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Absa Cape Epic Prologue moves to Meerendal


Matt

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I don't think its the trails that is the problem. It is the start/finish area with media and the worlds eyes on it. Imagine the chaos the protesters can cause with all the supporters, and all of it on live television...

Ya true enough. Meerendal just seems like a poor substitute. 

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Must say I think its a bad call from the Epic. The prologue is still a few weeks away. The route is mostly nowhere near the campus anyway. Bring in some security and away you go.  I was looking forward to the crash video from THE Single Track :-)

more than enough spill at hoogies the last time I went to watch there ...... and then some riders who managed to ride the trail with real style

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But remember the finish and end is at UCT. So a lot of people and tv right there, and imagine now the protestors rock up.

 

I think good call, just tired of meerendal!

 

At least you can now pedal in, do the prologue and pedal back home.  :whistling:

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At least you can now pedal in, do the prologue and pedal back home.  :whistling:

 

That's true, a little bit of warm up and no need to pack bikes etc.. and on home turf!

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Must say I think its a bad call from the Epic. The prologue is still a few weeks away. The route is mostly nowhere near the campus anyway. Bring in some security and away you go.  I was looking forward to the crash video from THE Single Track :-)

Chum, it starts and finishes on the UCT rugby fields and goes through the singletrack built on university grounds.

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so much for cycling to and from the prologue which is also part of my daily commute  :thumbdown:

 

In the end i think a good decision was made, il never underestimate the motives of these protesters! 

 

aaaanyway off to boringdal  :whistling:

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I think the move of the Prolouge is a poor decision and one that has implications for all of us that ride on Table Mountain. The Epic makes our local riding terrain NB for the SANParks and the City. It gives weight to the argument to open more tracks. It makes Cape Town a 'famous' MTB destination. It helps globally market the city with the iconic Table Mountain backdrop. It makes MTBing accessible to many new specators. It ensures that there is some leverage to maintain the tracks etc. It connects the Epic to Cape Town proper. I feel the move is not justified. Anyone know if the 2 Oceans has moved? FNB Varsity Cup hasn't moved has it? Importatly, will the Epic still ensure that 'the single' is maintained? To my mind, Meerendal seems to be cornering the benefits to the detriment of the broader community.

Disappointed.

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Surely this is a no-brainer? An event that takes months to organise is presumably warned by police with just three weeks to go that there might be further instability. The event has to chose to ignore that and be liable for anything that happens to riders/spectators/crew etc, or make the move. 

Of course it is disappointing for Table Mountain riders who have enjoyed the upgrades as a consequence of the Epic being there but surely the people you should be pointing your fingers at are the protesters? But do bear in mind that the issues they feel strongly about are poverty, hunger, housing ... not manicured singletrack

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Last year we rode the prologue at UCT. The Rhodes Must Fall chops had already started their nonsense by taping the statue up and then toyi toying through the spectators. Fortunately most media simply ignored them. I'm genuinely upset that this crowd has now forced the prologue to move out to Meerendal. Thats almost the definition of terrorism:  "Criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them."
Heavy stuff! Maybe we select a few of them and get them to ride a few Epic stages? Should shut them up quick enough! 

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Helderberg trails would have been a better option.

 

Every year the Tour de France has its fair share of protesters and they're dealt with. If the organizers are scared of protesters just invite Bernard Hinault to preside over proceedings. Not afraid of a few punches that one.

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What is Epic's love affair with Meerendal?

Aren't they(Meerendal) a significant Share holder (of the Epic) since last year (which why the epilogue was there?).  

 

The TM tracks have been awesome to ride since the upgrades done for the prologue last year, hopefully TMBikers can continue to keep it in good shape without funding from the Epic.

 

IMHO Meerendal is not of the standard in the context of the EPIC. It doesn't follow on from the stages that precede (now follow on from it), its dusty and ugly.

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