[Event] 2016 Cape Town Cycle Tour

[DJR]

Agreed, DJR

On supporting me to get back home, the sweeper system coordinator person checked whether I had any medical injuries.

I fortunately was unscathed.

And suggested to me that I catch a train back to the start. Or wait a few hours as I was clearly not a high-priority safety or emergency scenario.

 

I understood that as I was not bleeding or risking infection or had any seriaas fractures.

So, took a train for the firs time since I was a student.

In a previous life, long ago and far away, I was involved in casevac prioritizing. It is difficult and you always have ticked off people even when you do it 100% right. 

[Shebeen]

So i had a crap day on the bike. Picked up a stomach bug friday and couldnt keep anything down until one slice of toast sunday morning. Yet decided to try it out. (lost 4 kilos in 2 days - good for the diet not good if your not very fit in general)

 

Anyway decided to go with the wife and see how it plays out. Was fine until simonstown. There i started getting dizzy and soon after very nauseous made it to the waterpoint just before noordhoek and there i flooded like ive never before. Went to the medical tent and my pulse was racing, they gave me some injections and told me to rather call it a day. This was at 12h.

 

So i've never even bothered to check out how the sweepers work but i fount out yesterday. They radio for a sweeper and the doc told me the previous guy was gone in 30 minutes. After an hour a sweeper came but had only spots for two, so it was me and a lady with a broken hand. When we got to the actual sweeper another person on the road climbed in so only a spot for 1.

 

So i let the lady go, then they tell me the big sweep is at noordhoek, 3 kilos down the road, just ride there. Off i go, few minutes later i am there. Only to find out there are guys there that have crashed out at 8h30 the morning, its 13h now. So the problem was, the big sweep was at the noordhoek farm village and the police blocked the road off at the bottom where the cyclists come past. So every small sweep that comes past they tell them to keep going road closed.

 

We ended up waiting untill 3pm when the race was stopped at noordhoek for the bus to fill up so we can leave.

 

This is the most pathetic organizing i have ever seen. I understand the bus can't ride with 20 poeple in it but hell dont let the small sweeps pass then. We ended up back at the stadium only at 16h10. more than 4 hours for me but for the poor other guys it was almost 8 hours of waiting.

 

The argus will never ever see me again.

that must have been rough, stranded at noordhoek farm village. Did you go to cafe roux, the toad or the foodbarn?

[KarlvN]

My pet peeve that one.

 

Must say I also noticed MTB'ers doing likewise on the K2C last year...Seriously people, rubber is NOT biodegradable.

[lerouc]

Why you blaming the organizers for your wrong doing, or call it stupidity? Why get on the bike in the first place if you pick up a bug 2 days before a 109km cycle??

It was not just me...And the guys that got a mechanical? Its because they ride crap bikes that breaks when they fall? really...

[mikkelz]

Awesome day out, started 1G and manged 3:04. Congestion especially smits not too good. Some riders amazingly dont understand keep left, if you slower, especially in these groups.

 

Either way, quite happy. I must say, quite a few people had a stomach bug. I had one that cleared 6 days before the argus. I lost 2-3kgs, and already being skinny, meant i probably lost muscle    Just glad I recovered in time to do the CTCT.

 

Oh, lots of people quite aggro and sour in the 1's... Group 2 was more fun

#justsaying

 

Your post (and a few other comments guys have made), makes me think that the Cycle Tour should include some rider etiquette does and don’ts in the race number pack.

 

Basic stuff, but just keep reaffirming the importance of it to the newer/younger/less experienced riders.

 

Pass right, keep left, don't litter, hold your line (there was a moron who served from the middle of the road to the water point at Scarborough, nearly take out myself and another guy), etc.

[Iceman.]

Another awesome tour done and dusted. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[mikkelz]

Also, I just remembered now, going up Chappies I passed an elderly lady who was merrily crawling up the climb with a… 3G number on her back.

 

I started in 2D (and finished 141 out of 478 in my group). So how she started so far ahead of me, is a mystery. 

 

Obviously a bit of an oversight at the start chutes.

[3wings]

Well sorry guys - I lied

Having said that 2014 was my last Argus I was back in the saddle yesterday for the ride of my life - not a PB as I've since moved back to the land of my fathers and winter is a grim time to be training in the UK - but absolutely no complaints - apart perhaps from a slight numbness this morning in my nether regions !

HUGE respect yet again for the Tour organisers, they do an awesome job in what must sometimes be challenging circumstances.

To all the moaners out there - try walking a mile in their shoes - that way you'll be far away and we won't have to listen to your ungrateful whining 

[Tau]

My first had no idea of what I would do. started in charity group and then reached Noordhoek in under 3hr and realized my 5 hr goal is not to difficult and ended up finishing in 4;15.

 

Respect to all the organizers and support along the route. To all the keep left look right go right people !!!!!! Too many out there. Maybe next year I start before the finishers have had there second beer.

[Rider3000]

Anybody know where and when they will have the race on TV or some website...? I always ride so never get chance to see what happened in the Pro race... i would love to watch it as it happened.

 

Well done on everyone that rode the ride.... hope it was fun

[Paulst12]

Does anyone know why they mixed the ages for the top groups? How can you have 30-somethings racing against people over 50? Also how on earth do you know where people are placed in your age category going into the finish? Looks like they have made it into a "ride" rather than a race for anyone outside of ELITES.

[Spinnekop]

Does anyone know why they mixed the ages for the top groups? How can you have 30-somethings racing against people over 50? Also how on earth do you know where people are placed in your age category going into the finish? Looks like they have made it into a "ride" rather than a race for anyone outside of ELITES.

Sorry dude.

But in sport, age is just a number. 

 

You are ranked according to your ability. 

[nazmo]

That feeling when a 50+ year old drops you up a climb

 

Sorry dude.

But in sport, age is just a number. 

 

You are ranked according to your ability. 

[Oufy MTB (Roadie)]

Sorry dude.

But in sport, age is just a number. 

 

You are ranked according to your ability. 

I think that is what makes cycling a great sport, you can be competitive until the day you fall over. I can't keep track of how many old ballies with grey hair, wrinkled skin and boeps drop me in races. All I can say is, I want to grow old like them

[JohanC]

My first full CTCT yesterday! Such an amazing route, wow! But jeeeezzz, I saw some hectic crashes, hope all is ok. There was a guy in our small bunch about 5-10km before Houtbay (I think) who flipped over his handlebars. We were doing +50km/h at that stage. I literally saw his helmet explode into pieces as he hit the road, scary!

Managed 3:07 on my MTB from 1C. Lots of friendly okes in our group, good vibe!

[dev null]

I think that is what makes cycling a great sport, you can be competitive until the day you fall over. I can't keep track of how many old ballies with grey hair, wrinkled skin and boeps drop me in races. All I can say is, I want to grow old like them

 

I will be 50 this year, and with a time of 4h46 I was only 2098th out of 3044 ou manne in the 50 - 54.group.

 

There were even some old tannies with big thighs that gave me a hiding.