn off at the last 4 way before the final water point and was thinking he was on the right road home! We turned back to give him the news and desperately needed water. I keep wondering where he would be now if no one had stopped him. I can't understand how the marshals and sweepers missed him.

 

With all respect to the faster ones, I really felt for the average amateur yesterday.

Sounds terrible.

 

[MissyT]

I agree - Absolute respect for them - they have worked to be there! But sjoe - us fun riders are definitely in a league of our own with a whole different set of challenges. We however survived to ride another day and still love it!

Edited February 17, 2014 by Norine

[rckhpr29er]

This race was brutal. The route was fantastic but everyone started to fade once we turned back to towards Boschendal. The wind and the heat were simply horrible. The day reminded me of day 1 of the first Grape Escape, I think it was 2011. Was also a brutal day in the heat.

 

I am glad I rode and even more chuffed that I finished.

 

Under the circumstances I think the PPA did a great job!

[DJR]

I rode with my two sons yesterday, started in T with the youngest one (13). I could ride easy because I'm pretty fit at the moment, but leading them, I obviously had to go slowly, which meant being out there for a long time. I was surprised at how much the heat affected me later on. Luckily I expected heat, so we carried 2,5 litres each and I went ahead and filled up for everybody at every waterpoint from about the halfway mark onwards, and then raced to catch up with them again. I made sure they drank enough, but I probably should have taken a few Rehidrates along to mix into their water also. I also kept squirting water over their heads and down their backs. It works a charm to keep cool, but they did give me lip for getting their precious cell phones wet! The last 20km was tough and I think the PPA made a good call to stop the race at about 12h00. One marshal told me they measured 47 degrees out on the road, and I can easily believe that. The orange ice suckers from the Simondium farm store was the best thing I've ever had after a race! I have huge respect for every backmarker that even got to the last waterpoint, let alone finish!

[Newest]

Legs were only "available" up until the 50km mark. Decided to "convert" the rest of the route into a LSD training ride after being dropped by CAT 3....... and almost every bunch afterwards.

 

Popped in at every waterpoint to "asses" the quality of services available. Stopped for any cyclist with a mechanical to offer my MBS (mobile breakdown service). (Provided the breakdown was close to some shade)

 

Officially the toughest day on a bike.... by far. At least we alive to fight another day!

[HenryS]

I rode with my two sons yesterday, started in T with the youngest one (13). I could ride easy because I'm pretty fit at the moment, but leading them, I obviously had to go slowly, which meant being out there for a long time. I was surprised at how much the heat affected me later on. Luckily I expected heat, so we carried 2,5 litres each and I went ahead and filled up for everybody at every waterpoint from about the halfway mark onwards, and then raced to catch up with them again. I made sure they drank enough, but I probably should have taken a few Rehidrates along to mix into their water also. I also kept squirting water over their heads and down their backs. It works a charm to keep cool, but they did give me lip for getting their precious cell phones wet! The last 20km was tough and I think the PPA made a good call to stop the race at about 12h00. One marshal told me they measured 47 degrees out on the road, and I can easily believe that. The orange ice suckers from the Simondium farm store was the best thing I've ever had after a race! I have huge respect for every backmarker that even got to the last waterpoint, let alone finish!

 

Actually the announcement to stop the race was made just after 10 already as they said then the temperature had reached 40 degrees.

 

My day didn't start out well, with a puncture in the start chute. The second puncture happened 23 km's in just before the railway crossing on Kromme Rhee Road. The last spare tube burst after using a bomb to inflate it because I didn't put it on the rim properly. That was the end of it for me - probably a good thing.

[Meezo]

You guys are all machines. Us novices at the back (W) only got away at 7h15 - and keeping in mind that Novice = Blerrie stadig - we were DYING back there. We stopped at every water stop and bought coke at the now famous Perdeberg Mall! It saved our lives!! Sadly we got to 80km and they told us the race (I use this word lightly) was over. People were dropping like flies. We pushed on till 90 (the final water point) where we had to accept defeat. By then we had been at it for over 4 hours and the one guys thermometer was registering 44!

 

My worst tho was that once we had finally arranged a lift out and were heading home they had pulled the marshals off and there was a guy who had missed the turn off at the last 4 way before the final water point and was thinking he was on the right road home! We turned back to give him the news and desperately needed water. I keep wondering where he would be now if no one had stopped him. I can't understand how the marshals and sweepers missed him.

 

and the beauty of it is, the "machines" are a mere minority of the race....

 

Wonder what's the organizers take on the race tho, they did mention they stocked up on water at the stops. My partner said to me, at perdeberg/paardeberg waterpoint guys were using water not only for drinking!

 

They predicted extreme heat, but i doubt this bad! Lotsa of us nwoobs out there prep'ing for the argurst, not only that this is a lovely race!

[T-Bob]

Respect to all who pitched up and all who rode. That must have been horrific, the mercury hit 40c in my place in CT so I can only image what it got to up that way. Got reports from a friends wine farm they got to 49c @ 1pm.

 

I saw forecast the night before and considered doing the 50km as a 'hard and fast' but then flagged it for a peninsula ride. Even that got pretty fierce by 11am and all I could think of was what was happening up that way.

 

Hope everyone managed a well deserved cold shower / bath / pool / beer / wine. Well done.

[Sportsworld.co.za]

As a 'soutpiel' (according to my club mates, thanks guys) that was a harsh lesson in heat. I think I consumed at least 4 bottles and poured the others over myself having had to stop twice for water.

