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ABSA Cape Epic 2015


Sasquatch

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Well done ladies!! Exceptional.

 

BUT one would think with the Epic's so-called status and income they could afford better trail marking (and marshalling). Jeez imagine if the TdF leader got off course after breaking away (not impossible though).

 

But the same ladies seemed to manage to get lost at the end of the Prologue so maybe its an observation and sense of direction thing.  :devil:

Strange that a Specialized bike can get lost... :whistling:

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how are the guys getting over the brandvlei dam?  looks like a kilometer long water crossing

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1 hour is the standard penalty for going off the route. Happened to Kevin and max last year as well and I am sure that every one who participates is aware of the rule. The commissaire didn't suck the penalty out of thin air...

Kevin got hit last year because he swore at fellow riders who called him out on it. He also INTENTIONALLY left the course. The Commissaires have discretion when applying penalties like this. The course yesterday crossed 3 or 4 times. It is an honest mistake to follow tyre tracks and end up on the outbound trail opposed to the inbound trail, particularly so close to the finish. The ladies reported immediately to the race office to report the error and from all indication it was ACCIDENTAL. 

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Kevin got hit last year because he swore at fellow riders who called him out on it. He also INTENTIONALLY left the course. The Commissaires have discretion when applying penalties like this. The course yesterday crossed 3 or 4 times. It is an honest mistake to follow tyre tracks and end up on the outbound trail opposed to the inbound trail, particularly so close to the finish. The ladies reported immediately to the race office to report the error and from all indication it was ACCIDENTAL.

Good point... It probably depends more on the attitude of the rival teams then. Pure speculation though
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how are the guys getting over the brandvlei dam? looks like a kilometer long water crossing

Heard on the live feed earlier that the water level drops at this time of year and splits the dam in two. Quite a nasty rocky section apparantly
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See cutoff is only at 6 due to wind having come up and impacting on backmarkers.

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Guest notmyname

I see Rourke and Travis have fallen back to ninth position, six places ahead of Kevin a Max.

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See in the video. The ladies spez don't have the inverted shock or electric gears etc. Sponsors not giving them top product? Or just the ladies can't be bothered

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See in the video. The ladies spez don't have the inverted shock or electric gears etc. Sponsors not giving them top product? Or just the ladies can't be bothered

Four aspects:

1. The athletes need to be comfortable with the equipment. Are the girls still running 2 x 10's or have they migrated to 1 x 11? 

2. Remember that its not 1 mens team but 2 mens teams and a womens teams that need support. The mens bikes needs to be identical to make sure that anything is interchangeable should the need arise. The ladies frames are not the same either.

3. The ladies were always going to be very dominant, where there were some doubt about the mens team's dominance. The men needed every possible edge that the team could provide. 

4. They need to sell what they ride. While both the Era S Works and Epic S Works have the RS-1, I suspect that the ladies prefer the feel of the traditional fork. 

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See in the video. The ladies spez don't have the inverted shock or electric gears etc. Sponsors not giving them top product? Or just the ladies can't be bothered

 

Might just be a sponsor thing, does the men RECM team have the top equipment?

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Kevin got hit last year because he swore at fellow riders who called him out on it. He also INTENTIONALLY left the course. The Commissaires have discretion when applying penalties like this. The course yesterday crossed 3 or 4 times. It is an honest mistake to follow tyre tracks and end up on the outbound trail opposed to the inbound trail, particularly so close to the finish. The ladies reported immediately to the race office to report the error and from all indication it was ACCIDENTAL. 

 

We all know it was accidental, but if the route was clearly signposted at the point where they took the wrong turn (as in the official statement) then the commissionaire didn't have much choice to give the full penalty

 

On what should he base his discretion to reduce the penalty? The signpost wasn't missing or pointing the wrong way, they didn't follow other riders or a marshall on a bike, they weren't the following the next days signs - he has to base his decision to mitigate the penalty on something more concrete than the general opinion otherwise he can be accused of being biased towards the RECM team.

 

I think it is a stupid rule, but as long as it is there it must be applied consistently.

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Mr X , they must have the Rs1 to support Suzie and kulhavy.

Specific hub design and thru axle.

Same bikes they normally ride, white and red s-works with black Rs1.

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how are the guys getting over the brandvlei dam? looks like a kilometer long water crossing

2 dams actually. Brandvlei and kwaggaskloof.
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