[Event] Cape Town Cycle Tour MTB Challenge 2016

[Tatt]

Was amazed at the devestation caused by the fires.

 

I also usually don't give a second thought to how steep the hillsides are. .. Yesterday made me think a little. A chap in front of me bailed low side on Ho Chi Minh and had to do some serious scrambling to get back up again.

 

I also think a lot of people underestimate the course - around 1700ish metres in 55 kays is a lot of climbing!

 

Tom

[X-Man]

My maiden Argus MTB 55. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

Big up to organizer's and respect to the FIREFIGHTER"S!

 

Ps... I lost a Vittoria saddle bag on route with spares and Table mountain SANPARKS card.

 

Please let me know if someone has picked it up!

 

Thanks in advance

[Rush1]

Thanks to the route team the entire course was awesome! Thoroughly enjoyed the ST! 

 

However I agree with some other posts ; for such a high profile marketed race, "no goody bag" and the poorly stocked water points was disappointing. Also, showers were a great idea, pity the car and clean clothes was a km away to really benefit from it.  Perhaps there are some lessons to learn for both organizers and riders for the next one.

 

 

[kader01]

40km trail was awesoooome. Dust and soft sand made was a pity but only rain coulda helped that. Enough climbing and enough techical single track for the moderate rider. This Meurant botha man should be transport minister.

[Rouxenator]

Two of my friends did the 40K and they loved it. I did the 30K and 55K and it was brilliant, that taste of dust was something else. I regularly run/ride Dirtopia events and it was rather sad to see what the fire did to some of the trails, especially Uitkyk's bush tunnel, but Meurant and the guys did magic in getting everything ready for CTCT MTB. 

 

Entered the Amarider 100 miler last night. I know the guys at Dirtopia but have never done their 100 miler, so this will be an incredible ride for me. 

[SCD]

Reading the comments and see some people being unhappy about 'no goody bag' or the offering at the waterpoints got me off the couch to reach for the keyboard.

 

Seriously? Seriously?????

 

This race got all the important things right:  the course was great, the ST a bliss, many waterpoints with lots of water, great recovery zone, coffee, beer and food, and the organisation was flawless. Great work by Meurant and his team on the trails. Great work by the people of the Cycle Tour. I also did the Ashburton Race in Meerendal recently. The not-so-ideal-quite-a-few things were widely discussed here on the hub. No great route, no great water points that ran out of water, not well organized. But very similar entry fee. 

Comparing these two I can live with the lack of the goodie bag. How can this be important anyway? And the complaint about the lack of solid food offerings at the waterpoints? I guess people have different priorities out there. Riding the MTB may not be top of the list.

 

From my side, plenty of kudos to all involved. Had a great day out!

[Rouxenator]

From my side, plenty of kudos to all involved. Had a great day out!

+1 I loved it, that is what I can never limit myself to just one ride, I have to do the Saturday and Sunday.

 

The thing is often you get newbies trying out these events and then they complain because they have not been exposed to the kind of catering and conditions you can find across the board of MTB events. 

 

Let me enterain you a bit, not sure how many of you met/dealt with the bearded mechanical guy from Dirtopia before the start? Anyways I chatted with him today and asked him if he had any newbies complaining about all the thorns at the start and moaning about other things. This is what he said "Ja wat die tipiese "my fiets was prefek gister aand" stories en natuurlik die dorings. Mense het my gevra of die trails ook so baie doring het, dan seg ek nee, ons het die manne dit laat optel........."

 

I LOL'd so much after reading that. Very funny. Loved the CTCT MTB like the previous 5 I did. 

[Wannabe]

 

 

 

Reading the comments and see some people being unhappy about 'no goody bag' or the offering at the waterpoints got me off the couch to reach for the keyboard.

 

Seriously? Seriously?????

 

This race got all the important things right:  the course was great, the ST a bliss, many waterpoints with lots of water, great recovery zone, coffee, beer and food, and the organisation was flawless. Great work by Meurant and his team on the trails. Great work by the people of the Cycle Tour. I also did the Ashburton Race in Meerendal recently. The not-so-ideal-quite-a-few things were widely discussed here on the hub. No great route, no great water points that ran out of water, not well organized. But very similar entry fee. 

Comparing these two I can live with the lack of the goodie bag. How can this be important anyway? And the complaint about the lack of solid food offerings at the waterpoints? I guess people have different priorities out there. Riding the MTB may not be top of the list.

 

From my side, plenty of kudos to all involved. Had a great day out!

 

 

I'm so sorry that we are not as proficient as you on a Mtb,in that that we can ride those lovely, gnarly trails, and eat at the same time. Well, we might try, but I prefer to keep my body in the condition it is in. In any case, old bones breaks easier and takes longer to heal.     I enjoy stopping at the waterpoints, stuffing my face with the food on offer, and drink as much coke and water as I can. I did pay for that privilege afterall, and I'm not gonna win the race. 

So I guess you are right, I'm not there to just race my Mtb as fast as I can from point A to point B. I like to also take in the scenery around me. And riding my MTB is definately top of the list. 

I'm so sorry I offended you by saying that I expected to have solid foodstuffs at the waterpoints. It's not too much to ask for, I mean even the Philidelphia Mtb race managed to get that right.

