Transvaal Galvanizer MTB Race

[Natashap]

Ek wil graag weet wie die race gery het. Ek was lank laas so ongelukkig met n race. Het ingeskryf vir die 55km. Die hele race was oor heers mt modder en reen. Maar ons mos MTB so dt is 100. Daar was n split by 30km vr die 35km en 55km. Ek was van die voorstes. Iewers in die race het hul besluit om die race te kanseleer. Die ryers moes toe 35km merkers volg om kla te maak. Ongelukkig was ek reeds verby en he toe die volle 55km race gery net om by die wen streep uit te vind.... jammer ons scan nie meer nie die race is gekanseleer weens die weer. So daar geen tyd of niks. Dit nadat ek die volle 55km afgele het.

 

Ons het onder gazibo gesit en wag vir vriende om klaar te maak. Na n paar uur kom vra een van die organiseerders wag ons nog vir iemand. Se haar toe dat ons het nog 4 vriende wat nog iewers in die veld is. As hul die mense gescan het soos wat dt hoort sou hul presies geweet het hoeveel mense nog buite in die veld was. So daar was geen beheer oor die fiets ryers se veiligheid nie. Ek ht hul gemail en die enigste antwoord wat ek gekry het is dat die chief commissaire mr richard durrant besluit het die race moet gesluit word.

 

Op die advertensie se dt duidelik, die race gaan voort ongeag die weer omstandighede.

[HOEKVLAG]

Ek en 'n paar van my vriende het gery en ek moet eerlik sê dat ek lanklaas soveel modder gesien het. Ten spyte daarvan het ons dit terdeë geniet, maar het ook 'n paar keer vir mekaar gesê net omdat ons dit saam as 'n "avontuur" kon doen. As ek dit op my eie moes doen het ek sekerlik my sin vir humor iewers langs die pad verloor! Ons het ook die 55km gedoen (volle afstand) en hulle het ons nommers wel ge"scan" by die einde. Daar was egter net die ou met die scanner wat daar by die einde rond was - ons het self medaljes uit 'n plastiekkrat gevat wat daar gestaan het. So op die ou end het ons dit baie geniet en was ons ervaring oorwegend positief.

 

Ek kan egter verstaan dat jy ongelukkig is na aanleiding van jou verduideliking - en ek sal defenitief nie ingenome wees as daar geen tye toegeken gaan word nie. Sover ek weet is die kanselering van die wedren buite die beheer van die organiseerders, maar die deelnemers op die roete bly hulle verantwoordelikheid en hulle moet seker maak dat almal veilig is. Verder moet hulle die relevante inligting aan al die deelnemers kommunikeer - so as dit gekanseleer was, moes daar iemand by die einde wees wat dit aan almal verduidelik. Ek het ook nie die indruk gekry dat enige van die beamptes op die roete onder die indruk was dat dit gekanseleer is nie.

 

Ek het egter baie waardering vir die beamptes wat in daai weer by die verkillende punte moes bly staan - en vir hulle positiewe gesindheid.

[Dieter ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

I loved this race so much. Was by far the toughest I have ever done. I did the 55km and when I arrived at the finish line I expected fireworks for what I had just been through! Instead, I had to ride around the finish line scanner being taken down. I did it in 3:09 which isn't horrendous considering what it was like out there. On the SS website the last time recorded was 3:01. So much for a race that "will take place regardless of weather conditions."

 

Very disappointed. 

[hansiemyburgh]

Hi Natasha,

 

glad to see you have posted about the issues you had on the race. I wanted to start a thread about the problems regarding the race. The race was really badly organized. They can't pull the marshals off the route and decide to cancel the race whilst there are guys out there on the route. Some of the guys got lost and sat in the rain and storm water tunnels for hours and waited for a sweep up vehicle. Family members of these guys that was stuck out there had to go look for them. And then these guys did not get a medal or nothing it was not their fault that the organizers decided to cancel the race whilst they were halfway through the race.

 

Luckily I decide not to go do the race....

[Kyle Petersen]

I loved it, absolute adventure, top 10ed seniors, 2.50... So hard at points, digging clay out my wheel arches, slipping, sliding, gliding the whole way home... Very cool,

although bike needs tlc,   

[Kyle Petersen]

any idea if we can still get pics??

[Dieter ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

I loved it, absolute adventure, top 10ed seniors, 2.50... So hard at points, digging clay out my wheel arches, slipping, sliding, gliding the whole way home... Very cool,

although bike needs tlc,   

Yeah the weather made it special! Stopping in puddles to try find gears my shifters had lost! 

[HOEKVLAG]

The race was fun, but very tough due to the conditions, and everybody finishing it deserves credit - and an official time. (I see I managed the last recorded time in the 55...) If the race is cancelled, it looks like there will be neither.

 

As an organizer, though, you have to be able to account for all the people out there - and you better be sure they are all safe when you start pulling marshals...

[HOEKVLAG]

Yeah the weather made it special! Stopping in puddles to try find gears my shifters had lost!

It was quite funny, but initially we were trying to miss puddles whereas towards the latter part of the race we were aiming to hit them in order to get rid of some of the mud!

 

Also, at times I thought I owned a fat bike!

[Kyle Petersen]

It was quite funny, but initially we were trying to miss puddles whereas towards the latter part of the race we were aiming to hit them in order to get rid of some of the mud!

 

Also, at times I thought I owned a fat bike!

Nothing like adding an extra 30kgs on, ha ha 

[Natashap]

Dont get me wrong this race was all about having fun and what mtb is all about. At the last 1.5km the marchall shouted...... come on girl only 1.5km left you are in the top 3.... just to get to the finish line and be told sorry race over..... spectrum shows dnf..... and I know how hard I have cycled to finish this race.... I just dont think its fair.

[Jaws677]

the marchall shouted...... come on girl only 1.5km left .

I also get that all the time.

 

 

Only problem is I'm not a girl last time I looked :-(

[Jaws677]

But agree they can't cancel a race halfway through without letting every single cyclist know

[HOEKVLAG]

Dont get me wrong this race was all about having fun and what mtb is all about. At the last 1.5km the marchall shouted...... come on girl only 1.5km left you are in the top 3.... just to get to the finish line and be told sorry race over..... spectrum shows dnf..... and I know how hard I have cycled to finish this race.... I just dont think its fair.

Definitely not fair. Have you tried contacting Athol directly?

[Sani]

I did a part off this route the weekend before and there were a lot off clay on some places , On Sunday when I pitched the weather wasn't good for racing on that route as We train there weekends , I decided 5 min before the start not to ride as I saved a long time for My new bike which I received Thursday ,Lol I don't have moollas to replace XTR components before Christmas , I do understand that the Organiser's applied to move the race to August next Year. No person do have any control on the days weather conditions .

 

 

 

 

 

Edit : Spelling

[nonky]

HOW do you cancel a race AFTER it's started?