 

Did anyone else suffer from 'group mirages'? I kept thinking, there's a small group head of me and you try and catch them only to find out that they had mysteriously become a single rider or only a couple of riders.

[Wannabe]

and the beauty of it is, the "machines" are a mere minority of the race....

 

Wonder what's the organizers take on the race tho, they did mention they stocked up on water at the stops. My partner said to me, at perdeberg/paardeberg waterpoint guys were using water not only for drinking!

 

They predicted extreme heat, but i doubt this bad! Lotsa of us nwoobs out there prep'ing for the argurst, not only that this is a lovely race!

 

Don't think anybody can complain about lack of Cold Water and Ice at the waterpoints. I filled two bottles up to the brim with water and ice at the last two waterpoints. Cudos to the people manning those waterpoints, they were busy and very friendly / helpfull.

 

The finish area, well that was another story. First you had to cycle what felt like a kilometre from where the line was to the mats, and then definately another kay or so to get to the Coke table. There was only coke on the table, and you were only allowed on cup of warm coke.

This did not bother me too much,as I still had cold water left in my Camelbak bottle from the Simondium water table, but I did voice my displeasure about it. The attitude of the one guy who poured the hot coke also stank!!

Can only feel for the peeps who finished later in the day.

[Gerlach]

Was rerig n baie lekker race gewees, en dit baie geniet, maar die laaste 40km was erg gewees, Eerste 50km was "hammer down" al die pad vir my gewees. Het uit 2 groepe uit gebreek en gesprint, een by Remhoogte se klim en n groep op R304 in gehaal en toe weg gebreek net na die N1 brug opad R312. Kry toe n ou wat saam met my weg breek. ons het mekaar toe gehelp tot ons die volgende groep in gehaal het by die die afdraai pad opad R44 toe.

 

Toe ek weer kyk, toe se my garmin dis 40'c, toe weet ek, nou gaan ons k@k!!! Langs die pad het mense gesit en huil langs hulle fietse, wat moet op gegee het, mense wat onder bome sit, elite ouens wat ons verby gevat het wat jy kan sien wat gebreek is en nie meer kan nie. Het 2 ouens gekry wat my gevrae het of hulle in my slip kan bly omdat hulle sukkel om te ry. Was nie lank nie , toe val hulle weer terug want hulle kan toe nie by hou nie. Het op die R44 n ou en sy vrou gekry op n tandem , wat hy af geklim het het en die fiets na haar toe gegooi het en gese het hy kan nie meer nie, en begin loop het, en n ou wat sy fiets stoot, wat se voor tyre oop gebars het "neem an die teerpad was warm gewees". Soos almal gese het, die laaste 5km wil net nie klaar gekom het nie, en dan moet jy nog fun riders verby steek ook nog.

 

Ek dink die resies het ons uiterste getoets, en hoop nie die Argus draai so uit nie. hehehehe

[Woofie]

I really respect the people that started later on in the race.

Whatever I suffered yesterday it must have been 10X worse a hour or three later.

 

The backmarkers dont have groups to cycle in. They started in the heat already and they are going to have to utilize all the water stops not just the last ones.

So my hat goes off to them for sticking it out

 

..... seriously, if I was offered a lift at 90km I would have taken it.

I am really glad that I did the race. Im sure my body is a bit more used to the heat now.

Who knows? The argus could be 40deg and we could be dropping like flies again. At least now I miiiiigggght be 1% more tolerant to the heat.

[kjind]

My car showed 28 degrees when we arrived at bosecheldal before the race. That's when I knew the **** is about to hit the fan.

[juanvd2]

Great riding with you again Marius, we gave it plenty, just like the old days. We started that break at the precise moment. Sorry you had to stop for that water topup, you deserved a top spot in our bunch today.

 

Yea I also enjoyed the suffering and the conditions, wind, heat, plenty of rollers with no major climbs ... bring it on! :thumbsup:

 

Me, my brother and my dad were in that break. Two of us fell back to the bunch but no one seemded to want to work and chase the break. All a bunch off wheel suckers. Last 5km all of a sudden now they want to sprint for the finish. Made a break at 3km to go and it payed off. Came second in our start group. (F-G) Had a very nice ride.

[MissyT]

I really respect the people that started later on in the race.

Whatever I suffered yesterday it must have been 10X worse a hour or three later.

 

The backmarkers dont have groups to cycle in. They started in the heat already and they are going to have to utilize all the water stops not just the last ones.

So my hat goes off to them for sticking it out

 

..... seriously, if I was offered a lift at 90km I would have taken it.

I am really glad that I did the race. Im sure my body is a bit more used to the heat now.

Who knows? The argus could be 40deg and we could be dropping like flies again. At least now I miiiiigggght be 1% more tolerant to the heat.

 

Back markers...........I like that! Beats benchwarmers . I think I will change my profile name - thanx

[Scotticus]

Me, my brother and my dad were in that break. Two of us fell back to the bunch but no one seemded to want to work and chase the break. All a bunch off wheel suckers. Last 5km all of a sudden now they want to sprint for the finish. Made a break at 3km to go and it payed off. Came second in our start group. (F-G) Had a very nice ride.

Could'nt agree with you more. Hate it when ur one of ten(could be a bit more..) people who are constantly working in a group and tehn the last 10k or less, the ones you havent seen whole day come flying past you...or make an attempt.