[BrianMTB]

Was a great ride on Sunday - if your bike didn't creak before all that dust, it sure as hell would have after

 

Does anyone know how many people started the 55km? I heard the race officials saying 2000, but according to Racetec only 911 finished?

[SCD]

 

***

 

I'm so sorry that we are not as proficient as you on a Mtb,in that that we can ride those lovely, gnarly trails, and eat at the same time. Well, we might try, but I prefer to keep my body in the condition it is in. In any case, old bones breaks easier and takes longer to heal.     I enjoy stopping at the waterpoints, stuffing my face with the food on offer, and drink as much coke and water as I can. I did pay for that privilege afterall, and I'm not gonna win the race. 

So I guess you are right, I'm not there to just race my Mtb as fast as I can from point A to point B. I like to also take in the scenery around me. And riding my MTB is definately top of the list. 

I'm so sorry I offended you by saying that I expected to have solid foodstuffs at the waterpoints. It's not too much to ask for, I mean even the Philidelphia Mtb race managed to get that right.

 

 

You are responding to things that were not part of my post. You may enjoy the trails and scenery at the pace you are comfortable with. The start seeding is doing an ok job in grouping likewise riders together.

Judging a race by the diversity of the water point buffet is carrying the risk of diverting the focus of the organizers. There are so many important things to look at, and in my humble opinion luxury type water points are not mission critical.

 

edit: spello

[Tatt]

For me, I think they got the waterpoints spot on, Coke and water is perfect.

 

There is nothing worse than seeing someone apply cream to their behind and then stick their hand in the food offering at the table..

 

So in the interest of my own health, I have since stopped eating any food at all waterpoints in all races and carry everything that I want to eat..

 

Tom

[Dicky DQ]

Reading the comments and see some people being unhappy about 'no goody bag' or the offering at the waterpoints got me off the couch to reach for the keyboard.

 

Seriously? Seriously?????

 

This race got all the important things right:  the course was great, the ST a bliss, many waterpoints with lots of water, great recovery zone, coffee, beer and food, and the organisation was flawless. Great work by Meurant and his team on the trails. Great work by the people of the Cycle Tour. I also did the Ashburton Race in Meerendal recently. The not-so-ideal-quite-a-few things were widely discussed here on the hub. No great route, no great water points that ran out of water, not well organized. But very similar entry fee. 

Comparing these two I can live with the lack of the goodie bag. How can this be important anyway? And the complaint about the lack of solid food offerings at the waterpoints? I guess people have different priorities out there. Riding the MTB may not be top of the list.

 

From my side, plenty of kudos to all involved. Had a great day out!

I did not do this ride this year, but have to ask why you would need solid food at a waterpoint on a 55km ride. Maybe on something over 100 km maybe. Damn, do you even need waterpoints on a 55km ride?

 

I am not a racing snake, but on most funrides under 100km I seldom use any waterpoints.  And Goodie Bags Hu? They are a waste of time in in most cases.

[GLuvsMtb]

For me, I think they got the waterpoints spot on, Coke and water is perfect.

 

There is nothing worse than seeing someone apply cream to their behind and then stick their hand in the food offering at the table..

 

So in the interest of my own health, I have since stopped eating any food at all waterpoints in all races and carry everything that I want to eat..

 

Tom

I do the same. To have a small energy bar, some nuts or biltong packet or 2 in your jersey pocket is just good sense. When I stop at the water point I usually eat 1/2 a bar, fill my bottles, lube my chain and head off again. I also carry my own race fuel in small ziplock bags to fill my bottles.

On the plus-side, the picnics at the water tables seems to be smaller if they don't have solids. It makes it quicker and easier to get in and out in the 2 minutes set as a target for a water stop when I am racing.

The other plus is much less wastage. To cut fruit for 3000plus riders only to have to dump half of it afterwards doesn't sit well with me. In smaller events the wastage seems to be much less and if you under supply on this there would be the usual "the front guys got, but us back markers were not catered for" crowd swinging their handbags.

[Wannabe]

Dick, not everybody is the same. Metabolic rates and so on (also stored fat reserves  )

So a few guys like you can ride 100km without refueling, but the majority of the riders out there do need to eat.

 

As I said in my original post, a minor gripe / rant that there was no food at the first two points, but it was mostly my fault as I did not have any food on me, and relied on getting food at the waterpoints.

Clearly I was wrong, and I unreservedly apologises to everybody for arriving at the race unprepared and expected (unrealisticaly, it seems) that one of the premier races on the calendar would supply food at their waterpoints. 

SORRY FOR BEING SO DEMANDING AND UNREALISTIC.

STOP CRUSIFYING ME NOW!!!!!  

[Bernard Horn]

Was a great ride on Sunday - if your bike didn't creak before all that dust, it sure as hell would have after

 

Does anyone know how many people started the 55km? I heard the race officials saying 2000, but according to Racetec only 911 finished?

Makes me feel better about completing the 55km.Compared my riding time to official time and found that I spent to much time diving in the dirt and feeling sorry for myself at the water points HTFU!! 

[Ferro]

Was a great ride on Sunday - if your bike didn't creak before all that dust, it sure as hell would have after

 

Does anyone know how many people started the 55km? I heard the race officials saying 2000, but according to Racetec only 911 finished?

 

I know of quite a number of guys that were stopped at the last/close to last water point. Ouch! That must have hurt. Saw a lot of bloodied riders out there too, narrowly missed being one myself. All in the name of fun